The Italian daily La Republicca comments on the conduct of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the EU summit in Brussels: "As if Europe did not have enough problems at the moment with the Irish No vote, it is now having to deal with Silvio Berlusconi. ... This was a bad start for Berlusconi's great Brussels comeback - in a Europe that in his opinion has lost character and moved backwards in the two years of his absence. ... Frau Merkel is increasingly adopting the leading position in the EU. The Chancellor had two lengthy conversations with Europe's two weak spots, the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen and Czech Prime Minster Mirek Topolánek. Angela Merkel also set the priorities: the Treaty of Lisbon must enter force without a prior pause for reflection; the process of ratification by the remaining seven countries must continue; Ireland must reach a decision by October." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Europe
All available articles from » Andrea Bonanni

The liberal newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes writes that so far the Czech Republic has lived up to expectations that it would play the role of outsider regarding the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon: "Neither Berlusconi nor Sarkozy nor Merkel were as important yesterday as [Czech Prime Minister] Mirek Topolánek. While the British and the Polish were busy stressing that the Treaty of Lisbon was not dead, the Czechs remained silent. Topolánek did not speak to journalists before the evening discussions. But all of Europe is familiar with the statement by President Vaclav Klaus that Lisbon is dead. That has done a lot to isolate the Czechs in the EU." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Constitution, » Czech Republic, » Europe
All available articles from » Kateřina Koubová

The Slovenian newspaper Vecer comments on the effect the Irish No to the Treaty of Lisbon is having on the EU summit in Brussels and the upcoming French EU Council presidency: "Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen came to Brussels with the message that the Irish need time. ... German Chancellor Angela Merkel ... also steadfastly believes that a solution must be found together with the Irish. ... However, [these plans] do not suit French President Nicolas Sarkozy in particular. ... He wanted to stand in the limelight as a European head of state with major international plans, and to increase his support at home by coming across as an 'important statesman'. But no doubt the Irish have done the Slovenian presidency and [Slovenian Prime Minister] Janez Janša a favour, because the Slovienian EU Council presidency can now end with an important summit." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Europe
All available articles from » Darja Kocbek

The Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung reminds readers that the EU summit in Brussels was primarily meant to deal with rising oil and food prices. "To avoid giving the impression that the Irish No has plunged the EU once again into paralysis and navel-gazing as was the case after the failure of the draft constitution in 2005, the heads of state and government started by addressing a topic which certainly interests EU citizens more than treaties on institutional reform: the high price of food and oil. ... Fears are high that inaction on the part of the heads of state and government could be seen as a lack of interest in normal people's concerns - which could put an early end to any political career." (20/06/2008)

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

The Estonian daily Postimees criticises the debate over the US's plans to set up its missile defence shield in Lithuania instead of Poland, as originally planned: "Apparently, the US has grown weary of the idea of building the base in a country that demands ever-increasing sums in return, and now wants to put an end to the haggling that has gone on for over a year by discussing a different option. What is worrying is that this also sends another message: one international news agency has already pointed out that establishing a defence shield on the territory of a former Soviet republic will provoke Russia. In other words, even a news agency which is obliged to remain neutral is not treating the Baltic states as equal and sovereign partners in the international community. To what extremes do these people think the major Western states should go when it comes to appeasing Russia to the detriment of the Baltic states?" (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Poland, » Lithuania, » Russia, » Europe, » U.S.

The Financial Times Deutschland comments on advances made by the EU Commisison toward a common European airspace: "As opposed to here on earth, European airspace does not benefit from the unlimited Schengen freedom. ... This leads to detours, delays and - particularly painful - higher fuel consumption. In short: European air traffic is inefficient, and expensive as a result. Nevertheless ... France and the UK in particular do not want to relinquish control over their military airspace. Brussels, however, could gain credibility among the growing number of citizens who are asking what the EU can offer them. Instead of burdening airlines and their customers with bureaucratic consumer protection requirements, it could simply allow them to operate unobstructed - ultimately benefitting everyone concerned. The result would be heavenly consumer protection, so to speak." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Europe

The scandal surrounding the alleged former spying activities of Lech Wałęsa, the founder of the anti-communist trade union Solidarnosc, prompts the left-wing liberal weekly Przekrój to reflect on the policy of investigating people's former involvement with the secret services, known as "lustration". "In the Middle Ages any self-respecting city had its pillory ... For over a decade we have had our own version of the pillory, the so-called lustration. Hundreds, if not thousands of people have been put in this pillory. ... Presidents, prime ministers and ministers, bishops and prelates. ... Cynical informants who spied for money and people who just 'signed a piece of paper a long time ago'. ... People from the Right and people from the Left and Centre of political life. ... These are the rules of the lustration game. The extent of a person's guilt is of secondary importance. The circumstances too. This is a binary system. Either you are clean or you are dirty." (19/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » History, » Poland
All available articles from » Igor Ryciak

