Bulgaria is in shock after hearing that the death sentences against the five nurses and the doctor have been upheld. Again and again people are saying that not only Bulgaria but also the EU could have done more. Swetoslaw Tersiew comments. "The death sentence was first pronounced in Bengasi in 2004, when Bulgaria had not yet joined the EU. Bulgaria is now an EU member... However, it's a sign of inadequacy that calm diplomacy has failed to produce anything but the expected consensus that Libya's judicial system is dead... It's also a poor result for the EU, which is deliberating over its own human rights charter. How can there be a justification for the death sentence, which is banned in Europe and which in Libya was the result of confessions forced by torture?" (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Svetoslav Tersiev

According to Astrid Frefel, "even without executions the Benghazi HIV scandal provides an interesting insight into the ways of a despot. Gaddafi is using six innocent guest workers as political hostages. They have been tortured and have lived with the fear of death for years on end. He has abused the judicial system to cover up the shortcomings of his own country's hospitals. He is playing a deadly game with the Liberians by playing down the dangers of HIV infection. Even without weapons of mass destruction the Colonel in Tripoli is a dictator, and his own people are made to feel the consequences on a daily basis." (12/07/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Europe, » Bulgaria, » Libya
All available articles from » Astrid Frefel

In a polemic published in several European dailies, writer Tahar Ben Jelloun calls on Europe to "save the Libyan hostages". "Libya wants to apply its strange and outdated conception of justice to Europe. ... We are in the traditional logic of this country called 'the blood debt'. This tradition consists of repaying your crime. ... Europe cannot enter into this archaic logic that is contrary to justice and law. Only an independent and rational court of justice can judge the guilt or innocence of the accused. ... Europe must reject this idea of blood debt; if Europe negotiates with Libyan 'justice', then why call it scandalous to secretly negotiate with terrorists who take hostages in Iraq, Lebanon or Afghanistan?" (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Tahar Ben Jelloun

In the eyes of the Estonian daily the case of the Bulgarian nurses highlights the weaknesses of Libya's judicial system. "The haggling over money and expert opinions that prove the innocence of the accused has undermined the court's credibility. As a small country Bulgaria's voice is weak, but its position has improved considerably since its accession to the EU at the beginning of 2007. Before this there were only weak declarations of support, but now the credibility of the entire EU is at stake. Will the diplomatic pressure exercised by the EU suffice? This will become clear once the highest legal instance has made its decision, and we can only hope that this courtroom drama will then finally come to an end." (12/07/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Health Policy, » Europe, » Bulgaria

Richard Bulliet, professor of history at Columbia University, argues that the history of Europe has to be rewritten to correct the portrayal of Muslims. "Violence is the dominant motif of Western histories on Islamic relations. Everyone is reminded on a regular basis that a Muslim army penetrated deep into northern France in 732 before being heroically stopped by Charles Martel at Tours, and another Muslim army laid siege to Vienna in 1529 before being turned back by bad weather and heroic defenders. (…) From episodes like this, today's ideologues concoct a myth of unending and merciless hostility between Islam and the West. (…) Europe needs to come to grips with its past. This could best be done by a multinational commission charged with reviewing every aspect of the history of Muslims in, and versus, Europe." (12/07/2007)

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Romanian President Traian Basescu is pushing for the introduction of direct elections for parliamentary elections. He points out that the president is also chosen through direct elections. Renate Weber opposes the move. "The voters' notion that direct elections can reform the political class is easily proved wrong. The problem is not how the members of parliament are elected but how they are held responsible to their voters... The idea that someone who is elected directly rather than via a party list will keep his election promises is oversimplified and unconvincing. Moreover, a comparison with countries that do have direct elections is irrelevant because these are countries where democracy already works... Here in Romania the parties don't work according to agendas, strategies or rules... There is no party discipline or transparency whatsoever. The parties themselves would have to start functioning properly - but direct elections won't solve that problem for them." (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Renate Weber

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave a preview of his government's fall agenda in the House of Commons wednesday, july 11th. The daily evaluates his proposed policies in an editorial, noting that they represent a departure from some important Blair initiatives. The most surprising is "his decision to bring into doubt plans for new supercasinos. The folly of gambling liberalisation has already caused the government much misery. ... The case for the large-scale expansion of casinos has always been thin, and the case for a network of supercasinos even thinner. It is too late for Mr Brown - who was closely involved in the initial decision to change the law - to extricate himself from the whole Gambling Act. But if he pulls the plug on supercasinos, as he now seems likely to do, he will have done something to mitigate its worst effects." (12/07/2007)

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Czech President Vaclav Klaus is currently in Warsaw. The media of both countries are following the visit closely. Polish President Lech Kaczynski praised the Czechs for supporting his country at the recent EU summit with the emotional words. "We will never forget what you have done for us!" Both presidents describe bilateral relations as excellent. But according to Czech commentator Luboš Palata, Vaclav Klaus and the Polish Kaczynski brothers have one main characteristic in common: they are both completely isolated within the EU. "The excellent relations between Prague and Warsaw are largely a myth. Good relations between two states must have an entirely different basis: the development of a strong EU and the corresponding contributions to that end by the Czech Republic and Poland. The Czech Republic and Poland will return to this solid foundation once Klaus stops visiting Warsaw and Kaczynski stops giving him a warm welcome there." (12/07/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Poland, » Czech Republic
All available articles from » Luboš Palata

