The daily Diário de Noticias comments on the clear demands of US President Barack Obama for Israel to stop establishing new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories: "Shortly before his Middle East trip the US presient criticised … Israel's expansionist measures and insisted that the government of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu accept the two-state solution. The guarantees of peaceful coexistence that Israel quite rightly expects of its neighbours are one thing. But the new zealots who want to … take over Judea settlement by settlement to fulfil Jehovah's promises to God's chosen people are quite another. … Now the US will no longer close its eyes to all this. … The great American friend has finally realised that the current situation prevents the founding of a Palestinian state. The time for skilful diplomacy, with painful concessions on both sides, has come." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » U.S., » Middle East, » Israel

On Thursday the US president will give a speech to the Islamic world. The online newspaper Mediapart comments: "A new era has dawned with Barack Obama. ... The 44th president of the United States has built up an image of reconciliation, with his personal experience (as an African and American, and as a Christian with a Muslim middle name [Hussein]), his style of governing ... and his handling of the problems he has encountered until now. But in wanting to dance at two weddings - and more - Obama is threatening to inflate people's hopes to the bursting point. ... He cannot be content merely to deliver a pretty speech full of pathos and platitudes. Besides, his 'speech to the Muslim World' has now been transformed into a 'speech to the Arab World'. ... Nevertheless even words can be dangerous, because they stir up hopes that must not be disappointed. And in the Middle East this has all too often been the case." (02/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » U.S., » Middle East
All available articles from » Thomas Cantaloube

According to the Slovenian daily Večer, US President Barack Obama is every bit the pragmatist: "One thing is clear: Obama will above all attempt to ease the tensions between the West and the Islamic World brought about by his predecessor George W. Bush. This is important not only for the cooperation between two religions and cultures, but for global cooperation and security as a whole. With his Muslim roots, Obama has shown himself to be a pragmatist in recent months. If he doesn't solve the conflict altogether, at least he won't worsen it. But Obama too has his own problem. Even if people are not talking about it publicly, a majority of the Muslim world resents the fact that he broke his promise to close the Guantánamo Bay prison immediately. ... If he also breaks his electoral promise to withdraw the US army from Iraq by mid 2010, all the pragmatism in the world isn't going to help him." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Religion, » U.S., » Middle East, » Egypt
All available articles from » Vojislav Bercko

The liberal daily La Stampa stresses the significance of the venue for Barack Obama's speech to the Islamic world: "Each one of his speeches [up to now] has been delivered at a place that is closely bound up with the meaning of the message. … American presidents travel a lot. … But the real talking takes place in Washington. That's where the agreements and strategic friendships are established. The empire is a pyramid; the legitimation of the barbarians can only take place in the new Rome. But this time the pyramid is being turned upside down. Obama is talking to the Muslims in the places where they live. He talks to the Koranic schools of the Arab world from the lectern of a major Arab university. He addresses them as equals, visits their places as a pilgrim among pilgrims, the places where the conflict was born. … Perhaps Obama's Middle East tour won't be decisive, but this doesn't change the fact that with this trip to Cairo Obama is writing a cultural chapter that makes the metaphor of the impossible come true: for the first time we are seeing the mountain that leads to the [Prophet] Muhammad." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Global, » Middle East
All available articles from » Lucia Annunziata

The left-liberal daily The Guardian calls for the resignation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "The tragedy for Mr Brown and his party is that his chance to change it has gone. Although he still purports to be a radical, he has adopted the caution of an establishment man. He cannot lead a revolution against his own way of doing government, and yet a revolution is necessary. ... The home secretary, the chancellor, and perhaps even the foreign secretary may go, and Labour faces its worst defeat in its history on Thursday, but the prime minister does not recognise his direct responsibility for the mayhem. The truth is that there is no vision from him, no plan, no argument for the future and no support. The public see it. His party sees it. The cabinet must see it too, although they are not yet bold enough to say so. ... It is time to cut him loose." (03/06/2009)

