The daily highlights the limits of the promised aid. "The check-points that have been scattered around the West Bank and the blockades imposed on the Gaza Strip in the name of security have led for seven years to an incomparable recession. ... Dealing with what is most urgent, the international community has chosen to give more and more massive support to Palestinian public financing. It pays salaries directly into the accounts of the Authority's civil servants, which is the fastest method of redistribution. This choice, dictated by circumstances, is economical nonsense. It can only be a short-term solution until a political process contributes an in-depth modification of the situation, allowing Palestinians, who are no doubt the most qualified in the region, to at last live and move around as freely as anywhere else in the world." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Global, » Middle East

"Money was only the superficial issue in the Paris meeting of 90 countries that wish to support the reconstruction of the Palestinian territories," explains Rudolf Chimelli. "In reality, political goals were practically the only matter discussed within the first hour of this donors' conference: participants spoke of peace between Palestinians and Israelis, of the establishment of a Palestinian state before the end of next year, of economic stability as the basis for secure coexistence. … The Israelis must return to the borders of 1967 and grant the Palestinians the right to live in East Jerusalem. Because a Palestinian state on 18 percent of the former British Mandate, and that divided into cantons through strategic occupied corridors, would not be viable even with transfusions of money." (18/12/2007)

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Money and humanitarian aid alone will not help the Palestinians, says Jürg Bischof. "The World Bank has determined that the Palestinian economy will continue to shrink as long as Israel maintains the current blockades, even if the billions now promised from Paris actually flow. ... That the 'international community' practically fails to complain about Israel's violations of international law, such as through collective punishments or the construction of settlements, is their moral problem. But covering up this problem with a pile of cash neither brings moral relief nor a solution to the conflict. For that, firm political pressure is needed toward a quick improvement of the living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza, and toward a greater readiness of the Israelis and Palestinians alike to make concessions." (18/12/2007)

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François de Singly, professor at the Paris-Descartes University, underlines the difficulty women have extracting themselves from their husband's shadow in public life. "To be a free woman is not enough, some substance is necessary. Diana managed to be one, with more than a little difficulty, and this was one of the reasons for her popularity among women. She was living proof that women can give up playing second roles and live new, more personal lives. The divorce of Cecilia Sarkozy thus translates an historical upheaval of thanks between spouses. For example, a man traditionally thanks his wife for her support when he finishes a thesis, a book, or is promoted or elected. Now a woman can thank her man upon leaving him and refuse any thanks for playing second fiddle.” (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Demographics, » France, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » François de Singly

In the New York Times, Ayaan Hirsi Ali charged Tariq Ramadan - Islam scholar and spokesman for a European Islam – of remaining silent when it comes to the application of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia or Sudan. Ramadan rebuffs this accusation, in a text reprinted in the International Herald Tribune: "In Western countries as well as in Islamic countries, we witness a kind of selective hearing. People are invited to listen only to what apparently comforts their prejudices or suits some ideological agenda. This polarization is dangerous because it engenders enmity... The reason why voices such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali's are not heard in Islamic countries is not because she raises irrelevant questions (some of her arguments are indeed very relevant) but because her criticisms appear to be obsessive, excessive and unilateral. It is as if she wants to please the West and, yes, the West is pleased. But the Muslims are deaf to her voice. The future belongs to those who are able to consistently exercise self-criticism in the name of shared universal values and not because of blindly belonging to the artificial construct of 'Western' or 'Islamic' civilization, or because of a hidden ideological agenda. (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global
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The Kremlin's United Russia party has nominated Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as its presidential candidate. At the same time, current president Vladimir Putin announced he would take the position of prime minister, should the winner of the presidential election so desire. Michał Kacewicz comments: "The Russians are experts at the game of appearances. They act as if they had democratic elections. They act as if it were completely normal for the current president to choose the future president. The Russian people are used to this game, and they also have a very good excuse. Because ultimately, they are doing better. They are ready to play along with the tragic-comedy of 'Russian democracy,' clearly inspired by Gogol. But why do we Europeans follow this play with bated breath, instead of leaving the theatre? Why does Chancellor Merkel call Putin right after his nomination of Medvedev and congratulate him on his good choice?" (17/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Russia, » Europe
All available articles from » Michał Kacewicz

The details of three million learner drivers in Britain have gone missing from a facility in Iowa City, Iowa. "'Information', Albert Einstein concluded, 'is not knowledge.' If there were any doubt as to the truth of this dictum, the spectacle of the British Government yesterday firmly ended it. In the space of barely an hour, the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, outlined an interim report into 'Datagate', the astonishing loss of the entire child benefit record base, only to be followed by his colleague, Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, who had to explain how details relating to three million learner drivers apparently went missing in, quite unbelievably, the US state of Iowa. ... Data is not handled with sufficient rigour and consistency across Government ... . Whatever the formal rules might be, there seems an ad hoc quality to their application." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » United Kingdom

