Andrej Ivanji reports from Belgrade that "in Serbia the view is gaining ground that the West is prepared to do the Serb people a terrible injustice, while Russia is a true friend and partner. Only a handful of analysts are pointing out that Russia's support could turn out to be very deceptive and that Belgrade's policies, led astray by emotion, could trigger a wave of anti-Western feeling in Serbia. State President Boris Tadic, who now stands rather isolated, has repeatedly warned that regardless of the Kosovo issue, the EU is Serbia's most important partner and that there is no alternative to the country's European perspective. Unlike in Belgrade, people in Pristina are convinced that in the end Russia will give in and at least tacitly consent to Kosovo's independence." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Russia, » Europe, » South East Europe, » Serbia
All available articles from » Andrej Ivanji

The American lawyer and expert in international law, Anthony D'Amato criticises the Ahtisaari plan and speaks out in favour of dividing Kosovo into an Albanian and a Serb section: "The solution proposed by Ahtisaari violates international law... The UN's power to divide the territory of Kosovo into an 85 percent and a 15 percent section reflecting the make-up of the population allows the Security Council to enforce Article VII and thus establish international peace and security. In this way Serbia would loose its sovereignty over the areas populated by Albanians. However, the Security Council does not have the right to deprive Serbia of the remaining 15 percent. Accordingly, northern Kosovo should remain part of Serbia." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, Bulgarian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » South East Europe, » Serbia
All available articles from » Anthony D' Amato

Frank Herold explains that the UN Security Council's decision will depend not only on Russia but also on Slovakia. It's not yet clear whether Slovakia will vote in favour of supervised independence for Kosovo, as it fears this could set a precedent for its own Hungarian minority. Although the EU "got its representatives France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and Slovakia to confirm their support for Ahtisaari's proposal last weekend, these countries haven't actually committed to saying 'yes'. Not only does Slovakia have deep misgivings, its parliament has also passed a declaration. Its representative is only to support a UN resolution which respects Serbia's position. It would be disastrous if the Ahtisaari plan were to fail because Slovakia abstains. If the Security Council does not pass a resolution there will be two losers for certain: the Serb minority, which without a Council decision will continue to have no guarantee of its rights, and the European Union." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Slovakia, » South East Europe, » Serbia
All available articles from » Frank Herold

Italian writer Umberto Eco welcomes with irony the construction of an archeological theme park in Albanella, a little town in the south of Italy, where a fake greek temple will be built. Eco sees it as a "good way to safeguard Italy's artistic heritage. … With the advent of mass tourism, some important sites increased their income, but at the cost of ugliness and vandalism. They became dumps for discarded soda cans and plastic bags. … What are we to do? Deny the masses access to art, thus flying in the face of all democratic ideals? … We should exploit the natural tendencies of mass tourism - which is another way of saying that there are some who probably find Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas more Roman than the Coliseum. Just think how many people will be more satisfied by the fake temple at Albanella, all in one piece, shining and splendid, than by the real thing that has struggled to survive in nearby Paestum [a real archeological site not far away Albanella]." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Architecture / Cities, » Public Culture, » Italy
All available articles from » Umberto Eco

In an interview with Beat Stauffer, the Tunisian intellectual Abdelwahab Meddeb reveals the sources of his criticism of Islamists: "I want to criticise my religion, Islam, in the same way Nietzsche criticised Christianity. Many people are no longer aware that in the 9th and 10th century there were already critics within Islam who were much more radical than today's critics. There have always been thinkers within the Islamic faith who criticised the prophets - Ibn al-Rawindi, for example. Both his contemporaries and theologians two hundred years later were of the opinion that it was legitimate for him to go so far with his criticism. These thinkers of the early Middle Ages were 'esprits athéniens' who were strongly influenced by Greek philosophy. I think it's important to point out that Islam had its 'Greek age'." (02/04/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » History, » Weltanschauung, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Abdelwahab Meddeb, » Beat Stauffer

