The newspaper comments that the confusion surrounding the alleged accident at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant highlights the weaknesses of the European warning system and an insufficient information policy: "Does anyone know what actually happened on Wednesday at the power plant in Krško? Did anything happen? Did nothing happen? Should we believe that someone 'simply' mistook one document for another and thus set off the European alarm? Even if this turns out to be a minor incident, one thing is clear: it was a nuclear worst case information scenario, demonstrating that the European alarm system does not work. Otherwise there could hardly have been so much confusion. ... Nevertheless, Slovenia did issue a report. The same cannot be said of all of us when a problem arises. This must be recognised. But please tell me, what will happen when something really serious happens? Who will be able to quickly assess the situation? What will be done? This debacle makes one fear the worst." (06/06/2008)

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The daily expresses concern about the damage to Slovenia's reputation following the incident at the Krško nuclear power plant: "Although the false report, or rather misunderstanding, was corrected within a matter of minutes, the whole affair threw a bad light on Slovenia's credibility, particularly as far as our northern neighbours are concerned, whose opinion of us was not good to start with. ... The mistake and the carelessness ... became catchwords for the political and media coverage, which carried the implications: what is really going on at the nuclear power plant? What are the Slovenians hiding? And then there's the fact that it is very unusual, to say the least, that such an important matter as the official reporting of an incident at a nuclear plant depends on a word being crossed out on a form to draw the distinction between a genuine accident and a test-run." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Energy, » Slovenia, » Europe
All available articles from » Gregor Pucelj

According to the Estonian daily the incident at the Krško nuclear power plant in Slovenia highlights once more the dilemma the EU faces: "Nuclear energy is not particularly popular with EU citizens, but at the same time the energy sector depends on it to a large extent. If less electricity is produced through nuclear power because incidents like that in Slovenia bring back memories of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, more gas must be imported, and most of that comes from Russia. Some people point to the dangers of nuclear energy, while others emphasise the danger of dependence on Russia. Our politicians need to find answers to how we can get along without nuclear energy and at the same time reduce Europe's energy dependence - and the solution better be an environmentally friendly one, too, please." (06/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Erkki Bahovski

On June 12, a referendum will take place in Ireland on the Treaty of Lisbon. The newspaper dedicates a leading article to the topic after recent polls have shown a dramatic rise for the No side. "Given the comprehensive nature of the surge in support towards the No camp, which now leads by an unprecedented margin of 35 percentage points to 30, the Government and its allies may find it impossible to turn the tide. ... It will take fresh thinking and a concerted political drive to reverse a momentum that has suddenly developed against the treaty. ... The attitudes of women and of working-class voters, who have become increasingly concerned about a downturn in the economy, will ultimately decide the outcome of this referendum. The Lisbon Treaty, on the basis of this opinion poll, may not be passed." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Ireland, » Europe

Russia's new president Dmitry Medvedev made his first state visit yesterday, meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. The liberal daily examines the "chemistry" between the two politicians: "Merkel hopes that Medvedev, a former lawyer, will be more liberal than his predecessor [Vladimir Putin]. There was certainly plenty of smiling during their meeting yesterday, and even Merkel's appeals for Russia to respect human rights - words that once had a marked cooling effect on her relations with Putin - could not spoil Medvedev's day. ... However, according to analysts, the relationship between Merkel and Medvedev will not be a close one, or at least not as close as that between their predecessors Schröder and Putin." (06/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Lucie Suchá

A court in Italy has ruled that in future individual victims will be able to sue states for their crimes, a move which could have far-reaching consequences for many European states, Stefan Ulrich writes: "Judges do not normally initiate revolutions. But they have here. ... If the judgement in Italy is followed up on, millions of damage claims could be filed against Germany from countries ravaged by the Nazis. ... Innumerable people who suffered under the boots of Il Duce would have to be compensated, for example in Albania and Greece. ... The Algerians could settle old accounts with France. Survivors of the Dresden bombing could feel encouraged to take action against the UK. In the Balkans, Justice would have her hands full for years turning the crimes against the Balkan people committed by Serbia and Croatia into cash. ... But some states could collapse under the weight of past debts if they met all the demands made on them. Serbia, for example, would have no future. ... Berlin does well to cite the principle of immunity and challenge the judgement before the International Court of Justice. But at the same time it should send a conciliatory signal to Italy." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » History, » Germany, » France, » United Kingdom, » Italy, » Europe, » Serbia
All available articles from » Stefan Ulrich

Jean-Marie Colombani, former editor in chief of Le Monde newspaper, analyses expectations for the French EU Council presidency, which begins in July: "Nicolas Sarkozy is taking the matter very much to heart and began with great enthusiasm. After the successful renegotiation of the constitution text, which became the Treaty of Lisbon, everything pointed to a very intense French presidency which could allow the EU to get back on its feet. But as the date draws closer it is becoming clear that French ambitions are waning. ... Sarkozy's idealism is increasingly making way for realism. France will have to be content with acting on three fronts: immigration, energy and the environment. And that is only if the Irish reef can be circumvented. Because if the no side prevails in the referendum on the Treaty, no one knows what will be in store for Europe." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Jean-Marie Colombani

Thomas Ferenczi complains that European intellectuals lack a shared vision of Europe. "Only a few intellectuals took an interest in the process of European unification when it started in the middle of the last century under the influence of Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman. Many were unenthusiastic about unifying the Old Continent so soon after World War II. Even later they looked askance at the Community - some because they found it technocratic, others because they felt it was pro-American and anti-Soviet. This estrangement lasted for several decades, but for some time now the situation seems to have changed. Researchers point out that the number of theoretical works on the legitimacy of the EU has increased steadily since the Treaty of Maastricht. Has this intense reflection allowed thinkers to arrive at a common vision of Europe or ... to agree on a 'common manifesto'? ... The answer today is: no. Individual national works on the subject are too varied to allow a common view of history. They spring from different political cultures with broad discrepancies in their intellectual repertoires." (06/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Thomas Ferenczi

