The Polish government wants to enact a law that would reduce the pensions of former employees of the communist Secret Service. As president of the right-conservative party, PiS [Law and Justice Party], Jaroslaw Kaczynski published the statement, 'Remembrance and Responsibility'. Jan Pinski considers it "an excellent idea to eliminate special privileges for former functionaries of communist Poland's repressive apparatus. But the enactment of Prime Minister Kaczynski's recommendations depends upon a victorious legal campaign... There is no doubt that every functionary who faced a reduction in pension would complain about it to the Polish and European courts. And more: According to the Polish system of justice, they could count on enforcement of their claims... The only way to make any progress in this direction is to recognize the Security Service as a criminal organization, and thus eliminate its privileges." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Poland

Zdzislaw Krasnodebski challenges the notion that the current focus on the enmeshment in the secret service in Poland was set into motion "from above and on the orders of the Kaczynski brothers". Rather, it is a societal necessity, he suggests: "First of all, it is about a sense of justice, which, when damaged, erodes the state's legitimacy and leads to cynicism. After 1989, many Solidarity activists were living in poverty and oblivion. Their tormentors had it easy. Only now are many everyday heroes receiving high accolades from the president. Secondly, it is about telling the truth. We want to know how the mechanisms of power and force in the People's Republic of Poland functioned, and what led to the decision for transformation in 1989. Thirdly, it is about transparency in public life. There is evidence that many persons after 1989 were exposed to pressure and blackmail. Fear and dependency influenced politics and the economy." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » History, » Weltanschauung, » Poland
All available articles from » Zdzislaw Krasnodebski

The chronicler Jacques Pilet considers that "the 'old' Europeans do not appreciate how difficult it is for former Communists to untangle themselves from their past. The Polish example is caricatural. Under pressure from the media, the archbishop nominated by the Vatican [Stanislaw Wielgus] as successor of the powerful Jozef Glemp, had to confess a few hours before his consecration that he had been an active agent of the secret police. The revelations are devastating: the priest spied on his peers, apologised to his superiors when he did not gather sufficient information. ... Obviously, the whole affair has shed a disagreeable light on the idealised image of a Catholic Church committed to the struggle against dictatorship. ... The stepping-down of the prelate has been applauded by most Poles, but it irritates the ultra-Catholic far-right for whom the Pope remains the infallible beacon. It is also creating discomfort among the centre-left -apparent in the columns of the famous newspaper 'Gazeta Wyborcza'- which is concerned that the red witch hunt might get out of control." (11/01/2007)

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After news reports about his contacts with the communist Secret Service, another man of the Polish Catholic Church - Janusz Bielanski, prelate of the Krakow Wawel Cathedral - withdrew from his post on Monday. László Kasza urges the Hungarian Cardinals to follow the example of their Polish colleagues: "All the heads of the Hungarian Bishops Conference – Czapik, Grősz, Ijjas, Lékai, Paskai, Seregély – and most of the Bishops themselves have worked with the Hungarian Secret Service. Unlike their Polish counterparts, they don't say a word about it publicly. ... They refuse to withdraw, and the Vatican has not dismissed them.... Archbishop Wielgus said in announcing his withdrawal: 'I know that I have done considerable damage to my church.' Such admission of guilt is never heard in Hungary. And there is not a single conservative newspaper in Hungary that would reveal Cardinals as former spies of the communist Secret Service, the way Gazeta Polska did." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Poland, » Hungary

To Belarusian poet Andrei Chadanovich, the fight between Russia and Belarus has its positive side: "We never notice some of our bodily organs - the small, unessential ones - unless they hurt. That is more or less what is happening in Western Europe: Suddenly it realizes there is a small country that can cause a lot of problems: Belarus. Of course, western Europe knew about this place before: a place defined by a certain lack of democracy and with 'the last dictator of Europe.' But should that be of any concern to us western Europeans? Not at all. And the dictator does not bother us either. It's just not our problem. Russia should cope with its 'little brother.' But now it is clear that this is not at all only a 'special Russian' problem. It's like a fight between hooligans, when the bystander gets caught up in the thrashing. The mutual Russian-Belarusian extortion is nothing other than a brawl between rioters. And every European who used to think that 'the EU is a world unto itself' is bearing the brunt." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Russia, » Europe
All available articles from » Andrej Chadanowitsch