The Italian political scientist Giovanni Sartori who has published an essay on democracy, asks if it is well adapted to other countries and cultures. "When we ask if democracy is exportable, the objection arises that democracy emerged in various places and that Westerners commit the sin of arrogance when they talk about it as if it was their own invention and see the issue only in terms of exporting. ... This concept of exporting reveals an underlying cultural imperialism and the desire to impose a model. ... In Japan and India, cultural diversity has not prevented the creation of a western-style democracy. Religion has not been an obstacle because secularism is an accepted principle." (03/04/2007)

» to the homepage (external link, Corriere della Sera)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Asia, » Europe
All available articles from » Giovanni Sartori

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER), voices arguments in favour of Britain accepting the German package to salvage large parts of the constitutional treaty, as London is still undecided on its ratification. "Suppose that Britain alone, or with one or two allies, vetoed the deal that most others want. Being blamed for the ensuing rancour, Britain would lose influence across a swath of policy areas. … A less influential Britain would find it hard to win the arguments, starting next year, over reshaping the EU's budget and farm policy. And its voice would count for less in areas such as economic reform and climate change. … It should therefore strive to find a compromise with its partners and be willing to accept much of Merkel's package. But she should remove the provisions that transfer new powers to the EU, since they would oblige Britain to hold a referendum" (03/04/2007)

» more information (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Constitution, » United Kingdom, » Europe
All available articles from » Charles Grant

The Court of Appeal in Bucharest has partially rehabilitated the fascist military dictator Ion Antonescu, who was executed in 1946, and his ultra-nationalist supporters. They were responsible for the deportation and murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews during the Second World War. Liviu Rotman comments: "We must ask why it is that in a democratic Romania the cult surrounding a dictator has been revived. This invocation and glorification of the 'anti-Bolshevist crusade' of a self-appointed marshal is more than just a problem. The simple explanation that Antonescu is being idealised because he opposed discredited communism is childish and unacceptable. You can't apply the formula 'two minuses make a plus' to social issues. This is evidence that people have failed to grasp the complexity of this social phenomenon. So far only the Jewish community has voiced its adamant protest." (02/04/2007)

» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Romania
All available articles from » Liviu Rotman

The Spanish courts indicated on Monday April 2nd that the Spanish intellectual Fernando Savater, member of 'Basta ya!'- an association of citizens against terrorism - was under surveillance by a commando of the Basque separatist group (ETA) uncovered by the police. The columnist José Aguilar reacts with horror to this news. "[This commando] was not only following him but also the movements of police, military, politicians and judges. It's easy to guess why: to have them to near to hand or, to speak plainly, near to a rifle butt, in case the government does not accept the conditions imposed for the maintenance of a ceasefire. ... Savater has written that in the Basque country, victims [of terrorism] are only honoured after they have been sacrificed. Prior to that, they had been considered only as irritating people. Savater is not at all irritating, he is a sincere democrat, an esteemed philosopher, lucid pedagogue and a just and courageous man." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Spain
All available articles from » José Aguilar

Michel Konen in the daily's editorial notes that "something has changed in public opinion. Ecologists are no longer considered as dreamers fit only to raise goats. At the moment when in Brussels, the second session of the Intergovernemental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is being held, all political parties have included the theme of the environment in their programmes. ... There is a real awareness today. Thanks to the action of people such as Al Gore, or Nicolas Hulot [in France] or closer to home, Alain Hubert [a Belgian environmentalist] to mention those most covered by the media. Thanks also - to give them their due - to the hundreds and thousands of militant ecologists who for the last 20 years have been ringing alarm bells. ... But let's make no mistake about it, the Earth has not yet won the battle. We may well vote in her favour but the outcome depends it's the behaviour of each individual." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Michel Konen

Kevin Watkins, director of the UN's Human Development Report Office, comments on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) currently meeting in Brussels and stresses the need for urgent action. "Wholesale reversals in human development are in prospect. … The bad news is that even if all industrial countries deliver on the cuts envisaged by the EU, the chances of keeping below the 2°C dangerous climate change threshold are slim, and more extreme weather patterns are all but inevitable. Northern governments can do nothing, and wait to deal with the consequences of climate change - the food emergencies, the refugees, the health epidemics and the conflicts - through humanitarian aid, mopping up after the event and calling it charity. Or they can act now in a spirit of global justice, and invest in poverty reduction and crisis prevention." (02/04/2007)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Kevin Watkins

