The conservative CDU party fared poorly in elections in the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saarland on the Weekend. The leftist daily Die Tageszeitung nevertheless warns against drawing conclusions about the outcome of the federal elections scheduled for the end of September: "[Regional] specificities don't change the fact that [Chancellor] Angela Merkel is more popular than [SPD chancellor candidate and Foreign Minister] Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and that she would probably have to rob a supermarket on camera to get voted out. ... What is clear is that nothing is clear. If the Greens give it their best shot and the [liberal] FDP loses a few votes then a 'black-green' [CDU-Green Party] coalition is - mathematically - possible. Nevertheless despite all the subtle things that can be said, in a firmly established five-party system ultimately the only viable solution is a new edition of the grand coalition [between CDU and socialist SPD]. We didn't need state elections to tell us that." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Germany
All available articles from » Bettina Gaus

The daily Corriere della Sera writes about the CDU's loss of votes in Germany's state elections: "Frau Merkel's official strategy - a return to political dialectics with the Christian Democrats on one side and the Social Democrats on the other - suffered a major setback yesterday. The fact is that post-war Germany's two major traditional parties - the SPD and the CDU - have lost more and more votes and are no longer in a position to achieve a majority with the help of the FDP, which forms a coalition sometimes with one and sometimes with the other. … Under pressure from the parties, which suffer under a grand coalition, Merkal has said that she wants to revert to the traditional alliance with the Liberals which governed in the times of her mentor [former chancellor] Helmut Kohl. But in reality … she may actually prefer a repeat of the government with the SPD in which she works as chancellor with a weak opposition and has been able to boost her image … as a woman of stability. In her fundamental pragmatism Merkel perhaps wasn't so worried [by the news] yesterday." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Germany
All available articles from » Danilo Taino

According to the business paper De Tijd Germany's state parliament elections have 'wrecked the plans' of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Given the CDU's vote losses the party can no longer be sure of winning the parliamentary elections, it writes: "The defeats in Saarland and Thuringia make it clear that voters wont be giving the CDU free reign. Merkel and other CDU members warned the Germans of a 'red wave' but the message didn't get through to voters in Saarland and Thuringia. … Merkel wanted to form a centre-right government with the [liberal] FDP in order to avoid the awkward 'grand coalition' model. Until recently it seemed this would be a doddle. But the German voter is making it clear that he always has the final say. The tone of the election campaign is growing markedly sharper. … The next month will decide who moves into the chancellor's office in Berlin. Merkel will probably be able to secure a second term but it's no longer so clear what the political constellation will be." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Germany
All available articles from » Jean Vanempten

The outcome of Germany's state elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Saarland is a warning to the major parties, writes the liberal daily Mladá Fronta Dnes: "Both the Christian Democratic Chancellor Angela Merkel and her greatest rivals, the Social Democrats, lost a significant section of their voters compared to the last elections. The Christian Democrats saw their share go down by as much as 10 percent. With the Bundestag [national parliament] elections due to take place on 27 September this doesn't bode well for the conservatives. The only good news for the Christian Democratic Union is that the outlook is equally gloomy for the social democratic SPD." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Germany
All available articles from » Lucie Suchá

In Japan the opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), has obtained a clear victory in the parliamentary elections after almost 54 years of the Liberal Democrats (LDP) in power. The left-liberal daily El País reminds the election winner of its most urgent task: reducing the country's mountain of debt: "The DPJ has easily won the elections in a traumatic situation. But giving the country a boost will be a very difficult task. The economists complain that neither of the two major parties addressed the most urgent problem during the election campaign: the debt. By the end of 2009 it will be twice as high as the GDP, exceeding seven billion euros. If the new government doesn't tackle this it will fall victim to the unfulfilled desire for change." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Elections, » Japan

