The question of whether the torture photos should be made public is the first major challenge to US President Barack Obama's idealism, writes the daily Etelä-Suomen-Sanomat: "Important decisions embed themselves in the consciousness of the general public. The closure of the notorious Guantánamo Bay prison camp within a year was a key point of Obama's election campaign. The order to close it was one of the first he gave after taking office. At the same time he forbade the use of torture methods on terrorist suspects. … Now the government and the army leadership have apparently reminded Obama of how damaging it was when pictures from the Abu Ghraib prison were published. Mocking US soldiers attacking and humiliating prisoners. According to reports the pictures from Guantánamo are similar. This would no doubt be embarrassing for the Americans. It seems for the first time Obama is confronting the hard realities that being the leader of a major power entails." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » U.S.

The liberal daily La Stampa criticises US President Barack Obama for gradually going back on his campaign pledges, commenting that after banning the publication of torture images the president has now revived the military commissions: "In his election campaign and on his arrival at the White House, the US president promised the greatest possiblie transparency. But in the past weeks Obama has had to make a series of decisions that have cast doubt on his previous statements and caused several embarrassing about-turns. ... Obama's decision ... to withdraw his agreement to the publication of photos documenting the torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan by American soldiers for 'security reasons' has disappointed human rights organisations. And the most transparent decision that Obama has taken until now, namely the publication of memos by the lawyers of the Bush government authorising the torture ... has turned into a boomerang for the new president." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S.

With his decision to prevent the publication of further torture photographs from Abu Ghraib prison US President Barack Obama has gone back on his campaign promises, writes the left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung: "His credibility as the renewer of American policy is showing its first major cracks. Who is going to believe that 2,000 further images, among them snapshots of US soldiers and medical photos of corpses reveal 'not the slightest new insight' for the documentation of torture and abuse, as Obama argues? Bush's successor is clinging to the version that has long been debunked as a fairy tale, namely that the excesses in Abu Ghraib in 2003 were committed by a small group of soldiers without the knowledge of their superiors. By deciding to withhold these images from publication, Obama is resisting the mounting pressure to have the Bush government criminally prosecuted for its human rights abuses. The activists from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are strongly pushing for such a move, and of course firing angry salvoes at the tranformed Obama, who promised transparency and is now condoning cover-ups." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » U.S., » Middle East
All available articles from » Bernd Pickert

US President Barack Obama's decision not to publish the torture photos is more back-peddling on human rights and civic rights, the daily Der Standard writes. The president "is sparing those CIA agents who used torture practices from being punished. He wants to let the military tribunal for terrorist suspects continue with its work. And he refuses to allow full transparency in this unholy chapter in America's history. All this blatantly contradicts the positions adopted by Barack Obama with such vehemence during the election campaign. In this matter the former law professor's credibility, his principles, and not pragmatism, are at stake. After the dissoluteness of the Bush years - which former vice president Dick Cheney, acting as a kind of undercover opposition leader, is still defending on all TV stations - this is why a large proportion of the electorate voted for Obama." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » U.S.
All available articles from » Christoph Prantner

Italy has passed a so-called security package stipulating harsh measures against illegal immigration. The daily Correre della Sera comments: "Italy has decided to take the forefront in the fight against illegal immigrants. That is no easy task, because it is being put at the discretion of laws that are in diametrical contrast to its past visions. The package breaks with our culture of hospitality, which no one questioned before the time when the flow [of immigrants] took on such alarming proportions. And it is accompanied by a deafening and culpable silence on the part of Europe. ... Against this background, our country seems to be the vanguard of a foul temper which will soon break out across the continent. It is anticipating solutions which ... are not coordinated by the EU. No one can guard the new border made up by the Mediterranean region. Strictly speaking, the attempt by the government to defend it ... is a plea, almost a cry for help." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Migration, » Italy, » Europe
All available articles from » Massimo Franco

Against the backdrop of the recent expenses scandal in the UK the daily Svenska asks who are greedier - managers or politicians? "Andrew Mackay, a conservative British MP, and his wife used their second home allowances to pay [the mortgage] on their usual place of residence. Others only bought dogfood with it. Even if all parties concerned had their fingers in the state pie, it looks like Prime Minister Gordon Brown will suffer most in the polls. The EU elections could be dire. Moreover it will be interesting to see whether these revelations about the political culture of greed will have a cooling effect on bonus-fuelled private economic activities." (15/05/2009)