The results of research conducted in Sweden seem to indicate that homosexuality is innate. This prompts the Lithuanian daily Lietuvos Rytas to call on the government to finally take action against discrimination: "I do not believe that God made a mistake when he created man. Will this induce the Catholic Church to finally rectify its attitude towards homosexuals? That is just as unlikely as hoping that politicians will finally come up with an adequate response in view of these research results. ... After all, research also shows that Lithuanians are among Europe's most intolerant nations. And our politicians exploit these phobias for their own purposes, citing their so-called values. Of course, politicians should be in touch with social sentiment and take people's fears seriously. But they should not exploit them. They should use them to promote freedom and human rights instead of exposing their intellectual incompetence through primitive populism." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Health and Medicine, » Lithuania
All available articles from » Arkadijus Vinokuras

For the first time in history there are four women party leaders in the Dutch parliament. The Dutch daily De Volkskrant writes that the advance of women in professional life results in a loss of status and lower payment: "This pattern repeats itself. There is an increasing number of female teachers, and the teaching profession has sunk from being an almost distinguished employment to one that is pitiable - and above all poorly paid. ... Women are taking over in editorial departments, so now we're back to where we were 50 years ago on the status ladder. ... The same will happen in politics. It is well known that politicians have as bad a reputation as journalists nowadays. Men are turning to trade and industry and taking jobs as TV presenters for a couple of hundred thousand euros, or having heart attacks. ... When a profession loses its status, men start looking for something better." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Weltanschauung, » Netherlands
All available articles from » Martin Sommer

The US defence ministry is being forced to put out to tender a contract it had already awarded to the European aircraft manufacturer EADS. The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung fears this could have a negative impact on Europe's economy and the global economy: "It is, without doubt, a serious and annoying setback for EADS. However it will be difficult to prove that political interests and preferential treatment for EADS competitor Boeing are behind the report by the General Accounting Office (GAO). Nonetheless, this turn of events throws a negative light on America's image: one of growing hostility towards foreign companies where matters of national security are affected either directly or indirectly. Not only European companies but also firms from Dubai and China have had bitter experiences in this area. This kind of protectionism is not to the economy's advantage." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Europe, » U.S., » Global
All available articles from » Claus Tigges

"The recent developments in the Siemens affair in Greece are just the tip of the iceberg", writes the daily newspaper Ta Nea. "Millions of euros in bribes paid to both major political parties must still be located. ... Already, there is ample evidence to prove that illicit earnings are circulating in the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. ... These revelations come as a severe blow to the opposition ... because they show that its much acclaimed self purification did not take place after all. ... Unfortunately, the widely trumpeted statements were not put into practice. The Siemens affair affects the entire political system, and naturally the government as well. ... It is absolutely necessary that the culprits be made accountable, even at the highest political levels." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Greece

A summit meeting between the oil producing states and the major oil consuming nations will take place over the weekend in Saudi Arabia. The Daily Telegraph comments on the prospects of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for raising oil production: "One fundamental problem he will face is persuading them that shortage of supply is the main cause of soaring prices. Many major producers - including Saudi Arabia - argue that the recent surge in prices has been caused by the frenzied activity of speculators seeking to drive prices higher, rather than any shortage of supply. ... Mr Brown could therefore find himself leaving Saudi Arabia empty handed. The Saudis will only produce more oil if they believe it is in their interests to do so. And, as things stand, protecting their precious reserves, rather than providing the world with cheaper oil, appears to be their main priority." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Trade, » United Kingdom, » Global, » Middle East
All available articles from » Con Coughlin

The daily De Morgen responds to the British newspaper The Independent's harsh attack against the popular British pop band Coldplay: "The outrageous elitism it conveys ... is out of touch with the tastes of the wider audience. Why does rock music have to be against something? Why can a song only be worthwhile when it expresses apathy or protests against something or everything? Why do feelings only count when they are shouted out to the accompaniment of screeching, nasty-sounding guitars? ... Whenever a great little band becomes a great big band, the critics turn against it - as if it were impossible to be big and good, or popular and relevant, at the same time. Precisely this kind of elitism and hypocrisy often causes pop journalists to miss the mark and make the gap between mainstream and alternative culture even wider instead of closing it." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Music, » Print media, » Global
All available articles from » Bart Steenhaut

A few days ago a new version of the Firefox Internet browser was launched, which was developed as an open source project. The Spanish daily El País comments: "Firefox, made in the USA, is the result of European social engagement. Computer scientists from all over the world created the programme on a voluntary basis. Many of them are Europeans, as are the majority of its users. In two days a million Germans and half a million Spanish - the fifth-largest user country, ahead of France - have downloaded the programme. The Firefox phenomenon is above all a European movement. In three years of competition, Firefox has taken away a fifth of the market from Microsoft. Its higher quality is not the only explanation, nor is the fact that it was written by volunteers. Behind its speedy success is also the oversaturation of the market with computer programmes written by Microsoft and - why hide it - the widespread dependence on Microsoft." (20/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Online media, » Germany, » Spain, » Europe

The newspaper Le Monde publishes an ironic piece on the Scots' love of the French language: "They love the French accent. This is clearly observable at a train station in Edinburgh, where a certain Vincent Houplain announces train arrivals and departures. The female travellers are crazy about him. ... It seems nothing is as sexy as this trace of a French accent, which they find exceedingly romantic. ... If the Scots want, we can offer them something even better: announcements in Corsican, Breton, Alsatian, Basque, Catalan and Occitan. Neither the Académie Francaise nor the Senate would have anything against exporting these regional languages." (19/06/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » France, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Robert Sole