The daily Le Soir welcomes the fact that the general public has started commemorating World War I once more: "Approximately 20 years ago we started commemorating the war between 1914-1918 again. ... This war, which was also known as the Great War, replaced the myth of the founding of Belgium and at the same time became an alibi for the Flemish movement. Is this the rise of a new generation of historians or the glorious return of an eventful past? People are talking about the Great War. Books and films aimed at a broad public are dedicated to this topic. It is a cliché to write that history repeats itself and that those who do not acknowledge this risk are repeating the mistakes of the past. Yet World War II broke out partly because we failed to learn the lessons of World War I. The 90th anniversary of the armistice is not a celebration for those who love fireworks, but serves to remind us that peace has its price." (10/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » History, » Belgium
All available articles from » Pascal Martin

In his speech in Douaumont near the battlefield of Verdun, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has commemorated those who deserted the French army in World War I. A taboo has been broken, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: "Remembering the deserters, the soldiers who refused to obey and were shot to set an example, is the first political rehabilitation by a French president of the 675 soldiers who were executed between 1914 and 1918. ... Sarkozy has found the right tone for commemorating the soldiers whose memory is tinged with dishonour. ... Former French prime minister Lionel Jospin had also flirted with the idea of such reparations ten years ago. His successor, although he is conservative and a staunch supporter of the nation's values, is now the one to break the taboo. ... France is not the first country to have taken this step. The UK has passed a law rehabilitating its 360 executed soldiers. In Italy, by contrast, the 750 soldiers who were condemned to death and shot remain forgotten." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » History, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Giampiero Martinotti

German chancellor Angela Merkel has participated in an event in Poland commemorating both the end of World War I and the 90th anniversary of Polish independence. For the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this shows how far Europe has come: "It hardly surprised anyone that the chancellor was in Warsaw when Poland celebrated November 11 as the day of national resurrection. Even if Poland's good fortune - the simultaneous collapse of all three powers that had partitioned the country - was one of Germany's darkest hours, an invitation like this says more about how Europe has changed than a thousand conferences. What tarnished the Polish president's conciliatory stance, however, was his attitude of irreconcilability regarding his predecessor Lech Wałęsa, who Kaczyński had excluded from the official celebrations on personal grounds." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » History, » Germany, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Stefan Dietrich

German Chancellor Angela Merkel comments on Poland's Independence Day on page 3 of Poland's most widely read daily Fakt: "The 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 is an important historical date for the Polish people and for all of Europe.  On this day Poland re-emerged on the political map as a free and independent state after 123 years. This did not mean the end of hard times for the Polish people. We will always keep the memory of the indescribable suffering that Germans imposed on the Poles alive in our nation's conscience. It is Germany's historical obligation to do so. This momentous historical day also reminds me that Poland made an excellent contribution towards overcoming the division of Europe ... and we remain grateful to you for this ... Today Poles and Germans are good friends and neighbours." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Poland
All available articles from » Angela Merkel

The Estonian daily Postimees stresses the symbolic power of this anniversary for Europe: "Ninety years ago today the weapons on the western front fell silent, but in the East the Russian Revolution, Estonia's war of independence and various other conflicts began. In the West, however, the armistice held, and therefore this anniversary is a particularly important one there. If we look for symbols, then perhaps French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni are particularly suited to this purpose. After all, until only a few months ago the latter was an Italian citizen, and we should not forget that France and Italy were on different sides during World War I."   (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » History, » France, » Italy, » Estonia, » Russia, » Global
All available articles from » Erkki Bahovski

It is high time that the leaders of Hungary and Slovakia curbed the nationalist agitation in their countries, writes Die Presse newspaper: "The culprits are out there in both countries. On both sides of the Danube politicians are stirring up hatred against the other side. Nationalist extremists - some disguised as football fans, others in black Nazi uniforms - block roads and provoke fights in stadiums. National flags are burned, signs marking towns are smeared. ... It is high time that the leaders of the two countries met and agreed to call a halt to the agitation. Hungary's task is to curb its notorious nationalist rowdies. Slovakian agitators like [the leader of the radial Slovak National Party] Slota deserve to be muzzled, and President [Ivan] Gašparovič must be reminded of his bipartisan role. The conflict over Slovakian school books, for example, should be resolved objectively and without emotions. Because we are in the heart of Europe, and this is the autumn of 2008." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Hungary, » Slovakia, » Europe
All available articles from » Burkhard Bischof

