Today, Thursday, marks the start of the European elections in the UK. In view of persisting Euroscepticism in Britain, the liberal daily The Independent comments that the goal of ending Britain's unclear rapport with Europe has not been achieved: "Relations, though, are as ambiguous as ever, ... . At times ministers have been constructively and energetically engaged, not least during the collapse of the financial markets last year. But far too often, Mr [Gordon] Brown [the British Prime Minister] and others have displayed an expedient surliness towards Europe, reinforcing voters' doubts instead of challenging them. They are partly culpable for the increase in popular hostility. Only the Liberal Democrats have consistently put the case for Europe ... . Like his recent predecessors, [party leader] Nick Clegg is unequivocal in his support for the EU. A strong vote for his party would show that parts of the electorate recognise the importance of Britain playing a positive role at the heart of Europe." (04/06/2009)

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The European elections also start today in the Netherlands, another country where Euroscepticism runs high. NRC Handelsblad writes that in view of the economic crisis negative national reflexes can be expected across Europe: "[Despite the criticism] the reverse side of the medallion is often overlooked. The voters are surrounded by Europe. Prosperity has increased markedly as a result of the improved division of labour, which in turn is a result of integration. ... The borders have for the most part disappeared, and the majority of Europeans pay with a young, successful European currency. Many of these advantages have now become so taken for granted that they're no longer even seen or appreciated. Unrightly so. The Europeans are going to need each other badly in a world where economic power relations are rapidly shifting. That goes for energy supply and the environment right through to the preservation of our own blend of free market and solidarity. ... Europe doesn't have a quick fix for all of these problems. But at the end of the day it is and remains the only possible answer. ... It is now time to see Europe as it was baptised in 1957 with the Treaty of Rome: as a community." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Elections, » Netherlands

Domingos Amaral explains in the daily Correio da Manhã why he plans to abstain from voting in the European elections: "After lengthy consideration of the matter I have come to the conclusion that there are only two really important things for me and for Europe: the euro and the base lending rate. … However neither of the two are stipulated by the European Parliament, and not even by the EU Commission but by the European Central Bank - a respected institution that has nothing to do with the European politicians who will be elected on Sunday. … In contrast to the US, where the elected president and Congress decide many matters of everyday life Europe has a non-elected president, a non-elected government and an elected parliament which has no say on important issues. … Since Europe doesn't allow me to vote on important matters I won't vote on unimportant ones. Europe and I are a good match." (03/06/2009)

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All available articles from » Domingos Amaral

In an interview with the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on the European elections, Dutch author Geert Mak writes that the EU lacks charismatic politicians: "Europe needs more stories, more faces with whom we can get angry and against whom we can let off some steam. We saw this during the French EU presidency. Even though the Germans got annoyed about President Nicolas Sarkozy, he not only got a few things done but with his theatricals he gave people from Copenhagen to Barcelona the feeling: We know him. We are being represented at a European level. Europe needs charismatic figures. And another thing: Why are there no European candidates; why can't I, as a Dutchman, vote for Daniel Cohn-Bendit who is running for election in France?" (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Elections, » Europe
All available articles from » Thomas Kirchner

The opposition in the Moldovan parliament boycotted yesterday the elections for a new president of the Republic of Moldova. According to the country's constitution, fresh parliamentary elections must now be held. The daily Cotidianul writes: "In a move that suits them like a glove, the Communists changed the electoral law before the elections in April. They raised the barring clause to six percent, banning at the same time electoral alliances between parties. The lack of any unity among the opposition has disappointed liberal-minded citizens and discouraged people from going to the polls. These three parties [the Social Liberal Party, Democratic Party and Alliance Our Moldova] are not greatly separated by doctrine. Their major goals are to take Moldova from the hands of the Communists and to move closer to Europe. ... An electoral campaign with these goals ... could mobilise young, anti-communist voters. But that requires opposition leaders who are ready to set aside their pride. ... That would be an unprecedented move, one guided by patriotism." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Romania, » Republic of Moldova
All available articles from » Laura Cernahoschi

The Irish Times comments on the possibility of early elections in the UK and the consequences for the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. "An autumn general election in the UK would have important implications for Ireland and the European Union because of the latest twists in the Conservative policies on the Lisbon Treaty. Its leader David Cameron has tabled a Bill proposing a referendum on the treaty on the same day as Ireland's expected one. He has pulled the Conservatives out of the European People's Party in the European Parliament and will join the group linked to Polish, Czech and French Eurosceptics. ... The real thrust of Conservative policy on Europe is quite unclear between a nationalistic rejection of Lisbon and a realistic acceptance of it if other states ratify. One way or another, Ireland's decision on Lisbon this autumn is likely to become closely entangled with - even a pawn in - the UK's domestic politics. Irish voters should bear this in mind when they go to the polls tomorrow." (04/06/2009)

