At the start of the G20 summit in Pittsburgh the Catholic daily La Croix comments on French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ambitions to give France more clout in international affairs: "In fact France does not lack authority. Take the French management of the financial crisis under our EU Council presidency and the role played by Nicolas Sarkozy after the war in Georgia. The results of the past months are really rather flattering for the president of the republic. Paris now has an even better position in the concert of nations. After much hesitation, the French-German tandem, joined by the UK, continues to place high moral demands on the financial system. Even if neither the US - nor even the 27 members of the EU - could go along with the core French proposals on bonuses, and even if the exact way forward will be the subject of heated discussion at the G20, no one has suggested abandoning the initial ambition of establishing better financial regulation." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Economic Policy, » France
All available articles from » François Ernenwein

The business paper Cinco Días praises the G20 meeting place: "Pittsburgh is the right place. The Pennsylvanian city hosting the G20 summit was once the scene of one the most profound heavy industry overhauls in living memory. Today it is growing with a modern economy geared towards automation systems, software and biomedical technology. This means the world leaders need only look around to know what should be done. For the time has come to act. If the meetings in Washington and London were forums aimed at putting out the fire, avoiding global economic collapse with huge injections of funds in a combined action between politics and the central banks, this one in Pittsburgh should go down in history as the culmination of the global economic overhaul that will set in motion mechanisms to prevent a repetition of the crisis. Otherwise it will be a failure." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » U.S., » Global

The daily Luxemburger Wort puts little hope in the G20 summit in Pittsburgh: "The perspectives on how a new economic order should look after the crisis differ too widely between the Anglo-Saxon countries and continental Europe. The leaders of the most important industrial and emerging markets can only agree on one point: they all want to put an end to the so-called tax havens. True, these havens have little to do with the crash, which started in the US. But they are important as a scapegoat for the big economic powers when it's time to make a show of firmness. That doesn't really pose a problem for Luxembourg. After all, tax rates here correspond more or less to the EU average, which is to say they are very high, and can't be called a haven by any stretch of the imagination. The Grand Duchy has nevertheless come under fire from the G20 because of its banking secrecy, so that it still gets lumped together with Bermuda and the Netherlands Antilles." (23/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Financial Markets, » Banks, » Luxembourg, » Europe, » U.S., » Global
All available articles from » Pierre Leyers

The G20 summit in Pittsburgh won't change global economic and financial policy, the liberal daily Corriere del Ticino fears, noting that it takes place in a climate very different to that in London last April: "Back then the state of emergency produced the 'miracle' of an international community united by the struggle to avoid another Great Depression. … Because the G20 in Pittsburgh is not acting directly under the pressure of the crisis it lacks the aura of a conclave appointed to save the world and runs the danger of ending, like so many other international summits, in the formulation of a series of principles aimed at concealing the conspicuous divergences among the participants. The crisis is not over. On the contrary, in one of its many metamorphoses … today it affects the job market primarily, with a marked rise in unemployment. Even the economic upturn is not of a solid nature: it is effectively the result of tax incentives and expansive monetary policies the likes of which we have never seen before and which above all cannot go on forever." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Alfonso Tuor

Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad both delivered controversial speeches at the General Assembly of the United Nations on Wednesday. The left-liberal daily La Repubblica comments on the ensuing protests in several countries: "On the one hand you've got Gaddafi saying that the UN is like al-Qaida. And on the other you've got Ahmadinejad attacking Israel and forcing the diplomats of many countries led by France, Italy and the US, to leave the room in protest at his repugnant and offensive anti-Semitic rhetoric. The good guys only win out in the movies. On the stage of the UN, the day [US President] Barack Obama addressed the assembly, the bad guys stole the show: Muammar al-Gaddafi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. That is the other side of the democracy coin." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » U.S., » Global, » Iran, » Libya
All available articles from » Angelo Aquaro

