Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins his second term in office in a weakened postition, the left-liberal daily Libération writes: "The Iranian regime is carrying on with its abominable power farce. The president, whose re-election was the result of a massive fraud, has been installed in office despite the demonstrations of millions of Iranians who reject this masquerade and insist on their right to democracy. From that moment on the government was aware of its own illegitimacy and reacted to the movement, which refrained from any type of violence, like any other dictatorships would have done. … But this masquerade is complex and everything points to cracks within the regime. The Islamic republic has lost its [ruling] class. The religious basis was destroyed by the supreme spiritual leader when he confirmed the fraud and recognised the election of his protégé. … Nonetheless, we should be careful about predicting the end of the regime of the mullahs and the guardians of the revolution. It still has its military and police apparatus, but never has Ahmadinejad's power been so weak." (05/08/2009)

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All available articles from » François Sergent

The West is in a tight fix with the second term in office of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, writes the left-liberal daily El País: "Ahmadinejad took up office for his second term yesterday. This poses a serious dilemma to the West, and above all to the US. The results of the elections in June are highly controversial, and many Iranians see them as having been rigged. Consequently any gesture of rapprochement would be seen as supporting the president's legitimacy. But Iran is too important a country to be simply ignored. And it can be dangerous when it feels insulted." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Europe, » U.S., » Iran

During his inauguration ceremony Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again gave the West a verbal lambasting. Writing in the business daily Il Sole 24 Ore Vittorio Da Rold asks: "Why does the regime talk of [Western] conspiracies? Perhaps because this gives it an alibi for oppressing and torturing defenceless Iranian citizens. Another theory circulating among dissidents is that the tale of foreign complots paves the way for a second wave of arrests of reformist leaders who will be made an example of. … Many ultra-conservative voices in parliament have demanded in recent days that [Mohammad] Khatami, [Akbar Hashemi] Rafsanjani and [Mir-Hussein] Mousavi be put on trial. If this happens it would mean that the Islamic Republic abandons its current pluralist … form and drifts into a monopolar system to become an authoritarian military regime under the leadership of [the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] the Pasdaran." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Iran
All available articles from » Vittorio Da Rold

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under considerable pressure at the start of his second term in office, writes the daily NRC Handelsblad: "Ahmadinejad is still being backed by [Ayatollah Sayyid Ali] Khamenei. But to what extent? ... In addition the clergy is divided. That became clear when the Ayatollahs [Hashemi] Rafsanjani and [Mohammad] Khatami boycotted the inauguration ceremony. The countries of Europe did not go that far, limiting themselves to not congratulating the re-elected president. ... But that does not put an end to things. The fate of the current regime will be decided primarily in Iran, meaning that foreign countries will only have a marginal influence. But because power in Tehran has been the subject of such a long and bitter struggle, it is important that all free forces in the country know they have support. For example with the help of the free media. Europe must continue its support, both with its words and its deeds." (06/08/2009)

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

Former US president Bill Clinton has made an impressive political comeback with his visit to North Korea and the release of two US journalists, writes the daily Karjalainen: "In fact both the visit and the prisoners' release had been agreed on behind the scenes. At first [US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton had suggested [former vice-president and presidential candidate] Al Gore should go. But it took the prestige of Bill Clinton for North Korea to play along. ... Now that the diplomatic process has been launched it may well lead North Korea to start negotiating on its nuclear weapons programme. From [President Barack] Obama's perspective it makes sense to use the former president's esteem, connections and negotiating skills in an impasse like North Korea because any form of official visit would be impossible, as it would signal undeserved support for the state which is menacing the entire world with nuclear weapons. Clinton's visit has initiated diplomatic contact with North Korea without anybody losing face." (06/08/2009)

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

At the beginning of the week the British Labour Party proposed a system whereby immigrants who become socially involved for example or take steps to learn English could speed their citizenship applications through a points system. The daily Svenska Dagbladet favours the plan: "Europe is seeing extensive immigration from countries where ideas of democracy, freedom of the individual and human rights are radically different to what they are here. ... One could dismiss the Labour Party's rhetoric about 'engagement' and 'British values' as xenophobic nonsense, as many Swedish commentators promptly did. Or such rhetoric could be mocked as a way of measuring whether immigrants are good enough at cricket. But that only amounts to laughing off an issue that deserves to be taken far more seriously." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Migration, » Integration, » United Kingdom, » Sweden