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

The Dalai Lama will visit the Netherlands this Thursday and Friday. The power of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans is not so great yet all doors stand open to him. The daily NRC Handelsblad seeks to explain his status in the West: "The 14th Dalai Lama is not naïve, but rather pragmatic. It is the West that is naïve, whose admiration of Eastern spirituality gives it a softened image of Buddhism. Buddhism is a normal religion with high morals, but also with power and money. … He [the Dalai Lama] says that Tibet will never return to the old theocratic system and will always belong to China, but only as an autonomous territory. … China has made it clear that his reincarnation [his successor] must be sanctioned by Beijing. To this the old man responded that he can only reincarnate in a free country. Or in other words: outside Tibet. He's a Buddhist monk, for sure, but also a shrewd politician." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Netherlands, » Global
All available articles from » Dirk Vlasblom

It's a paradox that the Slovaks have an above-average enthusiasm for the EU yet are not interested in the European Parliament elections, the left-wing daily Pravda notes: "The majority of Slovaks think about the EU in the third person plural. The EU - that's not 'us' but 'them', the countries of the West who allowed us into their club. And who make sure that everything stays on track. And us? We are those who were taken in, and we're very grateful for that. … But sadder still is that most of the Slovak MEPs are tormented by the same paradox. Of this group of 14 members only three female MEPs were active. … The parties are thanking them for this in their own way: not one of them is now running for a secure place in the elections. Now that's a real paradox." (03/06/2009)

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

Writing for the Greek daily Eleftherotypia Giannis Tzorzis says that after the European elections a renewal in relations between the EU and Nato will be on the agenda in Brussels: "A direct consequence of the search for a new role [for the EU] is the development of a military arm. This should form the foundation of a European defence policy based on the EU implementing a European policy at an international level and securing its economic expansion. … In the context of a new security structure in Europe … cooperation between Nato and the EU is indispensable. This is also confirmed by France's recent reintegration into Nato. But since the extremely dangerous events that Europe recently witnessed in the Caucasus are still fresh, in which both the US and Nato played a role, the time has come to resolutely address the issue of direct intervention of the US and Nato in European security and defence matters." (02/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » EU Policy, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Giannis Tzorzis

Twenty years ago the protests by thousands of students calling for democratic reform in the People's Republic of China were bloodily put down on Tienanmen Square. Luis Matías López asks in the Spanish daily Público what has changed in China since then: "In the 20 years that have elapsed since the calamity, China has developed into a global superpower whose investments in the US economy are taken as a guarantee that the economic crisis will not lead to a global depression. [China's] demand for raw materials for its industrialisation and its limitless consumption capacity are determining factors in international markets. The country is experiencing exponential growth, causing hundreds of millions of peasants to migrate to the cities. China hosted the best Olympic Games in history and is working on putting a man on the moon. ... Has it become more democratic? Very little. There is somewhat more transparency in the election of delegates to the National People's Congress, and a little more pluralism among candidates for local government posts. Individual freedoms have progressed somewhat. But nothing has happened that could alter the Chinese Communist Party's monopoly on power." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » China
All available articles from » Luis Matías López

The daily Helsingin Sanomat shows understanding for the government-assisted bankruptcy protection for US carmaker General Motors and the rescue of GM's European daughter Opel, but nevertheless voices certain qualms: "Both the US and the European governments have intervened in the car industry crisis. Billions of dollars and euros are being thrown at the carmakers. This is understandbale, because the automotive industry is a major employer. Nevertheless it's no long-term solution for states to rack up quick debts. Rather, the solution for the car industry must originate on the market. The political concessions made to the car industry quickly engender demands from other sectors that they too be rescued by the state. Valuable political capital is also being burned with this money. The worries of the European Union are particularly earnest in this respect. The struggle over the fate of the automotive plants can seriously impair European solidarity and mutual political understanding at a time when these are urgently needed." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Germany, » U.S.

In the eyes of the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita the EU's surprising decision to back Poland's rescue plan for the Gdańsk shipyard is a boon for the Polish government: "And this time the lucky winner is the treasury minister - and doubly so. The EU competition commissioner [Neelie Kroes], also called the 'iron lady', has taken an unexpectedly positive decision in the case of the shipyard, which is described as the cradle of 'Solidarność'. And this on the eve of the celebrations of the most important anniversary of this association, which is held in great esteem elsewhere, and also just a few days before the elections to the European Parliament take place, which are of crucial importance for the ruling party." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Economic Policy, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Beate Chomątowska

