The former Bosnian-Serb leader Radovan Karadžić has boycotted the beginning of his war crimes trial. But the conservative daily Die Welt writes that this time it's vital that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentence the defendant for genocide: "Chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz won't be dissuaded from his intention. He knows that hundreds of thousands of survivors on the Balkans are waiting for The Hague to pass a judgement that finally does justice to the countless dead. … He is trying not to make the same mistake as his predecessor Carla Del Ponte. The Swiss attorney was determined to make [Slobodan] Milošević pay for all the Balkan war crimes he had been charged with at any cost. To this end she put up with … Milošević broadcasting hate tirades against international justice on all Serb channels for years - turning his country's people against the West. Karadžić must be prevented from doing likewise." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Weltanschauung, » Western Europe, » Serbia, » Bosnia and Herzegovina
All available articles from » Stefanie Bolzen

Radovan Karadžić is wrong in refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia because it operates according to international law, the daily The Times writes, adding that the court must take swift action: "Every war crimes trial, from the Nuremberg indictment to the arraignment of the Khmer Rouge, has been castigated by small bands of deniers and apologists as 'victors' justice'. That is nonsense. The tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was established not by partisan fiat but by vote of the UN Security Council in 1993. It upholds international legal precepts against war crimes, in the interests of justice and reconciliation. In earlier hearings, it has been scrupulous about the quality of evidence. It must try Dr Karadžić without further delay." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Serbia, » Bosnien, » Bosnia and Herzegovina

Radovan Karadžić is mocking the world by failing to appear for his trial, the liberal-conservative Italian daily Corriere della Sera writes: "Karadžić is a pathological liar. This is how the writer Marko Vešović, who was once his friend, describes him. A poet among psychiatrists, a psychiatrist among poets [Radovan Karadžić worked as a psychiatrist and wrote nursery rhymes] who is pursuing a clear strategy: to turn the trial into a farce and make it seem unreal and fictitious, as if the snipers of Sarajevo and their 14,000 victims were pure invention. This is one of his perfect lies that may still seem real to the odd nostalgic, but not to the judges." (27/10/2009)

» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Europe, » Serbia
All available articles from » Mara Gergolet

Radovan Karadžić must receive his just punishment for the wounds of the Balkan war to heal, writes the daily Svenska Dagbladet: "It is worrying that the trial against Karadžić is already so much like that against Slobodan Milošević, who couldn't be condemned and eventually died in prison after turning the Hague Tribunal into a circus. ... Apparently the lawyers are helpless. Things must not be allowed to degenerate to that point a second time. The wounds are still fresh in the Balkans, and they must be allowed to heal. The families of the many victims must find their peace. Punishing Karadžić will help achieve this goal - even if he has to be dragged into court." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Netherlands, » Serbia

The two bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital that claimed over 150 lives have reminded Baghdad's residents of just how precarious their security is, writes the daily Der Standard: "The goal is clear: three months before the planned parliamentary elections in Iraq - presented as the country's first 'normal' vote - the weakness of the state and the government is being laid bare. Emblematic is the bombed facade of the Ministry of Justice strewn with dying bodies. The reputation of the strong man that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had gained for himself has been permanently tarnished. It's no use if he's reached an agreement with the Sunnis or if he's taken action against Shiite extremists, it makes no difference if he stands up to the Kurdish demands for oil federalism or if he's negotiated the best possible deal with the Americans. He cannot protect you. That is the message." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Iraq
All available articles from » Gudrun Harrer

The Belgian government has announced it will adopt the European directive on the retention of telephone and computer data. The daily De Morgen comments: "Who can guarantee that the incredible amount of information collected as a result of this directive will not be used for very different purposes than the fight against international terror? And incidentally, terrorists and hardened criminals aren't in the habit of communicating over unsecured channels. The strongest argument against it is that this directive means yet another giant step towards a Big Brother society, and is also counterproductive. Because to protect our society from potential enemies, technologies are being used that erode the fundaments of the society they are seeking to protect. In this way they do the terrorists' job for them by eroding the private sphere, individual freedoms and the right to live one's life without being permanently watched over by the state." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Belgium
All available articles from » Yves Desmet

First came the sex scandals involving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and now video footage which puts Piero Marrazzo, the head of government of the Italian region of Lazio, in a compromising position has surfaced. The left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes that in Italy scandals become public in a different way to countries where "the media is not at the disposition of politicians. In Italy the selection process [of journalistic control and examination] doesn't exist. There's no need to bother with it because there is no distribution of media power. One and the same subject orders others to collect the dirty stuff on someone - that's if he doesn't actually fabricate it himself. He has control over the supply, over unlimited financial resources, over newspaper bosses and editors. … He doesn't need to convince anyone to publish the dirt. He publishes it in his own media and gives it priority on account of his political position." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Media policy, » Press freedom, » Italy
All available articles from » Giuseppe d'Avanzo

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor and his Croatian colleague Jadranka Kosor met on Monday in Zagreb for talks on the border dispute between the two countries. The daily Delo doubts an agreement can be reached: "For the moment nothing points to the two governments being able to box their way through to a solution. Pahor does at least stand a chance of pushing the agreement through on the Slovenian side, despite resistance from the opposition and part of the public. ... But the Croatian side remains an unknown because it's impossible to say whether Kosor will be able to achieve either political consensus at home or a majority vote in parliament. Although she has not yet been accused of treason, it may nevertheless be the case that just like in 2001 no agreement is reached. ... Nevertheless the friendly climate between the two leaders does offer a ray of hope." (27/10/2009)