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

After Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Azerbaijan it seems the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia has come to an end, Trouw writes. The daily notes that Erdogan said that the borders between the two countries could only be opened once the conflict over the Armenian enclave of Nagorny Karabakh had been resolved: "The coupling of these two circumstances appears to bring the attempts at reconciliation back to square one. After all, now it all depends on the talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan concerning Nagorny Karabakh. Although they were initiated only recently, this love is still fragile, and the prospect of success small. … With his soothing words from the capital Baku Erdogan seems to be bowing to [domestic political] pressure. By coupling a rapprochement with the resolution of the enclave conflict he has at any rate further increased the distance between Turkey and Armenia." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Turkey, » Armenia, » Azerbaijan
All available articles from » Iris Ludeker

In the last European elections the Slovaks provided the lowest voter turnout ever registered for such an event in an EU member state. The liberal daily Sme expresses concern that the country could set a new negative record in the coming elections: "The Union has been battling for years accusations that it is not under democratic control. The arguments are: firstly, the Union is turning into a super state [a federal state]; secondly, it is not under the democratic control of its citizens; and thirdly that it is too far removed from its citizens. … For sure, the low voter turnout is a disgrace, but it doesn't mean citizens no longer believe in democracy." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Elections, » Slovakia, » Europe
All available articles from » Peter Gažík

The daily Eesti Päevaleht finds the campaign for the European elections above all rather ridiculous: "The election campaign puts citizens in mind of the 'Karlsson-on-the-Roof' [series of children's books by Astrid Lindgren]. However not just because all the candidates were rather fat men in their prime, but because they all claim to be the best in the world. … Therefore voters have no option but to look for a peephole in the garden fence. The cheat sheet with the questions for election day is thus extremely simple and contains just three questions: Does the party talk about issues that are actually on the agenda in the EU parliament? Can the promises really be fulfilled in the EU parliament? Does the person who ends up going to Brussels really have the skills to negotiate at an international level, and is he taken seriously?" (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Estonia, » Europe
All available articles from » Agu Uudelepp

The former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer warns of a climate crisis in the business daily Figyelő, and calls for a global green revolution: "In the current crisis the image of the black swan has become the symbol for something entirely unexpected, so to speak imposible, which nevertheless happens and turns the world on its head. ... It's part and parcel of human nature to block out the possibility of large crises, or at least to play them down. ... Nonetheless the next black swan is clearly visible today! The problem is that as previous black swans show, people have a terribly difficult time learning from them. The generation living today has been confronted with two major, completely unexpected crises within just twenty years. Nevertheless in view of the climate crisis, which is looming large and will undoubtedly have far graver consequences, we are witnessing a shocking collective repression. What people fail to see is that by linking answers to the global economic crisis with those to the global climate crisis, we could arrive at a solution to both. These answers are already well-known today. ... What is missing is stategic farsightedness and determined action on the part of the key political players to push them through." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Economic Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Joschka Fischer

The daily Politis writes about the significance of the road blocks in Cyprus that separate its Greek South from the Turkish-occupied North: "When the road blocks were opened [in 2003] we were told the following: that those who crossed over to the North were effectively recognising the pseudo-state. … And now one asks: If such a process leads to the recognition of the pseudo-state, why do politicians want that very same process to be expanded? If those who cross over to the occupied areas contribute to the legalisation of the occupation, why should more road blocks be opened? So that the number of traitors can grow? This is a huge contradiction, because there are no 'dangerous' or 'non-dangerous' road blocks. But there are blocked minds and confused people and above all opportunist theories about the survival problem this country has. … If we only had a clearer idea of the changes the opening of the road blocks in 2003 brought to this country … the present would be very different." (14/05/2009)

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

The Belgian bank KBC lost a quarter of its value after it was revealed that it needs further cash injections from the government. The mistakes and risky conduct of the bank's managers are to blame for the KBC debacle, the daily De Morgen writes: "There's no time to lose in taking measures to combat the 'infectious greed' in the financial sector. Bankers will revert to undesirable behaviour if politicians and controlling authorities don't take action soon. This warning does not come from an unworldly utopian but from Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos. … One can't just go on demanding more cash injections and government bonds and at the same time expect to remain totally independent, just for the sake of securing the jobs and personal incomes of the directors. Those who make use of the means of the community must also accept that that community is given the final say in how an institution is run." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Banks, » Belgium
All available articles from » Yves Desmet