During the summit meeting between US President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday in New York Obama was confronted with the "stormy reality of the Middle East," the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant writes. "The assumption that both Israel and the Arab world highly appreciate America's active role appears only partially true. The Netanyahu government which took power in March has fought tooth and nail against the Obama government's demand for a halt to the building of settlements in the occupied areas. For its part the Palestinian/Arab camp interpreted the US's demand as a carte blanche not to make any gestures of its own and simply wait for things to happen. In principle a tougher stance on Israel is justified. But by insisting on a total stop the US has manoeuvred itself into an awkward position." (24/09/2009)

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

After the UN climate summit in New York the leftist daily Público comments with an ironic undertone: "Dear environmentalists, you can now take a break from your battle against climate change. The business is safely in the hands of the political leaders and captains of industry, serious people who know how to deal with such things. Thank you very much for all you have done so far, even for getting on our nerves when we ignored you. But now you can dedicate your efforts to other causes like saving dolphins, etc. because the grown-ups will take care of climate change." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Environmental Policy, » U.S., » Global

Czech President Václav Klaus has received support for his opposition to the Treaty of Lisbon. The head of the British Conservative Party, David Cameron, has appealed to Klaus to postpone ratifying the EU Reform Treaty until the British elections, which would allow the Tories to scupper the Treaty with a referendum. The liberal daily Mladá Fronta Dnes comments in this context on Klaus' ongoing failure to ratify the Treaty: "Obstruction is a well-loved political instrument. It is understandable that Klaus uses it against something that in his view is worse than [Vladimir] Putin's Russia. ... But Klaus has called the free decision of the members of parliament into question [both chambers of the Czech parliament have approved the Treaty]. ... Klaus shows that politicians will do anything they can to carry out their egoistic intentions. This is yet another wound for the people's trust in politics, which is already exceedingly weak." (24/09/2009)

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All available articles from » Martin Komárek

Columnist Lori Keza writes in the left-liberal daily To Vima that Greece has intentionally acted as the black sheep of European asylum and migration policy to avoid being swamped with illegal migrants: "The European Union is ready to build a Hilton Hotel in every [Greek] city to liberate itself of foreigners. Why has [Greek Interior Minister Prokopis] Pavlopoulos not used the financial possibilities offered by the EU to build camps with humane conditions? Why has it not done all it could to have the Germans applaud and cry 'Bravo, philanthropic Greeks'? It's clear. Pavlopoulos has let time go by to avoid having all of the problems of the 27 EU states come crashing down on Greece's shoulders. If he had created ideal conditions, if he had invested in the infrastructure, if he had cashed in on the European offers, there would be no end to the flow of illegal migrants." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Migration, » Integration, » Germany, » Greece, » Europe
All available articles from » Laurie Keza

Ireland is experiencing another wave of migration, in which the number of those leaving is now higher than the number of people immigrating to the country. In his blog for the liberal daily The Irish Times Bryan Mukandi comments: "More people are leaving than are arriving on these shores. I wonder how that will colour the immigration debate going forward. When I first arrived here, I was struck by what I saw as inconsistencies in the immigration discourse. I remember there being optimism that Bertie Ahern would be able to come up with some settlement for the 'undocumented Irish' in America. At the same time, there was a chorus of voices calling for immediate action on the large number of Eastern Europeans in the state, and the removal of 'illegal immigrants'… How will the general public feel about immigration and immigrants in the coming months and years? After other Europeans returning home, Irish people trying their luck elsewhere represent the largest component of the new migration trend. I am tempted to believe that a country that is sending so many of its own abroad will be understanding of those who leave worse off places in search of a better life within its borders. Then again, this is the same country that referred to others as 'illegal' while calling its own 'undocumented'." (23/09/2009)

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All available articles from » Bryan Mukandi