» more information (external link, Slovenian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU enlargement, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Slovenia, » Croatia
All available articles from » Rok Kajzer

Czech President Václav Klaus has indicated he will sign the Treaty of Lisbon provided an extra clause is added. Jiří Pehe, director of the New York University in Prague, criticises the president's attitude in the liberal weekly paper Élet És Irodalom: "Klaus hasn't budged an inch from the attitude he's always had regarding the Treaty. It's also no surprise that he held 26 other European countries hostage to his personal convictions, and that he couldn't care less about the course of democracy in his country. He has long considered himself above the democratic process. ... But what incites him to act? Explanations for his behaviour are above all to be found in his political philosophy. He likes to cast himself as a conservative who finds European integration overregulated and bureaucratic. In terms of political economy he is a pronounced neoliberal who basically views the EU as a socialist project. But his rejection of the EU is also rooted in a romantic nationalism. ... But no matter what drives him, Klaus' pig-headedness has done no end of harm to the Czech Republic's image in the world." (23/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Czech Republic, » Europe
All available articles from » Jiří Pehe

In the opinion of Joaquín Almunia, EU Commissioner responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs, the process of European economic integration should not be blighted by an insistence on maintaining the status quo. In the left-liberal daily El País he writes: "On the surface the European Central Bank (ECB) plays its role and is present at all forums, but meanwhile the dissemination of government representatives - in the IMF, the G7 or the G20 - weakens the defence of European positions in so far as they exist or simply prevents the EU from maintaining a coherent stance. This is a risk Europe cannot afford to take. Now that the Treaty of Lisbon is about to finally clear the last hurdle before taking effect, those who are trying to torpedo a response to the crisis that is based on increased European cooperation should be aware that the alternative is not the status quo but a step backwards in terms of what has been achieved in economic integration since the 1980s. And those from beyond our borders who want to talk to the people responsible for the strategy for overcoming the crisis in the European Union need to know which number they should dial." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Joaquín Almunia

Banks that were bailed out with public funds at the height of the financial crisis must now restructure according to plans laid out by the EU Commission. Among other things they must sell off unprofitable business divisions. The daily Les Echos comments on the plans: "Brussels has taken out the welding torch! The European Commission gave an unequivocal answer yesterday to all those wondering if Europe's financial groups … would have to pay the price for their base conduct. Things are now clear. They will be handed the bill and it will be steep. Brussels is demanding payment. The Commission is calling for significant restructurings in exchange for public bailouts. ... The message is clear: there will be no return to 'business as usual' for those enterprises that were given oxygen in the thick of the crisis." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Financial Markets, » Banks, » Europe
All available articles from » François Vidal

The Dutch parliament has spoken out in favour of statutory guidelines according to which companies should allocate 30 percent of their managerial positions to women. The left-liberal daily De Volkskrant argues that a fixed proportion of women according to the Norwegian model would be a better option: "As regards diversity in managerial positions the Netherlands comes off worse than any other Western country. Whatever the reasons for this - part-time work, a motherhood culture, a lack of feminine ambition or the well-oiled old boy network which excludes women – the fact is that they won't change without legislative intervention. Statutory guidelines are a good start, but one may ask whether this is not far too non-binding. A quota imposes a targeted company policy, and there's nothing wrong with that. … A fixed quota would simply be a necessary reinforcement." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Gender equality, » Netherlands

The daily Postimees sees Estonia's culture as the reason for its positive development: "Despite the economic crisis Estonia is in many respects a strong country, above all in comparison to other former Soviet republics. Estonia's culture is the foundation on which this strength is based, not the luxury we permit ourselves in good times. Estonia's great advantage over many other post-communist states is its well-developed institutions, which for the most part work efficiently and are not corrupt. But the reason why we have a trustworthy police force and more honest courts than fellow sufferers is our Estonian culture. And we're not just talking about the theatres or libraries here, but people's values. … We only began to construct our state in 1991, but in this process many people were included who had a special awareness of their nationality and for whom being Estonian meant being honest, industrious, dutiful and ambitious." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Estonian)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » History, » Estonia, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Vahur Koorits

According to the Legatum Prosperity Index, which was published yesterday, Finland is currently the richest country in the world. The daily Kaleva is unconvinced: "The results of this study are very surprising. Despite election campaign financing scandals, the recession, the unemployment, marginalisation and heavy debts Finland is suddenly the richest nation in the world. … If the Legatum statistics were more current and thoroughly researched they would have yielded a much worse result. The wounds the profound economic recession has left on our country are so deep that they will take years to heal. And it can't be ruled out that the Finnish welfare state as perceived by Legatum and others will eventually disappear. Precisely because the foundations on which it is built are so weak the results of this study should be taken with a big pinch of salt. If the figures still say the same in 2012 [however] then the time will have come to uncork the champagne." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Finnish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Public Culture, » Economic Policy, » Finland, » Global

Reports of a meteorite falling in the town of Mazsalaca in northern Latvia turned out to be a PR gag by the mobile telephone company Tele2. The daily Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze is not amused: "It could have been a good joke but then things got serious: police, the fire brigade, geologists, soldiers and journalists - they all did their duty and waded their way through a muddy field to examine the crater. They all fell for it completely. … The company [Tele2] and its marketing people probably hadn't reckoned with such a scenario: the situation quickly got out of control and apparently they weren't aware of the consequences of their action. Do we really need such extra costs in these times of crisis? The argument that at least the name Latvia went around the world testifies to short-sightedness, because what counts is the context in which our name is mentioned." (27/10/2009)

» full article (external link, Latvian)
More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Online media, » Latvia
All available articles from » Viesturs Radovics