Slovenian journalist Peter Potocnik writes about the future status of Kosovo: "Belgrade has now said that an international decision would be acceptable if Kosovo remains an integrated part of Serbian territory. Clearly, even extreme radicals could accept that kind of 'approach' of Serbia to the EU... [President Boris] Tadic did say that, if it came to a war or international isolation, Serbia could neither keep Kosovo nor bring economic progress to its citizens; but he also added that the Serbian military is prepared to protect Serbians living in Kosovo. ... Anyone who still hoped that Serbia saw its future as part of Europe has received a clear signal of what today's Serbian politicians mean by 'pro-European.' Anything else is an illusion, just like the fruitless status negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina." (28/12/2007)

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"The EU's policy towards Serbia reveals itself as inconsistent, implausible, and on top of that, careless," writes Adelheid Wölfl. "Because the Kosovo question is obviously linked with EU membership. For years, it was said in Brussels that there would be no EU agreement if Mladic is not turned over to the authorities." The Serbian government recently admitted that the alleged war criminal Ratko Mladic, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, is living in Belgrade. "There is a lack of clarity. That goes for the Serbian voters, as well. A state that protects alleged war criminals has not understood European values. Croatia had to learn this the hard way, too, in the case of accused ex-general Ante Gotovina. ... The Kosovo question is something else. It is understandable that Serbia won't support independence. And this is neither necessary, nor enforceable. Serbia simply has to be able to live with the fact that others will act in their stead." (27/12/2007)

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The columnist Thomas Ferenczi points out that Slovenia, due to take over the rotating EU presidency on January 1st, 2008, is making a priority of dialogue among communities. "Situated on the crossroads of Austria, Italy and the Balkans, this country is in a good position to act as a hyphen between communities. In 2007 it organised meetings intended to build bridges between conflicting groups and competing religions. It will continue to fight, through the confrontation of ideas, the 'shock of civilisations', inside and outside of the Union. Kosovo will of course be its primary field of action, but its objective is to contribute, in a general manner, to an improved relationship between the West and Islam." (28/12/2007)

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In an interview conducted by William Bourton, Jean-François Kahn, chief editor and founder of the French weekly Marianne, describes the transformation of capitalism in the 21st century. "I think we are going through a revolution that is comparable with the 19th century transition to industrial capitalism. In the classic capitalist system, even when denouncing its worst aspect, the exploitation of man by man, there remained man, exploiter and exploited. The current economy's particularity is that man is disappearing whether the exploited or the exploiter. Take a company brought up by a pension fund: the workers of this company don't know who the owner is and the owners didn't know what they own." (28/12/2007)

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Laurent Dispot, chief editor of the Philosophical magazine 'La Règle du Jeu', criticises the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, for recently saying that the expression 'real politick' is a 'violent Germanic term'. "German is the mother tongue of psychoanalysis and Zionism. The term 'Violent Germanic' is damaging to the memory of Thodor Herzl and and the infinite pleasure and honour of Sigmund Freud who, as a Jewish German received the Goethe award from the town of Frankfurt. ... 'I don't want my child learning that Nazi language' say parents who think themselves politically correct. It is up to the State, to Europe and to the Shoah Memorial Foundation to show the how wrong they are: this is the language of European Jews, no that of their destruction." (25/12/2007)

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Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assasinated on Thursday, December 27th. Richard Whelan of the think tank IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) examines the repercussions this may have on the west. "Many al-Qaeda attacks in Britain were directed from Pakistan. Al-Qaeda has several camps there for training British citizens of Pakistani origin for terrorist activities. Although these attacks have not been particularly successful to date, they display the continued relevance and resilience of al-Qaeda and show its desire and ability to attack the West. .. in Pakistan itself, there has been a steady penetration of extremist religious thinking and a growing number of terrorist attacks over the last three years, ... the assassination of Bhutto unfortunately makes huge sense. Of the three serious candidates for power in Pakistan today, Bhutto was the only one to present a strong secular alternative." (28/12/2007)

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These days, the EU is struggling to forge a new trade agreement with the states of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), since the WTO has declared the current trade system to be illegal as of 2008. The Danish newspaper criticizes the EU for pressuring former colonial lands to renounce part of their customs income: "If we want a real partnership, we need time, interim solutions and flexibility vis-à-vis their weaker economies. If the EU and the Danish government - which includes this in its platform – really want to help reduce poverty in Africa, it is useless to deliver development aid with one hand and tighten the trade screws with the other. It is hypocritical to promise more help and at the same time keep trying to stay in the competitive game over Africa and its resources. China and the USA offer better terms of trade than Europe to Africa in several areas." (27/12/2007)

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Speaking to his country's parliament, Romanian President Traian Basescu has announced his intention to condemn the Hitler-Stalin pact as a crime. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact had fixed in 1939 the division of territory in central and northern Europe between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, including some regions of Romania. Today this region belongs partly to the Republic of Moldavia and partly to Ukraine. With such a condemnation, Basescu would put in question the current border to Moldavia. Florin Bichir describes Basescu's plan as "historical, because until now no Romanian head of state has had the courage to condemn this historical abomination. ... Hiding behind Basescu's current eagerness there could be a bigger plan: to recover Bessarabia. Until now, no one has done anything concrete for the people in Bessarabia – aside from the former Patriarch Teoctist, who in 1992 activated the Metropolis of Bessarabia, and Patriarch Daniel, who founded three new archbishoprics in the Republic of Moldavia without showing any fear of the Russian colossus. Basescu deserves respect for his courage!" (27/12/2007)