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The Social Democrats who have ruled Greenland for the past 30 years were voted out in the recent elections, losing to Kuupik Kleist's left-wing ecologist IA party. The daily Der Nordschleswiger writes: "A political era has come to an abrupt end in Greenland, as it will soon be ruled by a strengthened local administration. ... Even Kleist has spoken out in favour of a state community of the Inuit in the Arctic Circle with the Canadian Inuits. And his party programme includes the call for an independent state of Greenland - outside the realm comprised by Denmark and the Faroe Islands. [Danish] Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen congratulated Kleist yesterday, stressing his hope for strong cooperation with Greenland. Certainly, the 51-year-old Kleist has become more moderate with age, but while the ice is melting on Greenland, relations between Greenland and Denmark may well become a little more frosty." (04/06/2009)

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

Delfi news portal reflects on the chances of survival of the communist regime in China twenty years after the Tiananmen Square massacre: "Hardly anyone would have predicted such a stormy development for China back then, but China remains undemocratic. In the past twenty years the Communist Party has created a market economy, but the social and political processes follow their own logic. … The frenetic growth of the last decades has produced a middle class, but Chinese society seems numbed by the economic boom and is currently experiencing a crisis in values. Sociologists point out that especially among the younger generation a materialistic attitude is increasingly taking hold. … The current crisis has rocked the governments of many countries and will change the position of China in the world. This will make it all the more interesting to observe what changes this brings within China." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » History, » Economic Policy, » China
All available articles from » Vida Macikenaite

Half a million viewers watched a debate by Austrian top candidates in the European elections on television on Tuesday night. The daily Die Presse writes that the discussions were the strongest argument for not casting your ballot: "The absurd thing was that - with the exception of the Green politician Ulrike Lunacek - apparently everyone agreed on practically everything in an emotional gush of unanimity. They were against Turkey, against the asylum directive, for more police officers and against transit traffic. Nevertheless no one bothered to develop their position, and everyone just contradicted each other. Hardly anyone had special knowledge of European politics, all they knew about was what other people had done wrong. Do we want to vote for these politicians, this caustic, frustrated troupe? ... We, the half million viewers, can perhaps find consolation in the fact that what is at stake far exceeds these televised debates. What's at stake is the future of a parliament in which 731 more MEPs will be sitting - some of whom have the calibre required for the job." (04/06/2009)

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

On April 27 as part of a cross-party initiative ten Europe enthusiasts set off from Brussels on their bikes on a journey to the EU's outer borders in a bid to mobilise citizens for the elections in areas with low voter turnout: "This campaign seems apolitical and somewhat absurd," writes the left-wing Greek daily Avgi. "The cyclists say they bear the happy news of the coming elections, but there are only few citizens in Europe who see this news as happy. The polls in most EU countries show that the intention of abstaining from voting prevails. However, in response to the question: 'Why aren't you going to vote?' a minority says: 'Because I'm not interested'. This is why the cyclists' initiative remains nothing but a failed attempt." (03/06/2009)

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All available articles from » Kaki Balli

The 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism in Poland must be celebrated, Paweł Lisicki writes in the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: "One can say a lot about the history of the past 20 years. Without doubt it was a time of great advances as a civilisation. It suffices to say that the average per capita income has increased seven-fold since 1989. … As a result it's hard to imagine that in the mid-1980s everything was so different. There was no hope of improvement, of genuine reform and release from the corset of communism. … Therefore it can be seen as a success story. … But one can tell a different story about the past twenty years: Were they not a time in which values were undermined? A time of loss of memory [no review of the communist dictatorship] and of a weakening of the civic conscience? … Instead of encouraging national pride we have been taught to distrust and feel ashamed of a strong national identity. … But does this mean there is no cause to celebrate? On the contrary, even if the fate of the Poles was not only decided by the Poles on 4 June 1989, one can say that today it is. Therefore this day on which the Poles learned to mobilise themselves and assume responsibility for their freedom deserves to be commemorated." (04/06/2009)

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All available articles from » Pawel Lisicki