Hungarian politicians are currently discussing introducing dual citizenship for Hungarians living abroad. The debate primarily serves the interests of the opposition party Fidesz, writes the daily Gândul: "Hungary has once more brought up the problem of automatic citizenship for Hungarians living abroad - estimated at 1.5 million in Romania and over 500,000 in Slovakia. This is a favourite topic of the conservative [opposition leader] Viktor Orban. That was true in 2004. But at that time the move didn't pass the test when it was put to a referendum. Now the opposition has once more seized on it, hoping to win the votes of those who still refuse to accept the Treaty of Trianon [signed after World War I, in 1920] ... in the 2010 elections. ... Even if the initiative doesn't pay off in 2010, Orban will have plenty of time for it if he's ever re-elected prime minister one day. And with all the scandals and crises rocking the Hungarian Socialist Party, Orban's Fidesz is the only party in the race." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Hungary, » Romania
All available articles from » Eliza Francu

The new government in Bulgaria is stumbling over the mistakes of its predecessors, the daily Sega writes: "The greatest danger is that it won't be able to keep its promise of calling to account the officials who were involved in the fraud and embezzlement of EU funds. Because of these crimes Bulgaria was blocked from virtually every EU programme and its state is now facing the prospect of having to pay back millions to Brussels. Therefore it would be no less a crime if the culprits were to go unpunished. And this is precisely what could happen under the new amnesty law passed a couple of months ago which came into effect on April 21. … This is why this case needs to be investigated. It will show whether this is just a matter of lousy legislation or an intentional legal loophole. The juristic elite must pull itself together and find a solution. Otherwise there will be neither retribution nor justice." (06/08/2009)

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All available articles from » Alexander Alexandrov

Jan-Werner Müller, professor of political science at Princeton University, reflects on the significance of religion in politics in the liberal weekly magazine Heti Világgazdaság: "It's a well-worn contrast: the United States is religious, Europe is secular. Yet, in some respects, this clichéd opposition has actually been reversed recently: religion played virtually no role during the last American presidential elections, while in a range of different European countries major controversies about religion have flared up, suggesting that questions of faith are back at the center of European politics. ... In short, there is a pattern here. ... Globally, there might be good reasons to talk about what sociologists describe as the rise of 'post-secular societies,' but Europe remains the exception. ... For the moment, the temptation is for the European right to find its 'new look' through a selective appeal to religion - and wait and see whether it works as an electoral strategy. They should remember, though, that starting a Kulturkampf is to play with fire: it might be possible to instrumentalize religious passions for a time; but such passions cannot permanently be controlled from above." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Europe, » U.S.
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In the daily newspaper the Times of Malta former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami calls on Israel to give up its ambiguous stance on nuclear policy: "Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity has remained practically unchallenged for almost 50 years, not least within Israel itself, where the issue has been a sacred taboo. But the changing international environment, the threat of uncontrolled nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, and the new policies being worked out in the US might all be good reasons for Israel to consider revising its nuclear doctrine. After all, the current strategy has not really worked either as a deterrent against conventional attacks (which persisted throughout the years that Israel supposedly developed its nuclear arsenal) or as a warning to rivals (such as Iran) against developing a nuclear weapon. Israel's official policy is that of a 'Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction'. By abandoning ambiguity and taking its own bomb out of the 'basement', Israel might be able to affirm its capacity for nuclear deterrence more convincingly, and, more importantly, enhance a serious debate about the urgency of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Middle East, » Israel
All available articles from » Shlomo Ben-Ami

For years France has maintained an agricultual funding system parallel to EU farm subsidies. Now the European Commission has complained that this aid was unlawful and demanded that as much as 500 million euros in national subsidies given to fruit and vegetable farmers be paid back. The daily Le Monde writes: "The cries of protest were not long in coming. Not a single euro will be repaid, the sector's unions are saying. The net revenues of some 45,000 producers plummeted in 2008. ... The demand by Brussels and the French government's acceptance are seen as a provocation. ... After the anger of the fishermen in April and the dairy producers' revolt in May and June, this new episode once more illustrates the profound malaise of French farming. ... Farmers are bitter and in despair and their situation is often dire. The agricultural sector is increasingly becoming globalised at the expense of French growers whose production costs are spiralling. ... Yet regardless of what they say or think, French farmers can only face these changes in the context of Europe." (05/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Agriculture, » France, » Europe