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All available articles from » Florian Bichir

The introduction of a minimum wage for letter carriers in Germany has led to fierce arguments about minimum wages for other jobs. Economist Hans-Werner Sinn criticizes the approach: "In France, the minimum wage - which 15 percent of workers receive - has driven the youth into unemployment; it is thus indirectly responsible for the violent riots of recent years. ... 2007 will be seen as a turning point in German history, because this year Germany bade farewell to the social market economy of Ludwig Erhard. Up to now, Germany has held to the political regulatory credo according to which a market economy needs free prices, because prices are its main guiding force. Measures designed to correct the distribution of income are possible and necessary, but they must only be used as fiscal instruments. This credo has been abandoned." (28/12/2007)

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Paul Taylor, who writes a column about computer technology, suggests what to do with undesired gifts after Christmas. "The pseudo verb to 'regift', and the noun derived from it, 'regifter' first appeared in an episode of the Seinfeld comedy sitcom titled 'The Label Maker' that was aired in 1995. No doubt the tradition of repackaging unwanted gifts like that dreadful cardigan from Aunt Betty or the neo-punk CD released by a band you have never heard of predates Seinfeld. But in an age of recycling, regifting appears to be catching on. ... Ebay, the leading web auction site, now provide less risky options for recycling unwanted gifts and outdated high tech gadgets. Why not sell the psychedelic tie given by a 'friend' and then use the proceeds to buy something you really want? Remember the old adage that 'one person's junk is another person's treasure'." (28/12/2007)

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Estonian author Jaan Kross is dead. Born in 1920, Kross spent eight years in the Russian gulag and later became Estonia's best known author. Among his novels is "The Czar's Madman." All Estonia is in mourning, writes the newspaper: "Jaan Kross was Estonia's greatest thinker. He was astonishingly accomplished in many areas: from history and art history to literature and philosophy, and psychology. This all served his literary creativity well. Kross described, with fine self-irony, how his original life plan was nixed - originally he had studied law. Through the course of his personal destiny, Kross became a symbol for an entire generation: from a political prisoner to a completely new beginning, in mid-life. Jaan Kross never bowed down to Stalinism." (28/12/2007)

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Young Romanian filmmakers are the best thing that has happened to Romania in 2007, says Traian Ungureanu: "Cristian Mungiu owes the success of his film '4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days' to a hopeful and patient generation. Cristian Mungiu, Christi Puiu, Cristian Nemescu, Radu Muntean, Nae Caranfil and Corneliu Porumboiu all managed from the start without state support. They were turned down by the film authorities, but time has proven them the winners. The Cannes Golden Palm is a clear signal that the transitional period is at an end. We are no longer just cooking our own little soup. The Europeans (and soon the Americans) who have recognized the film - and will continue to do so - have begun to understand us. We have become compatible.” (28/12/2007)

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Columnist Mick Hume complains about the predominantly nostalgic choice of television repeats British viewers are given at Christmas time. "This is not just retro-tainment. It is sentimental propaganda, broadcast by those so paranoid about the modern masses sinking into a bear pit that they must lecture us about the warm old ways. Not content with telling us how to behave the rest of the year, these holly prigs now want to instruct us how to enjoy Christmas with families and friends. So Christmas television has become a re-education programme about how wonderful and unifying was the family TV of Christmas past. ... Amid the week's dull comedies, light relief from Her Majesty telling us [in her annual Christmas speech], with no hint of irony, to remember those 'cut orrff' from normal society. I suppose after 50 years she has perfected her comedy deadpan." (28/12/2007)

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On Sunday, Prague Castle, seat of the Czech presidency, will become a venue for a cross-country skiing race as part of the Tour de Ski. Organizing the event for Prague is the Czech Republic's multiple Olympic medal winner in cross country, Kateřina Neumanová. President Václav Klaus is the sponsor. Tomáš Němeček does not approve: "The fun of careering through the snow costs merely 10 to 15 million crowns [400,000 to 575,000 euros]. Maybe you can't expect good taste and appropriateness from Neumanová, but surely you can from the president. Especially one who used to praise capitalist values like thriftiness, and pedantically turned out the light when he left his room in the castle… Naturally, just before a presidential election [this coming February] it's not so easy to withdraw from an event with cameras, athletes, celebratory crowds and Kateřina Neumanová." (28/12/2007)

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The journalist Francesco Merlo contemplates the prospect of the year about to begin. "What can we wish upon Italy on the verge of 2008? What can we wish upon schools, railways, the health system, publishing, Rai television, and entrepreneurs preaching the courage they lack? ... And upon our miserable film industry, literature and music that has never been so brainless? ... The only hope for 2008 is, perhaps, that it could be the year where depression, hitting rock bottom, gives rise to a renaissance in Italy of artistic and literary masterpieces. ... This is the dream for 2008: that this great depression might awaken Italian talent able to transform weakness into strength, providing a last resort for retrieving life, charm and strength in 2009, perhaps." (28/12/2007)

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