According to a study by the global firm Manpower International, Romania has an acute shortage of qualified workers. The daily Evenimentul Zilei writes: "Romania is striving to offer its citizens a higher standard of living. That means the economy must be developed in sectors that produce premium products: services, technologies, an industry with high quality work and large profits. That presupposes a more ample and better qualified 'stock' of human capital. ... But Romania has only a limited, unqualified stock of human capital." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Andrei Postelnicu

In the left-liberal weekly Népszabadság poet and essayist Ákos Szilágyi reflects on reading habits nowadays: "There are two types of books: those that must be read and those that allow themselves to be read. … We want books that allow themselves to be read, meaning books that pretty much don't have to be read. They make no mental demands on us - whether intellectual, spiritual or imaginative. … Instead they provide us with minutes free of worry, sensual stimuli and paradisiacal pleasures. … They flit past our consciousness without leaving a trace. They soothe the eye and switch off the intellect. … They have the effect of a refreshing dream: in the next moment we no longer know what we read, and this is the best thing about these books. What they were about is all forgotten. No wonder, we're all weighed down with worries and exhausted. Nothing beyond what is stuffed into our heads on a daily basis fits there any more." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Global
All available articles from » Ákos Szilágyi

The Brazilian airforce has discovered debris from the Air France passenger jet which went missing over the Atlantic on Monday with 228 people on board. This is the largest civil aviation catastrophe since 2001. The conservative daily Die Welt writes: "There were no images, no signs, no names, no message and no evidence, all of which is practically impossible to bear for a media society such as ours. This airliner simply fell from the world. Perhaps the flight recorder will be found, but what if not even that can be recovered? Every year across the world a stupefying two billion people travel by air, of whom an average of 500 lose their lives. But precisely the fact that air travel is so widespread endows fatal plane crashes with a particular sense of drama. Each time an airplain lifts off many people witness the struggle against nature's gravitational force. Flying is far safer than travelling by rail or road. Nonetheless it is and will always be an extraordinary feat." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » France, » Brazil
All available articles from » Andrea Seibel

The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia has called for a television documentary on the Stalinist show trial of democrat Milada Horáková to be cancelled. Horáková was condemned to death and executed as a spy on trumped up charges. The conservative daily Lidové Noviny rejects the Communists' demands: "This represents an attack on the constitutional basis of the state, and must be resoundingly rejected. If you ask someone today what they did under communism, it's seen as improper and even rude. Communist Party leader Vojtěch Filip would like us to be compelled by this logic, but we should not allow it to be forced upon us, especially not immediately prior to the EU elections. Of course for him remembering the truth of communism at this time is just as irksome as publishing opinion polls. Communism is not just one political doctrine among many." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Czech Republic
All available articles from » Martin Weiss

Yesterday evening hundreds of thousands of Flemish viewers watched the final of the reality TV show "Mijn Restaurant" (My Restaurant). In the programme restaurants vied with each other to win the audience's approval. The daily De Standaard comments on the show's great success: "'My Restaurant' is not just straightforward and professional television entertainment, it also strikes a chord with our Flemish culture. We are so fond of talking to our friends and acquaintances about delicious food and enjoying cosy meals together. Therefore there is nothing we love more than comparing restaurants with each other according to all the different criteria. And this is precisely what 'My Restaurant' did twice a week for three months. This is why we much prefer 'My Restaurant' to other reality shows like 'The Hotel' or the bed-and-breakfast show 'The Italian Dream'. It's a cliché, but the Flemish really are gourmets." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Audiovisual Media, » Belgium
All available articles from » Leo Bonte

The daily Die Presse complains that over the past few weeks "TV-Pressestunden", an Austrian television programme, has attracted few viewers with its questioning of leading Austrian candidates to the EU Parliament: "Only the enemies of the EU were able to show any true passion. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is even calling June 7 the 'day of reckoning'. Reckoning for what? For the fact that we live in peace and prosperity? … There used to be enthusiastic game shows on television in which countries competed against each other: 'Games without frontiers', which is also a Peter Gabriel song. In 'EWG' ('One wins') with 'Kuli' [TV presenter Joachim Kulenkampff] we viewers used to get as excited as the competitors every Saturday night, and that did more for Europe than many an EU campaign. Perhaps this TV format should be revived so that the things we have in common become more visible and every now and then the European anthem really is an 'Ode to Joy'." (03/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Elections, » Austria, » Europe
All available articles from » Martina Salomon