The Times argues for the resumption of talks between the EU and Russia despite tensions over Georgia, concluding that diplomacy is the only means for furthering Western objectives: "Russia's recent policies have been far from co-operative. It has displayed a prickly nationalism, encouraged anti-American posturing around the world, been obstructive over Kosovo and vetoed UN resolutions on Iran and Zimbabwe. On the day that Barack Obama was elected [US president], Russia chose not to congratulate him but to issue a threat to station missiles in Kaliningrad - in response to US plans for a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia must still be held to account over Georgia. But the right response, as it was when the Soviet Union was actively undermining Western interests, is diplomacy. This must be multifaceted. Arms talks were not abandoned in 1989 because of Afghanistan, nor must other Western goals, including people-to-people contacts, be set aside because of Georgia." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU enlargement, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Russia, » Europe

Romanians will elect a new parliament on November 30. Whereas electoral finances are made public in the US, things are different in Romania, writes the weekly newspaper Dilema Veche: "In Romania the financing of electoral campaigns has no place on the public agenda. People only discuss financing once the elections are over. ... The auditing authority often discovers irregularities, money shows up on party accounts that has no business to be there. But reports about such cases are only heard sporadically. This year more attention should be paid to such matters, because electoral campaigns will be more cost-intensive than ever. Private broadcasters, for example, will demand money for candidates' electoral spots for the first time. ... 'Classic election presents' (corn, cornmeal and cooking oil) are to be distributed, especially in rural areas. ... This spring in the communities of Sintesti and Stefanesti there were voting irregularities and accusations that votes had been purchased. On November 30 the scandal could take on far bigger proportions." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Romania
All available articles from » Luca Niculescu

Should a Tunisian who allegedly planned to assassinate a Danish creator of Muhammad cartoons, Kurt Westergard, be deported? The Danish public has been debating this question for several weeks. The daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten comments: "The question is pretty simple. Since the Danish authorities have declared him persona non grata and since two courts and three examinations of material gathered by the [security police] PET have classified him as a dangerous person, such views must be justified. But after all this the refugees' committee has declared that he can't be deported because he would risk torture in his home country. This puts the constitutional state of Denmark in a position in which it is forced to keep the man here because the state is under the obligation not to hand people over to states where torture is allowed. What a crazy end to the debate! ... This makes a mockery of the very Declaration of Human Rights which they are bound to respect." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Denmark

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband appeals in an opinion piece published by the Slovenian daily Dnevnik to the EU to support Bosnia's integration: "There is talk of moving closer to the EU, but the reality is that the reforms in Bosnia have reached a dead end. ... For Bosnia to be able to stand on its own two feet, in the truest sense of the word ... we must be sure about the future of the country. This is why the international community has laid down the conditions Bosnian politicians must fulfil. They include the pledge to establish political stability and security in accordance with the Dayton Agreement. ... However the EU can and must do more ... because it has become the main player in Bosnia. ... And what should be done? Firstly, we must use the authority of the EU to prevent anything that could destabilise Bosnia. The EU has numerous economic, political, military and developmental instruments with which it can counter threats to peace and security. We must also be more active in our efforts to use the prospect of EU membership as a motivation for political and economic reforms. Thirdly, Bosnia needs a constitutional reform. For centuries people have looked on the Balkans as a region dominated by conflict. But slowly and laboriously and after many sacrifices a new future is approaching. ... This is a future that the people of Bosnia have earned." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU enlargement, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » South East Europe
All available articles from » David Milliband

Francisco J. Laporta voices astonishmet in El País about the fact that no one seems to be looking for the culprits of the economic crisis: "Things happen in the free market economy, but no one is responsible. This is the kingdom of criminal immunity. In other areas, however, we are witness to an obsessive, even obscene, search for culprits. Whether it be for a fault in the legal system, a plane crash, a problem with medicare, a social faux pas, a crime committed in the distant past or a case of corruption, the sleuths, rumour mongerers and headline magistrates (or those who aspire to be such), the zealous and officious witnesses, investigative journalists and general public waste no time in hurrying to the scene to find the culprits and excoriate them. Any poor soul who happend to be there just by accident will inevitably be hounded and persecuted, regardless of what role he might have played in the affair. The business world, however, seems immune to such accusations. There are crises and recessions, there is poverty, unemployment and so on, but no one caused them. They caused themselves." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Economic Policy, » Spain
All available articles from » Francisco J. Laporta