The forest fires in Greece have been almost entirely extinguished. Two EU fire-fighting planes participated in the efforts to put out the fires as part of a test run for the creation of an autonomous European fire-fighting force. Commenting in the Greek daily To Vima EU Environmental Commissioner Stavros Dimas welcomes the creation of such a unit: "In my opinion we urgently need the creation of an autonomous unit for dealing with natural disasters at an EU level. … Some governments in northern Europe have a different perception of the forest fire threat Mediterranean countries face every summer. They cite the principle of subsidiarity when it comes to the administration and protection of forest resources. They are annoyed at the idea of financing a European fire-fighting unit. In general they have great reservations about extending the competencies of the EU in the area of civilian protection. They also claim that the existence of a European fire-fighting force would give many national authorities a false sense of security." (30/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Stavros Dimas

Writing on the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II on September 1 the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza announces the end of good relations between the US and Poland: "On 12 March 1999 [former Polish foreign minster] Bronisław Geremek declared Poland's accession to Nato. … That was the climax in the Polish-American love affair. But today we face a cooling down - in the form of the withdrawal of the government of [US President Barack] Obama from the agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic for a missile defence shield. And because the US is sending [former US defence secretary] William Perry, a political nobody in Washington, and General [and US security advisor] James Jones to attend the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, which after all was an important event not just for Poland but for the entire world. The latter is an important man, but he's only coming after Poland kicked up a big fuss." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Poland, » Czech Republic, » U.S.
All available articles from » Marcin Bosacki

The business newspaper Világgazdaság comments on the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Libyan revolution and notes that the once ostracised Gaddafi regime is becoming socially acceptable again: "Given the scandal over the return of the Lockerbie bomber [Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi] to his home country it will be interesting to observe which heads of state and government take part in the 40th anniversary of the Libyan revolution and the rise to power of [head of state] Muammar al-Gaddafi. Although the guest list hasn't been published it's already certain that Italian head of government Silvio Berlusconi will attend the Libyan festivities. Libya has been an important economic partner for Italy for many years. … On the one hand it is an important oil supplier (it provides Italy with most of its fuel), on the other the country is an attractive location for investments for the West. The ripping open of the Lockerbie wound is therefore hardly likely to reverse the process of the Gaddafi regime's international rehabilitation. After all, oil makes the world go round." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Italy, » Global, » Libya

A movement is gaining ground in Denmark aimed at separating the Church from the State. Erik Bjerager argues in the Christian daily Kristeligt Dagblad that the Danish National Church, which has existed since the Reformation, should be maintained: "The most important argument for keeping the National Church at the state's side is the fact that this connection acts as a bulwark which protects Denmark as a Christian cultural community. ... If the state puts an end to its links with the Church de-Christianisation will progress swiftly and that wouldn't be to anyone's advantage. Why should we break away from the spiritual influence that has been a cultivating and civilising influence in Denmark for the last thousand years? The Christian influence in legislation is marked by the ecclesiastical message of personal freedom and responsibility, caring for society's weakest members and the constant awarness of our duty to love ourselves and our neighbours with all our flaws and shortcomings. Christianity is thus the best medicine against personal underestimation and the idolisation of those in power." (29/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Denmark
All available articles from » Erik Bjerager

Henri Gibier writes in the business daily Les Echos that the series of reform measures introduced by President Nicolas Sarkozy have brought France back into line with the other world economies: "Old reflexes are hard to shake. In an attempt to discredit [US President] Barack Obama's healthcare reforms the Republican camp has been evoking the spectre of the 'French model'. No doubt a synonym for state intervention, waste and inefficiency. In the spring however quite another message - this time much softer on the ears - came to us from England. The London magazine 'The Economist' launched a surprising 'Vive la France!' It was a celebration - albeit rather distant - of our welfare state and its budgetary and social 'automatic stabilisers', so precious in times of crisis. This double Anglo-Saxon vision nevertheless puts us in the same trap: that of the 'French exception'. ... In pursuing its current course [of reform], France is strengthening its chances of not missing the global recovery boat as it has so often in the past." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Economic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Henri Gibier