A supporter was killed last week in Greece in a fight at a woman's volley-ball championship match. "The beating up of a young 25 year-old man is a tragedy that shows the shameful face of Greek sport" underlines the daily. "Will the suspension [decreed by the Greek government] of all competitive group sports for a fifteen day period suffice? Is the problem not rather the sometimes ridiculous actions of the police? The police know the trouble-makers and despite this, they allow them to enter the stadium without really checking them. Is it national pride or unconsciousness? We must look closely at the stupidity of a system which should not at this point in time be so laxist, by allowing violence not just to exist but to increase in the stadiums." (03/04/2007)

» to the homepage (external link, To Vima Online)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Sport, » Greece

In an interview with Henrik Bork, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei explains why he is bringing 1001 Chinese to the Documenta exhibition in Kassel for his "Fairytale" project. "What interests me about Kassel is what happens there to an 18-year-old girl from the province of Gansu in north-west China who grows potatoes in a field. Or with women who belong to a minority in the distant province of Guangxi and who up to now haven't even had a name of their own. They had to be given names so they could be issued passports. They are discovering that names are used for more than being called on by their husbands. All this is currently being documented by some of the best documentary filmmakers and writers our country has. It is this process which interests me most. When it's all over we'll come together for a big party in Kassel." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Exhibitions / Museums, » Fine Arts, » Public Culture, » Germany, » Asia
All available articles from » Ai Weiwei, » Henrik Bork

"Without 'The Scream' but roaring" enthuses the art critic Harry Bellet about the Edvard Munch retrospective at the Beyeler Foundation (Basel). "Paradoxically, [This exhibition] has benefited from an event that might have made its existence impossible. The stealing of 'The Scream', the most famous of Munch's paintings on August 22nd 2004, from the Oslo Museum which holds the majority of his works, put the organisers in a challenging situation. The masterpiece was recovered but, anticipating the difficulties of obtaining loans from a museum under stress, they sought out other sources which proved to be very rich and show Munch as we've never seen him before. Often reduced to "The Scream", becoming the very archetype of anxiety, he is revealed as a much more lively than we ever thought. ... Dieter Buchhart the young Viennese curator of the exhibition has succeeded in a tour de force which makes previous shows of the Norwegian's work pale by comparison ... ." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Exhibitions / Museums, » Fine Arts, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Harry Bellet

Count Dracula, the most famous vampire in literary history and the creation of the Irish novelist Bram Stoker, was named after the notoriously cruel General Vlad III Draculea (1431-1476). Many Americans travel half the world to visit the ancient Bran Castle, which stands surrounded by fog in the Romanian region of Wallachia. The newspaper's Romania correspondent Zoltán Tibori Szabó reports: "A narrow, dark stairway leads to the castle's dungeons. Some tourists swear that they were touched by ghosts on the way down. The local children like to play the role of 'ghosts', the bus driver tells us. In the middle of the family crypt the Count, who reputedly fed on blood, lies in his coffin. Suddenly the master of the house sits up. All these props are the product of the Dracula industry which has surged as the result of the tourism boom. The tourists have got what they wanted for their money and run back upstairs in a panic, where a feast of sausages awaits them." (31/03/2007)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Architecture / Cities, » History, » U.S., » Romania
All available articles from » Zoltán Szabó Tibori

For months now, a Soviet monument in the centre of Tallinn has been causing trouble. The Estonian government wants to have the bronze statue removed, but Estonia's Russian minority and the Russian government are appalled by these plans. Hillar Kohv proposes a lasting solution. "On May 9th [the anniversary of the end of the Second World War] the Russians will once again lay flowers at the foot of the bronze statue while Estonian nationalists would love to shoot it to the moon. Although the affair is allowing protagonists on both sides to get their faces on television, most Estonians are weary of the whole thing. If the bronze statue is such an important symbol and the great pride of the Russians, they should just take it to Russia. Then the Russians could bring their flowers there and this would solve the problem for Estonia." (03/04/2007)

» full article (external link, Estonian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » History, » Estonia, » Russia
All available articles from » Hillar Kohv