The daily Der Standard describes Czech President Václav Klaus' announcement that he will sign the EU Reform Treaty as a sensible stance. "Hardly anyone would claim the Lisbon Treaty is the answer to everything. But after ten years of struggle we urgently need these new rules for a larger community. They will bring democratic progress like strengthening the European Parliament. If the Lisbon train arrives now things will soon get pretty hectic for the member states. The new Treaty could take effect at the end of the year. A new EU Commission, a president and an EU foreign minister must be selected by then." (19/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Thomas Mayer

The left-liberal Süddeutsche Zeitung is happy that the Czech president has signalled his readiness to stop blocking the Treaty of Lisbon: "Europe's heads of government can now start calmly working out a formula to unite the opposites along familiar lines: the obstructor from Prague can save face without getting what he was really after. The rest is history. In retrospect the Treaty of Lisbon will represent a watershed for the organisation of the Union by making it more difficult for obstructive elements in individual countries to blackmail everyone else. Václav Klaus took things to the absolute limit. ... The expulsion of the Hungarians and the Sudeten Germans from Czechoslovakia after 1945 with the so-called Beneš decrees is once more in focus. Now that this matter is again on the EU agenda it is all the more important to engage in fresh, less one-sided discussion of the questions it raises. But it doesn't make it any easier." (19/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Czech Republic, » Europe
All available articles from » Klaus Brill

The business paper Hospodářské Noviny comments on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's statement that he intends to join Czech President Václav Klaus in demanding that an additional clause be inserted into the Treaty of Lisbon: "In Central Europe no one can play without coming in contact with the virus of the Beneš Decrees. Fico's announcement could be the beginning of an epidemic. It's hard to imagine that a guarantee for the Czech Republic and Slovakia won't cause an uproar in Hungary. … This is all beginning to smack of the inflated Central European nationalism we saw in 2002 when the Czech prime minister at the time Miloš Zeman described the Sudeten Germans as a Fifth Column [of Hitler's] who got what they deserved." (19/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Jiří Leschtina

The conservative daily Die Welt comments on the controversial presidential elections in Afghanistan: "The Afghan elections were an embarrassment for all concerned. Incumbent Hamid Karzai deserves first prize in the category of brazen cheek. He really did think the international community would be ready to pay billions of dollars to rebuild the country's statehood, putting at risk the lives of their soldiers and countrymen, just for the pleasure of watching Karzai answer the talk of building democratic structures with brazen manipulation and lies. But Nato, the United Nations and the Americans also have much to blame themselves for. Because even if it was clear in the run-up to the elections that they would be subject to fraud, they did little to ensure fair balloting or put the running of the election in international hands. And the UN lost additional credibility when Kai Eide, the UN Special Representative to Afghanistan, tried to cover up the electoral scandal for as long as possible." (19/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Fiscal Policy, » Elections, » U.S., » Global, » Middle East, » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Clemens Wergin

At least 14 people died in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro this weekend in gun battles between drug dealers and the police. The gangs set buses on fire and shot down a police helicopter. The daily Diário de Notícias writes: "Brazil is in fashion at the moment. It is the country whose economic development the giants of this world envy; … a country that has grown from a developing country into a global power; that attracts investment and emigrants … The country that will host the Football World Cup in 2016 [sic] and the Olympic Games in 2018 [sic]. But this country must change its domestic security policy if it wants to become one of the most important countries of the 21st century. As we saw yet again only yesterday, Brazil is unable to put an end to its security problems. [Brazil's president Luiz Inácio] Lula da Silva must find a solution to his greatest problems - violence and the drug trade." (19/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Brazil

Since the collapse of the Romanian government last week politicians have been scrutinising the country's constitution. But according to the daily Adevărul the constitution is a dubious source of wisdom in the present situation: "The most important law is badly written to the point of irrelevance, while its spirit remains strictly a matter of interpretation in which any claim can be matched by its contrary. A cynical approach can help to understand what is happening now. The constitution says the following on the dissolution of parliament by the president: … 'The President of Romania can dissolve the Parliament if within 60 days of the first formation of a government and only after the rejection of at least two formations of government it has still not reached a decision on the formation of a government.' …The key word in the constitutional text is the word 'can'. The president can. But he is by no means under any obligation to dissolve the parliament if the two prerequisites have been fulfilled." (19/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Romania
All available articles from » Liviu Avram

The daily Dnevnik looks into the shift in global power relations in the wake of the financial and economic crisis, in particular the growing significance of the so-called BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, India and China: "The establishment of BRIC as a global institution moved forward significantly in June, when the leaders of the four countries met for the first BRIC summit (in Russia, where else?). This meeting fired a noteworthy salvo at the US when each of these countries announced its desire to abolish the dollar as global reserve currency. The group has now extended its economic radar to include countries like Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam. Together with the four BRIC countries, these states now form the front line of emerging economies." (19/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Nuriel Rubini