Belgian Opel workers and trade unionists together with colleagues from other European countries gathered in Antwerp on Wednesday to demonstrate against the closure of the local Opel plant. The daily De Morgen praises the trade unions for this time refraining from adopting their customary stubborn and aggressive stance: "Today they have decided in favour of working out a plan together and negotiations as the only realistic option for keeping [the plant in] Antwerp open. … The metal workers' trade unions could long ago have decided to accept the threatened closure - helped along by early pensions and big severance packages. But with great will power … they are playing their last trump card to keep Antwerp operating. Given the circumstances this is not an unintelligent move, and they are showing understanding for the political and economic arguments. … Otherwise the Antwerp chapter would have been closed long ago. Even if they don't achieve their goal the metal trade unions will have everything in their power, and far beyond." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Economic Policy, » Trade unions, » Belgium
All available articles from » Walter Pauli

The daily Latvijas Avīze criticises a proposed law in Latvia that proscribes greater use of the Russian language in electronic media: "One of Latvia's guidelines in cultural policy is that the Latvian language is the national culture's greatest asset. The ongoing debate, however, is based on the assumption that the unity of the cultural environment is divided into two zones of information with different values and orientations and that Latvian cannot serve as a common cultural zone because a large sector of the population speaks it either not at all or poorly. … If we really want the model of two different societies in one state, in which each person lives in his own information zone, then this proposed law is precisely what's needed. But it could set in motion a dangerous process which works to the detriment of a whole series of other regulations on the use of Latvian." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Online media, » Media policy, » Languages, » Latvia
All available articles from » Sergejs Mihailovs

Bulgarian politician Irina Bokova was elected new Director-General of Unesco on Tuesday. The daily Sega examines the reasons for her success: "Unesco has the task of ridding the organisation of the bad habits of [former Director-General Koïchiro] Matsuura, whose name is synonymous with lack of transparency and corruption. It's true that our candidate comes from a country that suffers from precisely these weaknesses. But Bulgarians working with international organisations have earned a reputation for being thorough, honest and hard-working colleagues. … Bokova is certainly not a threat to anyone. This makes her a good compromise candidate for resolving major contradictions." (24/09/2009)

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All available articles from » Svetoslav Tersiev

The autobiography entitled Confessions of a Murderer by Danish killer Peter Lundin, who murdered his mother in 1991 and then nine years later killed his girlfriend and her two sons is to be published in the next few days in Denmark. The daily Kristeligt Dagblad questions whether criminals have the right to publish books that offend the dignity of their victims. "What possibilities are left open to us when a small, unknown publishing house like Turbulenz puts out the murderer's autobiography in the unhallowed name of profit - when respectable publishers like Gyldendal had previously refused? ... Not many. But perhaps the authorities should have stepped in to prevent such a nauseating book from hitting the bookstands. ... In New York the next of kin can sue a criminal for writing an offensive book on his crimes if it earns more than 10,000 dollars. It would be worth thinking about introducing a similar measure here." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Denmark

In Finland the tax on alcoholic beverages is once again being raised. The daily Kymen Sanomat points out that only Estonia stands to gain anything from this tax hike: "Between January and August this year over 25 percent more alcohol was purchased on trips abroad. The tax is an effective instrument for influencing alcohol consumption. But open borders and changed economic circumstances make its impact less simple than it used to be. Some people drink less when money gets tight, but many simply grab the opportunity to either buy drinks from cheaper sources themselves or get their friends to do it for them. So the gains to be made from the tax increases have above all gone to Estonia, where most of these beverages are purchased. Secure jobs on the ferries and an improvement in Estonia's job market statistics despite the recession are the result." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Health Policy, » Tax Policy, » Social affairs, » Estonia, » Finland
All available articles from » Markku Espo

The film Galerianki will hit the screens in Poland on Friday. The movie deals with under-age girls who prostitute themselves in large shopping centres - the so-called Galerias - in exchange for goods. The sociologist Elżbieta Michałowska writes in the news magazine Polityka about this new form of prostitution in Poland: "Unfortunately, under-age prostitution has become widespread. Different motivations and needs have resulted in various forms of prostitution. ... Galerianki are not girls in despair. Here it's not just economic but also cultural factors that play a role. The body is viewed as a good, as a commodity. Just take one look at magazines like Cosmopolitan and you'll see that physicality and sexuality are splashed across every page." (24/09/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Health and Medicine, » Poland
All available articles from » Elżbieta Michałowska