On August 23, 1989 a million people formed a chain stretching from Estonia across Latvia to Lithuania and joined hands in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that marked the end of the independence of the three states in 1939. The daily Latvijas Avize notes with satisfaction that the "Baltic Way" as the human chain is called has now been added to Unesco's Memory of the World Register: "In doing this Unesco recognises the event as an outstanding example of non-violent resistance which embodies the ideals of freedom and unity. But back then, twenty years ago, Western leaderships were concerned that the demonstration could damage Mikhail Gorbachev and his Perestroika. The Berlin Wall was still standing and there was much prejudice. For us, however, honouring the human chain is now our duty to share the legacy of those days with others. This is particularly important this year when so many other jubilees and anniversaries are being celebrated in Europe." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Cultural Policy, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Lithuania, » Latvia, » Estonia
All available articles from » Uldis Šmits

The scramble for places at Austria's teacher training colleges this year has broken all records and is a clear indication of how insecure young people feel about the future in these times of crisis, the daily Die Presse writes: "Calls for the best [students] to enter the teaching profession are a fixed feature in the debate about schools. But you only get the best - whether male or female - by offering attractive salaries. And it is in this respect that the teaching service fails miserably. The salary reform planned by the minister for education, which admittedly is based on a stable income, will be only a first step - and who knows when the minister of finance will actually give the go-ahead for the reform. The minister [of education] must use all her powers of persuasion and act swiftly within her own sphere of influence. This would allow well-paid teachers to deliver a better performance in class (without any conflict)." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Austria
All available articles from » Erich Witzmann

Last Tuesday German comedian Hape Kerkeling playing his fictional character Horst Schlämmer held his first press conference as leader of the Horst Schlämmer Party (HSP) at Berlin's Ritz Carlton hotel. Kerkeling was promoting his still to be completed film Isch Kandidiere! (I'm running for election). The daily Le Quotidien comments: "Exaggeration is allowed in art, but are the statements of Horst Schlämmer & Co really that exaggerated? 'We will get rid of nuclear power. Yes. We will withdraw from the nuclear energy withdrawal programme'. … One can safely say that (serious) politicians are not too keen about such jokes. After all, their entire careers are somehow like comedies. … The Horst Schlämmer character doesn't take the political press seriously either. … Reality and comedy often surpass fiction. … In Germany Horst Schlämmer tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - and he does it before the elections: 'I am incapable of creating four million jobs'." (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Stage, » Germany, » Global
All available articles from » Jean Rhein

After considering lifting the zero-promille blood alcohol limit for drivers, the Czech senate, the second chamber of the country's parliament, now wants to ease punishments for traffic offenders. According to a new plan drivers will need to amass more penalty points before losing their licence. The daily Pražský Deník fails to see the logic: "The number of people who received penalty points rose by 30 percent this quarter over the previous three months. That points to worsening morals on the part of drivers. The idea of the point system is to increase security. If it turns out that the 12 point limit [before licences are revoked] is an insufficient threat, lawmakers should reduce it to 10 or even 8 points. Instead this initiative is now taking things in the opposite direction. Reckless drivers will be delighted at being able to drive even more aggressively than they do already. Do we not have enough invalids, widows and orphans on our hands?" (06/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Czech Republic
All available articles from » Ivan Hoffman

In his column for the daily Dziennik Polish political adviser Eryk Mistewicz fears Poland will miss the opportunity to improve its image with a successful Euro 2012 football championship: "The Euro 2012 is the most important social, economic, political and, in the end, sports event that Poland has taken part in since 1989. … If we ask what politics is today the answer is: the realisation of important projects like this. [But] even if we manage to implement around 360 of the most important projects (infrastructure, modernisation of train stations and tracks, the construction of transport routes and motorways and the building of concert halls, hotels and stadiums) nothing [no positive image of the country] will remain in the consciousness of the spectators who come to attend the event from all over the world." (06/08/2009)

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All available articles from » Eryk Mistewicz