In the left-liberal daily El País, Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo analyses France's foreign policy 20 years ago under former president François Mitterrand on Germany's imminent Reunification and the war in former Yugoslavia: "In keeping with an antiquated strategic vision which ignored the dynamics of history … [Mitterand], along with his new ally John Major, focussed his foreign policy during the last years of his presidency on reviving the spirit of the Entente Cordiale [a series of agreement signed between the United Kingdom and France regarding colonial interests in Africa] of the first half of the past century. The implosion of the Yugoslavian Federation that followed the successive secessions of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia fuelled by the Serb ultra-nationalism of [Slobodan] Milósevic confirmed his anachronistic perception of Europe's new reality. For Mitterrand (and John Major), the recently created republics of Slovenia and Croatia would inevitably fall under the German sphere of influence by reason of their Austro-Hungarian past and geographical location, and only a strong Serbia, which had been an ally of France and Great Britain in the two world wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, could slow down the dreaded German expansionism." (18/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Juan Goytisolo

On the occasion of European Job Days 2009 Vladimír Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, writes in the daily Delo on the significance of mobility in times of growing unemployment. "The needs of job-seekers have changed, as have those of potential employers. In its first fifteen years Eures, the European Job Mobility Portal, has successfully tackled existing information gaps. These constitute one of the biggest hurdles for ... mobility. Above all, job seekers need information to form their decisions. ... But now Eures and the European Job Days 2009 must function as a tool in combining knowledge with the jobs at hand. Europe must adapt to change and maintain the interface between job markets if it wants to remain productive and competitive in the years to come. The European Job Days 2009 are an important step in this direction." (19/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Vladimír Špidla

In the daily La Libre Belgique the members of the political movement "Objecteurs de Croissance" (objectors of economic growth) criticise modern economic policy: "The ideology of 'growth' is at the heart of all political programmes, regardless of their stripe. ... Night and day we are harangued with the putative benefits of this sacrosanct growth, which is presented to us both as the goal to follow and the means to get there: the necessary condition for creating jobs, prosperity, security, which in turn are a precondition for progress, happiness and development. After half a century of this paradigm however we are forced to acknowledge that these promises have not been fulfilled. Of course growth has had a positive effect on the quality of life in the industrialised countries. But looked squarely in the face the global result is ominous: misery has hit the South as well as the North, and famine is spreading at an alarming rate." (17/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Belgium, » Europe

In Denmark the analogue TV broadcasting services will be shut down on November 1 and replaced with digital broadcasting nationwide. The daily Der Nordschleswiger criticises the fact that it will no longer be possible to receive German TV channels in Denmark because the latter are too expensive for the digital service providers: "German-Danish relations won't go downhill straight away but in the long term a chunk of knowledge about our neighbours to the south will go missing. … The Nordic Council had recommended making a certain number of channels from neighbouring countries obligatory. This didn't happen. Because the service providers make their decisions based on the market and they find the Norwegian, Swedish and German channels too expensive they will no longer be broadcasted. … Denmark and Germany are bound together not just by trade but also by a long cultural tradition. We have a cultural obligation to be informed about our neighbour, or at least have the possibility to inform ourselves. If culture is left up to the market there is a great chance that the spectrum will grow smaller. Too small." (17/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Denmark

In the wake of various political scandals in Poland, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita has discovered that the national anti-corruption bureau CBA has also purportedly tapped the wire of a journalist. The left-liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza writes that wiretapping and bugging are a fundamental problem in Poland: "The [former national conservative governing party] PiS is not the only party to abuse and exercise insufficient control over wiretapping measures. Until now no leadership has sought to change that because everyone stood to gain from the situation. But now wire tapping measures have been used for private purposes and Jacek Mąka, the deputy head of the ABW [Polish security service] should pay the price. In addition the criminal prosecutor's office responsible for these tapes having been made public should be officially punished. ... However the fact is that our law allows such abuses. Consequently there is no possibliity to shed light on these deeds, let alone punish them." (19/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Ewa Siedlecka

Several thousand people gathered in Madrid this weekend to demonstrate against the planned relaxing of Spain's abortion law. The conservative daily El Mundo urges the Socialist government to seek a consensus in Spanish society: "The undeniable success of the demonstration that took place on Madrid's streets yesterday [Saturday, 17 October] against the reform of [the regulations on] abortion should prompt the government to reflect on the lack of social consensus regarding its initiative . … The problem is not the reform itself, since there are enough good reasons to launch this reform, but the way it is being carried out, without seeking a consensus. The result is a one-sided law that is unacceptable for millions of Spaniards." (18/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Religion, » Health and Medicine, » Weltanschauung, » Spain

In its Sunday edition the Cypriot daily Simerini criticises the stance of Cypriot politicians on hooliganism at football stadiums: "The monster of hooliganism has returned to the sport stadiums. … The average person asks: How can it be possible that the state still hasn't got this phenomenon under control? Why is it so frequent in Cyprus? … Those in power should answer the question. And they should find the solutions. The presidents of the Cypriot Republic have repeatedly tried to tackle this phenomenon. … And we can still hear the echo of their grave declarations that hooliganism will be defeated. But in the end it is invincible. … They shouldn't tell us that they don't know what to do. Since 1996 they have at their disposition a package of guidelines devised by experts of the Council of Europe who examined the problem in great detail and have managed to solve it in England and the Netherlands." (19/10/2009)

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All available articles from » Zacharias Kiriakou