The Romanian Tourism Minister Elena Udrea has released a tourism anthem to advertise Romania as a holiday destination. The daily Cotidianul finds the song, which praises Romania as a "land of choice" and cost 10,000 euros, a very bad joke: "What sense does a song make for a sector which really deserves a requiem or a funeral march? Not that Mrs Udrea's predecessors were any better. But whereas the others were at least somewhat more discreet, the current minister shines for her exhibitionistic inefficiency. ... Alright, so tourism has collapsed, nevertheless it has an anthem! The infrastructure is antiquated, access is worse than it was a generation ago, everyone qualified has gone to places where tourists really go, and prices are higher than everywhere else. ... Two numbers for the minister: in 2007 the city of Kraków alone had eight million tourists, and all of Romania had six!" (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Music, » Tourism, » Romania
All available articles from » Liviu Antonesei

Dominika Pszczółkowska complains in the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza that the big countries of the EU are at an advantage at the Eurovision Song Contest over smaller countries because they put more money up front. This is just like in EU politics, Pszczółkowska comments: "The Eurovision Song Contest is strongly reminiscent of European politics. There are the older contestants, the competition veterans, and the newcomers who undermine the former hierarchy. And the large countries have special rights - just like in the EU. Only here the Belgians belong among the newcomers. For them Eurovision provides a rare opportunity to present their stars to an international public, unlike for the Brits and the French with their huge music industries. ... There are nevertheless special rules for big players. In the EU these are unwritten principles. At Eurovision it has simply been decided that the contestants from France, Germany, Spain and the UK, which pay the most for the competition, don't have to take part in the semi-finals and are automatically assured a place in the finals." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Music, » Europe
All available articles from » Dominika Pszczółkowska

Homosexual associations in Moscow will celebrate Slavic Pride day tomorrow. The daily The Guardian wishes them well: "In Moscow, and all over Russia, gay people still endure much the same kind of fear and shame as Tchaikovsky did more than a century ago. ... Tomorrow they plan once again to protest peacefully in the capital's streets, in what is being dubbed Slavic Pride. If they do succeed in gathering - and many would like to prevent them doing so altogether - it will be to confront a society that looks on them with scorn. But by appearing at all, and braving hostility from both nationalist thugs and the homophobic mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, these men and women will show that they were more than a match for those who would smear, assault and imprison them." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Social movements, » Russia

At the final of the Spanish Copa del Rey football competition, fans of the teams from Catalonia and the Basque country booed as the Spanish national anthem was sung. The incident was not shown when the match was broadcast on Spain's state television. The channel's head of sports coverage Julián Reyes was sacked as a result. The daily Diario Sur comments: "The statements made by the director of programmes at Televisión Española, Javier Pons, still don't explain the initial interruption of the transmission and the subsequent manipulation of the material documenting events at the Mestalla stadium. This feeds serious doubts about whether Julián Reyes was solely responsible for what happened. … Fortunately neither democracy nor its symbols and institutions need the booing to be censored; on the contrary, they need such condemnable gestures as the booing, which was intended to drown out the national anthem, to be made public." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Sport, » Separatism, » Spain

Online petitions on ecological, social, but also linguistic issues are increasingly in vogue, writes the daily Kapital: "Normally recommendations to support specific causes are communicated over chats, emails, blogs and forums. The principle for establishing the target group seems very chaotic. This is done by means of the 'send to all' system. The organisation of a target audience then happens partially with the participation of the users themselves, based on common interests between them and the contact groups. ... It's enough that the text should contain no offensive, obscene, sexist, menacing or racist content. If the petition fulfils these criteria and is grammatically correct, it can be sent, and start on its wave-like journey." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Online media, » Social affairs, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Irina Zenkova

The daily Le Temps comments on the current anti-kebab campaign and the hostile attitude towards so-called "foreign fast-food" in Italy: "One should avoid eating kebabs. They're fatty, salty and choke up your arteries. … Moreover they are generally produced by foreigners who cannot guarantee full adjustment to Italian eating habits. … In addition to kebabs the dispute also extends to Chicken Chop Suey and the fish in sushi. Do we know where they come from? French cuisine is spared criticism. The dietary merits of steak and chips with Béarnaise sauce continue to be convincing. … As a country noted for its vitamin-rich gastronomy and glorious vegetables, Italy would be a good candidate to plunge into a large-scale campaign in favour of the low-calorie kebab - if this was all about healthy eating. But other aspects play a role. The protection of gastronomic traditions, for instance. … And ultimately national preferences." (15/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Italy, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Sylvie Arsever