While Lithuania's economy is shrinking at a record tempo, Poland's has been growing despite the crisis, notes the daily Lietuvos Rytas, listing a set of reasons: "Lithuania has done away with reductions to value added tax, even for books and food. Poland has done nothing of the sort. The result: thousands of Lithuanians (as well as Slovaks and Germans) drive to Poland to do their shopping because meat is cheaper there, while economic tourism has all but come to a halt in the other direction. [Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius] Kubilius' government has raised the petroleum tax above the EU level, while Poland has left it as it was. ... The list goes on. Above all however, Kubilius strikes fear into people's hearts on a daily basis with portents of the upcoming apocalypse. And his cabinet ministers outdo each other with negative prognoses, causing people to save more and more. [Poland's Prime Minister Donald] Tusk hasn't got anyone worried, and perhaps that's why his country is on a growth course." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Tax Policy, » Poland, » Lithuania
All available articles from » Rimvydas Valatka

While giving a concert in Bucharest last week US pop singer Madonna was booed by her Romanian audience when she called for tolerance for eastern European Roma. The daily Gândul notes that she changed her tactic in the following concert on Saturday in Bulgaria: "Madonna has grown old. Not because she's 51. … She has grown old because she can no longer take the strain. … She can't stand dissent. She won't risk disapproval, at least not to her face. This became clear on Saturday night at the concert in Sofia. … There was no more talk about discrimination against gypsies, even though Bulgaria is in Eastern Europe. She held a mini-discourse about tolerance but decided to play it safe. The effect was as expected: the Bulgarians applauded enthusiastically and the show south of the Danube is regarded as a 'triumph'." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Music, » Stage, » Romania, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Diana Popescu

Bulgaria's Defence Minister Nikolay Mladenov has come under fire for having two metallic pink official cars in the garage of his ministry. The BMWs were reportedly painted over on the order of former minister Nicolai Sviranov to drive his daughter to a school ball. The daily Sega writes: "If there were a sequel to the film Legally Blonde with Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon it would probably be filmed in Sofia, in the building of the Defence Ministry. There are thousands of colour patterns In the world of uniforms and camouflage. However having official cars painted bright pink could say much about the minister responsible. Either he's a party girl or he's changed his sexual orientation, or he's a case for the prosecutor's office." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Emil Spachijski

The freedom of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia is to be limited. In future a team of editors will monitor articles on living persons in the English version initially, to counter false information and abuse. The Wiki doctrine of reliable information by everyone for everyone has reached its limits, writes the daily NRC Handelsblad: "On the one hand the willingness to work [on the project] is dwindling. On the other idealists are being pushed aside by swindlers, show-offs and saboteurs, and - hot on their heels - the cyber-hooligans. But the editing team will achieve precious little because editing is a laborious and slow task. Very soon entire tribes will start torturing the editors by bombarding them with all kinds of nonsense. The problem is that the right to anonymity in the Wiki community is pretty much sacrosanct. Yet it will have to be renounced. In a democracy anonymity leads to anarchy. And anarchy is like quicksand for a reference work." (31/08/2009)

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In a speech given at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on Saturday US media mogul James Murdoch - the son of Rupert Murdoch - attacked the BBC's dominance in the media world. The left-liberal daily The Guardian defends the institution: "All countries' media ecosystems are different. The American way is no more desirable in the UK than the Italian way - in which a very powerful media magnate has ended up with a dangerously large slice of the cake. What works rather well in the UK is a mixed economy of private and public. Newspapers are lightly regulated, fiercely opinionated and proudly independent. Public-service broadcasters are more heavily regulated in return for their subsidy. It's not a perfect mix, but its part of the texture of life in the country. The idea of decimating it in order to allow a sort of Fox News UK [Murdoch-controlled US news] to flourish is a prospect that should truly chill our souls." (31/08/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Media policy, » United Kingdom