The French playwright Yasmina Reza explains in an interview with Marie-Françoise Leclère why she identifies with the characters in her play 'Le dieu du carnage' in which two couples get into a conflict. "I think that violence, war and suffering are totally inherent to human beings and that if we do not place this fact at the forefront of all reflection, then the reflection is worthless. It is very difficult for mankind to contain itself. I am wary of all emphatically generous thinking, anti-racist formulas, I cannot imagine that the wearing of a badge, or simply an ethical decision, can erase the atrocious drive one sun-shiny day, as if by magic. I am sceptical when it comes to the pacifying power of culture. I am suspicious of what resembles blackmailing with the notion of Good. Only acts count." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Stage, » France

For the French thinker André Glucksmann, there is no clash of civilisations between Islam and the West, but occasional conflicts that are deliberately fuelled. "The 20th century saw murderous ideologies begin to take over the divine and secular faiths of the average European. The 21st century is seeing the movement continue. And now it is Islam's turn to be the instrument of this crime. After the SS and the Chekists, the cagouled demons, the religious, racists and nationalists continue the dance macabre. ... Followers of all religions and declared agnostics, conservatives and the progressive, dreamers and realists should all invent a new way of monitoring a inflammable planet. Incendiary minorities without any scruples - active nihilists - are competitively cruel and benefit from the neglect of sleepy majorities, passive nihilists. If we are able to identify the incendiaries each time, then it will never be too late to fight the flames." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global
All available articles from » André Glucksmann

Human Rights Watch launched on Thursday, January 11th, its annual World Report. Kenneth Roth, Executive director, seized the opportunity to commend greater EU commitment in the world. "As a collection of democracies founded on respect for the rule of law and the rights of the individual, the EU should be a natural human rights leader. It has performed impressively in extending these values to its new members and occasionally elsewhere, but when acting beyond its borders, the EU is often disappointingly weak. ... Much of the problem lies in the difficulty of achieving a common position among 27 members ... . One option would be to allow a supermajority rather than unanimity ... . When human lives are at stake, that prioritisation of the collective over the effective is callous. Even when a common position is reached, the EU's insistence on working almost exclusively through its presidency often undermines its clout. ... With US leadership in short supply, the people of the world are paying the price for the EU's weak position." (12/01/2007)

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All available articles from » Kenneth Roth

Bens Latkovskis comments on the German proposal for an EU-wide ban on Holocaust denial. "In Latvia, one could pass such a law without having to worry too much about practical consequences. Up to now, no important personality has denied publicly the mass murder of the Jews during World War II. But this kind of legal proposal would trigger a debate about the limits of democracy... And if our 'friends' in the west would like to see that happen, why not add a few other issues to the mix, such as a ban on denial of the Soviet occupation? That would effectively end the exasperating debate about whether Latvia was occupied or not in 1940." (12/01/2007)

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All available articles from » Bens Latkovskis

Jean-Noël Cuénod considers the French presidential campaign and the recurrent complaints of François Bayrou (UDF, centre-right) who criticises the media for speaking exclusively about Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy. "By its very nature, a presidential election by universal suffrage infers this type of duel. And then how can one possibly rival such placarding of the nasty little runt versus the pretty mummy; the dynamic right against the maternal left? ... Is Bayrou thus condemned to playing in the media's second division? In any case, he has found an interesting parade: the Internet. According to RGTI, a company specialising in the 'political blogosphere', Bayrou's party, the UDF, has been shown to be the second best represented political organisation on the Web ... . The presidential election, with its two marketing candidates, offers a stereotypical image of politics that are full of ideas... empty ideas! Is the Internet to become the instrument that will restore political debate in all its entirety?" (12/01/2007)