Workers in Northern Cyprus are in a difficult position because they use the new Turkish lira, writes the Turkish Cypriot Erdogan Ozbaliktzi in Politis newspaper. "While the British pound recently cost 2.2 new Turkish lira, today it is worth 2.7. And the new Turkish lira will soon further decrease in value. Installments for house and car purchases in the North are normally paid in lira, meaning that employees are quickly becoming impoverished. ... The teachers' unions ... which are pinning their hopes on the reunification of the island ... demand the immediate introduction of the euro. ... Social movements are preparing for mobilisation, ... and they are sure to also have political goals. Their demands will include the same rights within the Cypriot Republic, an immediate solution to the Cyprus problem and freedom from Turkish influence." (11/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Cyprus
All available articles from » Erdogan Ozbaliktzi

The World Economic Forum's annual report on women's rights prompts Rzeczpospolita newspaper to advocate better protection for mothers: "Flying in the face of the majority of experts who for years have been trying to work out why it is that a woman earns less than a man in the same position, I propose the following bold hypothesis: it is because she doesn't drive as hard a bargain. ... And it's a mistake to blame employers: Why should they pay more if they don't have to? ... The question now is why women are willing [to do this], ... because they believe that even their self-confidence will not suffice in a situation in which the state is incapable of protecting young mothers against discrimination. Only the introduction of mechanisms that enable women to work without having to give up their social role of mothers will have the effect of putting women on an equal footing with men in the eyes of employers." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Krzysztof Szwałek

A writer of Afghan origin has won France's prestigious Prix Goncourt, while a Guinean author has been awarded the Prix Renaudot. This is a sign that France is finally accepting its multiculturalism, writes Le Monde newspaper: "If anyone still doubts this country's ability to accept diverstiy, if anyone still questions the spread of Francophonie, then the choice of the Afghan Atiq Rahimi by the Goncourt jury and that of the Guinean Tierno Monénembo by the Renaudot jury give an eloquent response. Certainly, two literary prizes will not put an end to our contemptible sensibilities as far as our identity goes. But for these authors, both of whom were born outside France, French is the language of freedom. They do well to remind the French that they should overcome their siege mentality." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Migration, » Integration, » Minorities, » France, » Asia

The Spanish sculptor Miquel Barceló is putting the finishing touches to a huge work that will adorn the dome of 'Hall XX' at the United Nations Office in Geneva. The Spanish state covered part of the 20 million euros that the artist's work has cost. And 500,000 euros were apparently taken from a development aid fund. El Mundo expresses its disapproval: "Naturally, this is not about calling the artistic merit of the work of the Majorcan artist into question - everyone's entitled to their own opinion on that - but about the question of whether public money should be used to decorate the so-called 'Alliance of Civilisations', an initiative that was launched by [Spanish head of government José Luis Rodríguez] Zapatero during his first term in office and which today has been virtually forgotten. And although this is worthy of discussion, it is indeed an effrontery to use money that by law was intended for developing countries. Barceló's dome is no doubt a work of art, but it won't improve the situation of the poor." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fine Arts, » Cultural Policy, » Spain

The Swedish public television broadcaster SVT has been ordered to pay a fine of around 15,000 euros. SVT had sent several of its employees on a business trip to Germany to purchase cheap alcoholic beverages for a company party. SVT argued that many Swedes are in the habit of doing this and justified the trip by citing the need to economise. The daily Svenska Dagbladet writes that that doesn't count: "SVT is a public institution. Therefore it has no business making headlines by doing what the average Swede does and getting around paying the high taxes on the products of [Sweden's alcoholic beverages monopolist] Systembolaget by purchasing cheaper alcohol abroad. The fact is that SVT depends on tax revenues staying in the country to be able to continue to exist and develop its programme. Not to mention the matter of SVT's credibility when it comes to examining our alcohol policy if the company doesn't live according to the principles it imparts to others." (12/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Sweden
All available articles from » Maria Abrahamsson