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble's contentious proposals for intensifying the fight against terrorism should not be seen exclusively in the context of German domestic policy, writes Brigitte Alfter. "If you look not only at Germany but at other countries, then you'll see that [Schäuble] is not the only one encroaching on the rights that protect people's lives, legal security and privacy in times of war as in times of peace. Guantánamo, among other things, is proof that the current American government has blurred the distinction between the laws that are valid in times of war and those in times of peace. But other fundamental rights such as the ban against torture and the ban against deportation when there is the possibility that torture will be used in the home country have also been called into question in the name of the fight against terrorism. Perhaps Schauble's proposals were just meant to test reactions. But when one of the most important ministers of the EU's largest member state is allowed to put to open debate the question of whether a state has the right to shoot people or hold them in custody without trial, this is a symptom of how infinitely fragile our democracies are." (12/07/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Germany, » Denmark, » Global

Christophe Boltanski is critical of the new French President's attitude during his tour of north Africa this week, his first trip outside Europe. "Nicolas Sarkozy, who views French diplomacy as too light on dictators, didn't wait long to re-enact the good old ways of his predecessor at the Presidential Palace. During his visit Tuesday [July 10th] to Tunis, he carefully refrained from criticising his host, President Zine el-Abdidine Ben Ali, on public liberties. In praising the 'economic development' of the country, he even noted the 'progress' made on the road to democracy. Almost Chirac to the T. What does it matter that the major players in Tunisian civil society attest to the opposite? ... In Tunisia, like in China or Russia, Jacques Chirac didn't say anything else: in terms of Human Rights, it's better to use discreet channels than to openly critique a regime. It's a policy for which dissidents in Beijing and Tunis are still waiting to see benefits." (11/07/2007)

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Greek journalist Irini Moustaira, shocked by the evolution of the French Socialist Party [PS], decided to write a letter to Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), former minister of culture and the face of the left during the 1980s. "Melina, don't roll over in your grave; wake up and see this. Your old friend Jack Lang is slamming the door on the PS. This man of the left, lover of Greece, with whom you shared your summers and your vision of European culture, has lost his principles. Melina, if you were with us, you would take him by the ear. Approached by the government to run a committee, he prefers to drop the ball rather than breath new life into French socialism, like you did in Greece. Melina, the French are letting their material comfort and their egos, in short their pragmatism, get in the way of their ideology! Melina, don't cry, your friend Jack is a different person." (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Irini Moustaira

"Ten days after the official liberalisation of the energy market in the EU, legislators in Luxemburg adopted, Wedensday, July 11, a proposition on the organisation of the electricity market," recounts the editorialist Laurent Moyse. "The liberalisation of services is progressing step by step in Europe, not without the resistance of state members who want to protect their domestic markets, which is where the Commission fears problems with competetition. ... Experience shows us that liberalisation is not an end in itself, but must lead to a real gain for the consumer. ... Opening up the markets must be accompanied by a two-tiered control: that of the Commission to assure that the rules of competition are followed, and that of the state members to make sure the open markets don't penalise certain categories of citizens because of the particularities of this or that market." (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Laurent Moyse

The German investigative journalist Günter Wallraff plans to read Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" in a mosque in Cologne. In an interview with Germany's tageszeitung he explained that he doesn't see this as an act of provocation but as in keeping with his personal motto, "Be realistic and demand the impossible". Sonja Zekri is annoyed about what she calls the journalist's "hypocritical lecturing airs". "That of all people old lefties like Wallraff or Cap Anamur founder Rupert Neudeck have identified Muslim immigration as the greatest threat to freedom and justice is one of the absurdities of the current discourse on Islam. Wallraff's profession of commitment-cum-blackmailing, by which he hopes to pass off maximum demands as concessions, is a perfect example of the hypocritical lecturing airs and populist cheap valour that instead of going against the spirit of the times only supply his camp with more ammunition." (12/07/2007)

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All available articles from » Sonja Zekri

François Pilet is annoyed by the new royalties for musicians that the Swiss will have to pay for starting in September, when they buy MP3 players. "At the end of the 20th Century, we cried for the poor record company giants whose profits were being unjustly gouged by 'pirating'. ... In a few years, things have changed a lot. ... The artists themselves are playing both sides. The latest guitar players profit from the access to a world-wide audience at the click of a mouse, without having to put down their beer. The big groups ... make millions with their hits sold individually. ... Appetites whetted by this frenzy, it's the taxman's turn to get his due. Starting in September, the Swiss will pay royalties twice when they buy music and players. ... Nothing better than this to encourage internet surfers to hoist the 'Jolly Roger' on the limitless oceans of the Net." (12/07/2007)

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Germany and Denmark are trying to build a bridge over the Fehmarn Belt between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland, but at the same time a language dispute is causing a rift between the two countries, Björn Mansson reports. In the German state of Schleswig-Holstein place-name signs will in future also give the names in the minority languages Danish, Frisian and Low German. However there are no plans to reciprocate the gesture in Danish Jutland, which is home to a German minority. "Flensburg will continue to welcome its visitors with the name Flensborg. But it's more about symbolism, respect and tolerance than practical issues. The proposal has met with opposition on the Danish side. They don't want Aabenraa, the German minority's main base, to also be given the corresponding German name Apenrade. Serious commentators have gone as far as to say this would be a provocation because it would bring back memories of Denmark's occupation by the Nazis. Just look at that: for once Germany is more tolerant than Denmark." (12/07/2007)

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There is one place in England that hasn't implemented the recent smoking ban in public places: Stoke-on-Trent. The daily takes a humorous look at the situation. "The council bungled the implementation of the ban, and gaspers can carry on puffing until next month. As a result, smokers are flocking to the town. Stoke has many things to boast about: its potteries, Sir Stanley Matthews, Arnold Bennett ... and even Robbie Williams, who grew up there. But only now has it, thanks to blistering incompetence, hit on a brilliant way to pull in the tourists - at least for the next three weeks. Since, for all its charm, it scarcely harbours any of the seven wonders of the modern world, it might draw a lesson from this: its council should bungle still further, have a permanent derogation and become the world's first nicotine theme park." (12/07/2007)

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