In a guest commentary in the liberal daily La Repubblica Adam S. Posen of the Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washinton describes the European efforts to counter the bank crisis as too weak: "It is unfair. This should have been a US crisis but now it turns out that in the Eurozone, where banks have always been under stricter supervision, the banks are only now beginning to disentangle the confused situation. … Preventing the negative repercussions [of the banks' loss of capital] will be difficult. The EU Commission last week unveiled a plan which entails immediate measures to overcome the bank crisis. But the plan is inadequate. … Added to the confused situation in the banking system is the fact that because of a certain nationalism governments are opposed to the possible closure [of certain banks] or taking on new debts to recapitalise them. … A more energetic initiative at a European level could be a great aid, but perhaps only after one or two banks have gone bankrupt. And we can only hope that the bankruptcies are not concentrated in just one country because that would lead to a distorted perception of the sense of just punishment. We're all in the same boat." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Corporations, » Europe
All available articles from » Adam S. Posen

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticised the plan of the European Central Bank (ECB) to purchase private bonds worth around 60 billion euros. The Spanish business paper Cinco Días defends the independence of the Central Bank: "Regardless of what is at the core of the debate, which is of course legitimate, the ECB cannot give in to pressure, no matter who's exerting it. The principle of independence must remain intact, to balance the various national interests which are often in conflict with one another. The euro and the common economy in the Eurozone must be the Central Bank's foremost concerns, independent of who raises their voice in protest. Going back on the purchase of covered bonds, as Germany has called on it to do, would be an unforgivable mistake by the Central Bank. Not only because its independence is sacred, but also - and above all - because this measure can help to rescue the European banks and restore their confidence in each other." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Banks, » Germany, » Europe

Two months after the last G20 meeting in London on April 2 the business paper Les Echos analyses the economic impact of the summit: "Almost exactly two months ago the leaders of the twenty major economic powers took leave from each other in London with a positive assessment of each other. There were no public displays of tensions and there were plans for massive economic stimulus programmes to fight the recession as well as a number of reforms. … One must acknowledge that the sixty days that have passed since then have failed to fulfil the hopes engendered by the summit. The difficulties of companies … and soaring unemployment have resulted in those trying to fight the crisis being given more importance than the architects of a better-regulated system. There were major differences between the analyses carried out by ambitious countries [in the area of regulation] like those of the European continent and others, like the UK, that are less ambitious, as well as the United States which wavers strongly between the two approaches and above all is trying to arrange everything to its own advantage." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Dominique Seux

For weeks the authorities in Berlin have been dealing with the case of a group of Sinti and Roma of Romanian origin. According to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel the affair is further proof that Europe doesn't know how to deal with the Roma as an ethnic group: "Many Roma live amidst the boundless prosperity of Europe in utter poverty and are vulnerable to attacks and even murder not just on the Balkans. … Meanwhile old Europe is doing everything it can to get rid of the unloved gypsies. When the visa requirements for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens were dropped ahead of their accession to the EU they had to tacitly agree to hold back the Roma. … Must we in Berlin take an interest in all this? No, we mustn't. After all, at present it doesn't even matter that after the Jews the Sinti and the Roma were the second-largest group of victims of Nazi killings. … But those who are aware of all this will perhaps be more motivated … to find a policy for dealing with people who don't fit into our scheme and perhaps don't even want to be put under the care of Germany's social security offices." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Integration, » Minorities, » Germany, » Italy, » Europe, » Romania, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Andreas Dernbach

After the tremendous media hype surrounding Susan Boyle, who finished second in the television show "Britain's Got Talent", the British media were quick to question their own behaviour. But this attitude of self-criticism won't last long, surmises the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "There's always one dispute or another in Britain with the potential of being blown out of all proportion. And when the British media volcano erupts, the smoke clouds can be seen throughout the world. Today's expense account affair is certainly substantial, and raises questions about the integrity of politicians. But the media are so fevered, so bloodthirsty, that there is hardly any room for nuance. Former prime minister Tony Blair once said that the country's media was 'like a feral beast, just tearing people and reputations to bits'. ... Blair's attack is more to the point with every passing day. ... The self-criticism [of the media over Susan Boyle] will probably not last for long. Tomorrow is a new day, ready for new stars and new scandals." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Music, » Audiovisual Media, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Gert-Jan van Teeffelen

For one and a half years now Taloussanomat has been an online business paper only. Since then former manager Juha-Pekka Raeste notes that user numbers have doubled (558.000 unique users per week) and also the time they spend at the site. In his commentary he predicts a bright future for free online information services: "In recent times large media companies have - yet again - claimed that the free distribution of news through the Internet is neither rational nor profitable. I beg to differ. I believe that free news will survive into the future and that its distribution among media companies will be very rewarding. The profitability will rise because the media will slowly but surely learn to provide additional services that must be paid for. … I believe that an Internet financed by advertising will eventually become as profitable as ad-financed television is now." (04/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Media policy, » Media economy, » Finland