"She gave a fluent , competent performance, scoring points for compassion, for marathon smiling and for grasp of the arcane details of the country's social welfare, education and health systems", comments John Lichfield, the paper's Paris correspondent. He considers, however, that reaction in the press has kept her score down in opinion polls. «If Mme Royal has failed to turn the tide, support for her might ebb rapidly to far-left candidates and to the advancing centrist candidate Françios Bayrou. .... M. Bayrou is a pro-European consensus politician, who talks straight without saying very much. He may, for a while, attract votes from Royal supporters and centre-right voters, fearful that a Sarkozy landslide might encourage him to attempt wholesale reform of the state and economy". (21/02/2007)

» more information (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » John Lichfield

Olivier Postal, editorialist of the daily, is critical of the socialist candidate's performance. ”She showed everybody that she was able to talk with her heart and to show compassion to those who suffer, the handicapped, those who face deep family, social, or health problems, among others. We knew this was her main strength and she displayed it once more. But can a good Minister of Family Affairs be a good president of the republic ? The show did not offer a clear answer. Firstly, because the socialist candidate never found the courage to say 'no' to any member of the audience. She basically agreed with everybody. ... Her incantations of a 'fair order', her proclamations about her new way of making politics, on her will to give the citizens the opportunity to express themselves maybe filled with good intentions. But, unfortunately, if we listen to what the economists are saying, it will not create any jobs.” (21/02/2007)

» to the homepage (external link, La Voix du Luxembourg)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Olivier Postal

Laurent Joffrin notes a 'new lease of life' in the Socialist candidate's campaign. "Royal is back to being Ségolène. This is the main explanation for the upsurge of positive opinion provoked by her television program on TF1 and confirmed by her meeting in Rennes. The signs are very slight, but there is no mistaking them. There are not only opinion polls in a campaign. There is also intuition, viewing figures, qualitative studies and ... analysis by journalists, whether left or right-wing. ... Above all, she has regained her essential ground, a liberated tone in relation to the old socialist dinosaurs. If anyone fits the profile of clumsy gaffer that has been unjustly thrust upon her, it is the old left, spendthrift, unrealistic, Europe-worshipping State socialists. ... It is not young Ségolène who is slowing the left down, it is the old left that is sinking the new candidate. It isn't easy rock-and-rolling with old dinosaurs." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Laurent Joffrin

"France's socialist presidential candidate is fighting in vain against her rival Nikolas Sarkozy's lead in the polls," writes Christian Müller, adding that the mood among her team of advisers is very pessimistic. "So far, if you listen to the criticism coming from different quarters within her own party, in her campaign Ségolène Royal has acted like a car driver who, having been informed by radio that a car is driving towards her on the wrong side of the road, screams: not one, dozens of them! Her party celebrated the fact that her TV debate achieved slightly higher viewer ratings than Sarkozy's before her as a positive signal. However, the public's general reaction to her performance in the 'participative debate', which was dedicated solely to social and economic policy, was that she made too many declarations of non-committal sympathy instead of giving concrete explanations for how she plans to finance the fulfilment of the long catalogue of promises she's made." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Christian Müller

A set of diaries purportedly written by Benito Mussolini recently came to light in Italy. "They show a different Mussolini - a Mussolini who didn't want the war and who hated the Germans," writes historian Lutz Klinkhammer of the German Historical Institute in Rome. However, according to an expert report the diaries are fake because Mussolini's date of birth and other data are incorrect. Klinkhammer nonetheless finds the bundle of documents, brought to the public's attention by Sicilian Senator Marcello Dell'Utri, interesting: "This diary fits in perfectly with the softer picture of fascism that has been painted in recent times. Wasn't it Dell'Utri's patron Silvio Berlusconi who described the banishing of anti-fascists to prison islands as 'summer holidays' a few years ago? For decades now fascism has been portrayed in a more favourable light in Italian popular culture, in films and literature: a fascism with comic features, light-years away from the atrocities of National Socialism." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » History, » Italy

Interviewed by Guillaume Duval and Floriane Danguillaume, Jean-Paul Fitoussi, the chairman of the French Observatory of Political Conjuncture (OFCE) , describes the "central paradox that characterises European construction: Europe was built to create a big economy, but at the same time this construction was subordinated to the blocking of all the tools necessary for the management of big economies. Budgetary mechanisms were blocked by the stability and growth pact; the European Central Bank was given a single aim in terms of monetary policy; a policy of competitiveness was sacralized, preventing real industrial policies from being put into practice, and absolutely no decision has been made on politics of change." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » Europe

The newspaper welcomes the decision made by EU Environmental Ministers yesterday to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 % by 2020, describing it as a "first adequate step." "As we all know, economic development and economic strength are not at the same level in all EU countries. It is therefore appropriate that yesterday's decision sets a deadline that all the different EU states can meet, irrespective of their current situation. Some countries of Eastern Europe that were saddled with communism for half a century are rightly concerned about how to cover the costs of implementing the new standards... This is why it's no wonder that reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % can become a problem. The generous time frame established yesterday is therefore the right approach." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Energy, » Europe

The implementation of the measures entailed by the EU Environmental Ministers' decision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be painful for Finland, too, writes the newspaper. Nonetheless, it agrees that this is the only way to save the environment and the world economy from disastrous consequences. "If no progress is being made with the Kyoto Protocol, someone has to take the lead. The EU, consisting as it does of democratic industrial nations, is best suited to assume this role… Admittedly Finland's position has left an unpleasant impression. Helsinki opposed the initiative for purely selfish reasons, and by aligning itself with Poland and the Czech Republic took up sides with those EU states that have short-sighted climate policies. This is a group to which we never should have belonged." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Finnish)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Energy, » Finland