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All available articles from » Jean-Noël Cuénod

The European energy crisis opens doors for Romania, writes Liviu Antonesei. He praises President Traian Basescu, who already recognized the geopolitical importance of the Black Sea for energy delivery two years ago. "The EU counts on the Caucasus and South Caucasus. But that presupposes political stability on the Black Sea. ... Romania can profit in many ways from the current crisis between the EU and Russia. It could redefine its status as a stabilising factor on the eastern border of the EU; perhaps it could even become a regional power. And together with Poland, Romania could take over the role that France and Germany play in the west. I would say that Romania's EU entry has come at just the right time." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Energy, » Russia, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Liviu Antonesei

Slovenians had anxiously awaited the introduction of the euro on January 1. But in the end, nothing noteworthy happened, notes Mico Mrkaic. It's similar to anxieties about the Y2K bug, which was supposed to cause computer problems at the turn of the century but in the end never materialized, he writes: "The introduction of the euro went too well; there's nothing to complain about. There could be no economic repercussions because Slovenia already introduced a firm rate of exchange two years ago. So in the end the only bother has been the physical exchange of the paper money with which we pay." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Slovenia

The French engineer Nicolas Ridoux is the author of the book 'La décroissance pour tous', in which he explores the idea of post-development. Interviewed by Christelle Chabaud, he explains why the term consumption has been turned around. "Consumers have been dehumanised, the current economic system reduces their happiness to their capacity to buy clothes, mobile phones, MP3s and plasma screens. ... To such an extent that we may well wonder if objects don't actually possess consumers instead of the other way round. Even surveys are only interested in 'domestic morality' in terms of market research. France's ecological footprint shows that our society over-consumes. It is three, which means that it would take three planets to manage if all countries consumed as much as we do. At the same time, however, Burkina Faso is in alarming under-consumption with an ecological footprint of 0,1." (10/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Consumers, » France

The recent reconciliation of Latin-American writers Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa after a long and bitter feud inspires Ben Macintyre to reflect. "The art of the feud seems to be dying out. Writers once exhibited their sworn enemies with as much pride as any literary award. Politicians delighted in grudge and vengeance, and waded happily though rivers of bad blood. Artists openly slopped paint and vitriol over one another. Public figures are no more tolerant of one another than they ever were, but in an age of false politeness and fake amity, the old-fashioned blood feud is increasingly rare. Only a few staunch figures still cultivate their enemies with proper care. ... The rules of modern hypocrisy value bogus bonhomie over honest animus. In the literary world, back-scratching sells more books than eye-gouging." (12/01/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Latin Amerika
All available articles from » Ben Macintyre

With the release of his new album, 'I am you', the Belgian musician and humorist Marc Moulin is interviewed by Dominique Simonet. He describes the functional aspect of his music. "There is indeed a theory that says that all forms of music are functional. The lullaby is intended to send the baby to sleep, the military march urges on the troops on, the funeral march accompanies departed loved ones, dance music is used to dance and classical music to elevate the soul, to create a form of oblivion, consolation. It can serve as back-ground when played softly, in the evening, when enjoying dinner, for example. But the louder it is the more its purpose is modified. At medium volume, the lyrics of a song can be heard and when incredibly loud, not just for me, there is really a groove, something that makes you move." (12/01/2007)

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All available articles from » Dominique Simonet

Slovakia has gained in international respect in recent years, and its economy is climbing rapidly. Yet political scientist Daniel Smihula complains that Slovakians remain trapped in their traditional pessimism. "Pessimism and whining things like 'we can't succeed, nothing is moving ahead,' damage not only the individual but also the entire society. And such characteristics as bigotry, jealousy or unreadiness for cooperation reduce the potential of an entire country. If Slovakia wants to be successful in the long term, its people have to transform their mentality, their entire approach to life. They have to start believing that, after many years of stagnation, limitations and failure, both their country and its citizens have a better future ahead." (12/01/2007)

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