On Monday, Hungarian teachers and train engineers protested against the planned health care reform, which includes partial privatisation of health insurance. Péter N. Nagy comments: "It wasn't the country that was hobbled by yesterday's strike, but the strike itself: Originally intended to be indefinite, it lasted exactly one day. It may well be that this reform could cause us some problems, but surely it is no reason for a healthy, functioning economy to send its people into the street – after a year in which salaries have decreased in a particularly unpleasant manner. Isn't that the real problem? Just because the opposition is devising a referendum doesn't mean that all train employees should have to spring into action. Could it be that a serious error was committed in setting the political agenda?" (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Health Policy, » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Hungary
All available articles from » Péter N. Nagy

"On Monday December 17th, the Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero agreed to reopen the debate on abortion legislation. At first Zapatero didn't want to touch such a polemical issue. ... But these last weeks the debate has been re-launched following the revelation that certain private clinics in Barcelona and Madrid carry out illegal abortions", explains the paper. "The socialist government needs to seriously consider the grave problem of credibility and the electoral cost [in legislative elections next March] if it decides to stretch the number of cases where abortion is possible, because this would go against the convictions of a large majority of the population who doesn't consider this subject a priority." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health and Medicine, » Spain

The governing board of the Italian airline Alitalia will be gathering this Tuesday, December 18th, to evaluate the offers made by two competitors. Bill Emmott analyses the duel that opposes Air-France and KLM to the private Italian airline AirOne. "In the case of Alitalia, we can be sure that politics will always get involved, by any means possible, no matter what company owns it. In order to curb political influence, foreign investors represent the best solution. In addition, it will be easier to deal with the trade unions blackmailing Alitalia with the threat of a strike if it were owned by a foreign company rather than a little national one such as AirOne. The French giant would survive a long conflict, whereas AirOne couldn't afford one." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Bill Emmott

"The populist leader Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom, has become man of the year for NOS [Dutch Television] because he has dominated public debate. "He emerged a winner once votes cast by on-line participants and the parliamentary press were counted. The fact that he has received such esteem from the parliamentary press which he invariably calls 'lefty' is very surprising. The NOS election has nonetheless been a little muddled this year: there were several winners. Members of the SGP [Christian Fundamentalist Party] voted massively for their leader on the Internet, so that Bas van der Vlies was the absolute winner of the on-line vote. Among the journalists, it is Alexander Pechtold, leader of D66 [left-wing liberal party], who obtained most points, precisely because he is firmly against Wilders." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Netherlands

"None of the great European film-makers, neither Lars Von Trier, Stephen Frears, Roberto Benigni nor Mike Leigh, have a place in the Goya ceremony [Spanish film awards] anymore. The list of nominees was unveiled on Monday, December 17th. They are the great forgotten ones", regrets Rocio Garcia. "The decision of the Film Academy to eliminate the 'Best European Film' category, which has existed since 1993, first provoked surprise and then anger among the distributors and producers who have been struggling for years to secure a place in Spanish art-house cinemas which are smaller and more independent that the powerful american film industry. ... The Academy's decision has been justified by a necessity to lighten the load of the Goya ceremony, as well as the fact that none of those given awards over the past few years have shown up to collect their prizes." (17/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Spain, » Europe
All available articles from » Rocío García

The Arts Council has announced that 200 out of England's 990 publicly funded arts organisations are to lose their public funding. The daily responds. "The natural reflex is to cry foul. Already, the cultural air is rapidly filling with talk of slaughter and philistinism ... . In some cases that may be the right reaction. But not in all of them. And certainly not as a matter of principle. Reflect for a moment and it becomes obvious that it cannot be sensible for all existing arts organisations to be funded out of the public purse indefinitely or unchangingly, even when - as now - there is plenty of money available. Such an approach would create a protectionist cartel. It would be hard or impossible for new groups to break into the market. If that happened, some of those who are today denouncing the Arts Council for pulling the plug so radically would seamlessly move to denounce it as a barrier to innovation." (18/12/2007)

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More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » United Kingdom

Mayors of Slovakian cities are portraying themselves increasingly in local papers and television as Superstars. They use tax money to put themselves into the spotlight, complains Márius Kopcsay. That's how the mayor of Galanta ended up with eight images of himself in the 16-page November edition of his local newsletter. "What does that show? The incredible eagerness of local representatives to work? Perhaps in some cases. But it mainly shows that communal politicians have access to enormous influence over money, and thus over power. Of course, decentralisation is part of the democratic system. But under Slovakian conditions, this is also creating fertile ground for corruption and financial gain. Many 'great' politicians envy the media of their communal colleagues." (18/12/2007)

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All available articles from » Márius Kopcsay