Manuel Jiménez de Parga, member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Political Science, analyses the high rate of abstention (64 %) that marked the referendum on Andalusia's increased status of autonomy on Sunday, February 18th. "It has been proved to us that the Spanish, whether Catalan, or Andalousian, are losing interest in politics. Were a popular consultation to be held in the rest of Spain, it is very likely that the same conclusion would be reached: a gap is growing between the desires of citizens and what is being said and proposed by politicians. ... In all societies, there is a fundamental basic order that politicians need to know and to take into account. This is where the aspirations of citizens are situated. They have specific preoccupations which should make up the priorities of political programmes. As for the importance given to these concerns, politicians cover them up, inventing others (such as the demand for the autonomy of regions the) and people do not respond." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Spain

Slovakia opposes the granting of full independence to the south Serbian province of Kosovo, which is currently under UN administration. The Slovaks fear that an independent Kosovo could stoke the Hungarian minority in Slovakia's struggle for independence. In an interview with Radovan Pavlik, Pal Csaky, deputy chairman of the Hungarian Coalition Party of Slovakia (MKP), refutes such claims: "Once again, the nationalist card is being played in Slovakia. This is because the Slovakian parties have a bad conscience. We have yet to introduce a law for the protection of minority rights. This situation is unworthy of a state based on the rule of law... We are primarily concerned with extending our powers of self-administration in those areas that affect our identity, namely education and culture. It's not just about us but about all minorities, which make up 20 percent of the population... This does not represent any kind of threat to the country. (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Slovak)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Slovakia

"It can be awfully hard to get the feel of the Cyprus issue", comments the journalist Alexis Papachelas. "News editors consider it a dull subject that doesn't sell. On the other hand, it's a very controversial issue: One wrong move can destroy a government. ... The relationship between Athens and Nicosia has never been a clear, straight affair. But recent events are of major concern. Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos does not hesitate to take initiatives such as Nicosia's oil exploration plans [a bidding process has been opend by the Cypriot government to licence offshore oil and gas exploration] without even bothering to notify Athens. The question, of course, is why Greece should always stand by Cyprus when Nicosia does not feel obliged to consult Athens on moves that impact on Greek interests. ... Past deadlocks were overcome as Athens and Nicosia knew that they would both lose out in the event of a serious crisis. Let's hope that a rupture won't occur this time, as a new crisis is in the offing." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » Energy, » Trade, » Greece, » Cyprus
All available articles from » Alexis Papachelas

The question of whether to participate in the US's missile defence system is still under debate in Poland. Talking to Piotr Gillert, security expert Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz warns that Poles should not expect too much: "We should participate in the project, especially as I fear NATO may no longer exist a couple of years from now. But the missile defence shield is not a miracle cure for our fear of Russia and will not guarantee absolute protection. The only way to achieve greater political security and reduce the risk of conflict in Europe is through Berlin. As long as German foreign policy corresponds with American foreign policy, we have nothing to fear. But whether this will continue to be the case is questionable. Gerhard Schröder demonstrated how little it takes to change this. It would be a great mistake on the part of our government to rely solely on an alliance with the US and its missile defence system. Berlin is just as important to our security as the presence of the Americans in Poland." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Germany, » Poland, » U.S.
All available articles from » Piotr Gillert, » Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz

The British weekly considers Europe's economies in relation to the United States. "On February 16th the European Commission released its interim forecast for 2007. This suggests that the European economy as a whole will grow by 2,7 % this year, substantially exceeding its earlier estimate of 2,4 %. In 2006 3m new jobs were created, driving the unemployment rate down to 7,5 % (in the euro area), and labour markets are expected to remain strong. Inflation should come down too, as energy prices fall further. ... Even with its new-found strength, however, Europe is barely outstripping America. ... The question of whether Europe will ever catch up is still much in the news in America. ... It is always dangerous to extrapolate too much from current trends, especially since idiosyncratic factors (such as Germany's need to absorb an economy left crippled by communism) often come into play. But perhaps optimism should be tempered with at least a smidgen of European caution." (19/02/2007)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe, » U.S.

The soap opera 'Family Szabó', which has been broadcast weekly since the 1950s by the Hungarian state radio station, is to be taken off the air after its 2,487th episode. Tamás Kósa comments: "For ten years now people have been saying that hardly anyone listens to it, but the broadcaster still didn't want to let it go. Now reverence for the soap can no longer save it. The end of the programme also means the end of the homo kádáricus, the petit bourgeois of the socialist Kádár era, and we won't mourn his passing... The homo kádáricus suffered an identity crisis following the fall of communism. Sometimes he felt very small and feared being trampled on by others. At other times he felt big and strong and claimed he wanted to box this minister or that around the ears. He craved order and a safe haven in this harsh world. And now, on top of everything else, his favourite programme 'Family Szabó is being taken off the air." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Audiovisual Media, » Hungary

"We Armenians are refugees in Bulgaria," writer Agop Giliyan asserts in an interview with Veselka Venkova, born in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv where the Armenian language is currently experiencing a renaissance. Giliyan recalls the times of communism: "The Bulgarian side did not put us under pressure. Although the Armenian school suddenly had no more pupils, at least our churches weren't closed. Masses were always celebrated as stipulated in the church canon. The 'national government' did not accuse Armenian priests of participating in conspiracies, as it did with Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox priests in Bulgaria. This proves the loyalty of the Armenian Church to the 'national government' - however I can't tell whether this was due to the Christian goodness or the political shrewdness of our fathers… We are refugees here and have no say in the country's politics. You only need to look at the make-up of the parliament of 1915 to see that even then our people had no representatives." (21/02/2007)

» full article (external link, Bulgarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » History, » Bulgaria