The journalist Detlef Kleinert comments on the bounds of Western tolerance of Islam: "Examples are legion in Europe of how in the name of tolerance ... people kneel down before any provocation, no matter how barefaced. Muslim cashiers ... in the British supermarket chain Sainsbury's ... refuse to sell customers pork or alcohol. ... The sentiments of employees come before those of customers. ... In Germany, Erdinc S. from Ostheim beats a man, leaving him crippled. The juvenile court judge finds him guilty but imposes no punishment. Erdinc, whose victim fell into a coma after the attack, need only complete an anti-aggression training course. Even his lawyer had requested harsher punishment, namely probation. ... For Islamists - which by no means includes all followers of Islam - integration means Western culture must integrate into Islam." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Germany, » United Kingdom, » Europe
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The newspaper comments on high food prices in Romania: "The Romanians are paying these high prices also because of a series of mistakes in economic policy since 1989. Not even our government dared to dream that as an EU member we would have an agricultural policy that is more protectionist than that of any other EU country. The government is levying high customs to impede access for imported products on the Romanian market. Shielded from foreign competition, Romanian producers have done nothing to increase their competitiveness. They continue to produce too little, and what they do produce is overpriced and of low quality. If we did not have to pay customs we could import food for two-thirds of the current price. If you add up the cost of these protectionist measures and the costs of a splintered agriculture, it is no wonder food prices are almost on par with the EU average despite the fact that average wages in the EU are five to ten times higher than in Romania." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Consumers, » Agriculture, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Gheorghe Cercelescu

Abolishing the French law on fixed pricing for books would have dramatic consequences for the cultural industry, the newspaper warns. "This law has a dual effect: it preserves a network of book stores unique in Europe, and allows publishers to put out a large variety of works, because the less popular titles with smaller runs are financed by profits from bestsellers." The paper disagrees with recent attempts by a conservative member of the National Assembly to weaken the law: "Allowing wholesalers to set aggressive prices for bestsellers too quickly after they are published ... would have two inevitable consequences. On the one hand publishers' profit margins for these works would shrink, and they would not be able to publish more demanding books. On the other hand wholesaling would remove the sole lucrative market from small book stores. And that would spell their doom." (05/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Publishing houses, » Trade, » Consumers, » France

In the run-up to the European Football Championships, Polish tabloids have launched a vicious photomontage attack on the German team. Polish philosopher Zdzisław Krasnodębski explains that these attacks are the result of Poland's general stance towards Germany. "What we see here is a conglomeration of Polish complexes and frustrations, its sense of being treated unfairly, of imbalance, and ultimately a sense of powerlessness. We try to overcome these negative feelings by expressing them through games and entertainments that lack any real meaning. This virtual war serves as a substitute for state action. ... It is a bid to escape politics, escape responsibility, and flee to a world of ersatz battles. Many Poles refuse to recognise that there are fundamental problems with Poland's position in Europe, with our neighbours, with the discrepancies between Poland and Germany regarding such matters as policy towards Russia, ... and even with our perception of reality. They will demand the ratification of any European treaty and approve all proposals put forward by Germany while using football as an ersatz for war." (06/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Zdzislaw Krasnodebski

Eric Fottorino expresses concern about the French press, which is currently going through a grave financial crisis: "The government's plan to allow a second commercial break during television films reduces the prospect of engaging in a positive debate ... about the financial state of the press. Newspapers are confronted with a decline in readership and dwindling advertising revenues. Simultaneously, the growing influence of the Internet and free newspapers is forcing the traditional media to rethink their economic model. Without wanting to take a purely economic view of our profession, we are clearly facing a combination of declining advertising revenues and high production and distribution costs. [If the government's proposal for the commercial break goes through,] the press will lose additional advertising revenues, giving it less room for manoeuvre and weakening its ability to lead a democratic discussion." (06/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Eric Fottorino

A Portuguese court has ruled that in future the Portuguese public channel RTP will be permitted to broadcast bullfights only after 10.30 pm and that they should be preceded by a warning that the programme "contains violent scenes". The daily Jornal de Notícias approves: "The decision does credit to Portuguese justice and brings discredit upon RTP's notion of how to carry out its public mandate. Each year RTP receives millions from the state budget so it can provide public television without being subject to the commercial constraints acting on commercial channels. Apparently RTP's understanding of its mission extends to beginning its news programme with a report about the production of a hundred-metre-long cake or ... the broadcasting ... of an event that passes off the humiliation and suffering of an animal as entertainment. It is scandalous that a court decision was needed to remind RTP that such violent and bloody shows can have a negative impact on the education of young people." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Media policy, » Portugal
All available articles from » Manuel António Pina

Ahead of the start of the European Football Championships, the Dutch daily examines the attitude towards women in football in the Netherlands. It writes that the programme "EM Lingerie" currently being aired on the commercial TV station Veronica is symptomatic of the problem. It features women in their underwear shooting penalty shots. "Apparently men think it is great to watch attractive women who have not got a clue about how to play football giggling and worrying more about their boobs popping out of their bikinis than scoring a goal. While in the US and Germany women's football is broadcast on television and the players receive a lot of admiration and respect, the Netherlands still laughs at women who play football. ... Every week thousands of female football players do their best to earn respect. Every year female football professionals try to get women's football into television. But no one takes women's football seriously and the players are never invited to talk shows. Here they prefer to watch big boobs shooting penalties." (06/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Sport, » Germany, » Netherlands, » Europe, » U.S.
All available articles from » Iris Koppe