It will take more than just economising to emerge from the debt crisis, the daily Ta Nea writes, commenting that Greece must also bolster its economy: "The government must concentrate on two things. Firstly, we need a good and effective way of implementing the austerity measures. ... Merely announcing the measures is not enough. Let's not forget 2005, when value added tax was raised but state revenues failed to rise as a result. On the contrary, they fell! Now we face a similar danger because the state's control mechanisms are inoperative. ... Secondly, this country needs development prospects. It has been a long time since the government announced steps in this direction. It must now announce and implement measures for strengthening the real economy that will create jobs and raise the GDP. Failing that there will be no point looking for tax revenues because there will be no revenues that could be taxed." (01/03/2010)

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Greece should pay its debts on its own if Europe's unity is to be saved, writes the business paper Il Sole 24 Ore: "The dream of the euro has been shattered and attention is now focusing on a question that was raised on its introduction: is the euro a political union or just a 'currency board' [for imposing a fixed exchange rate]? ... Greece can leave the monetary union. ... If the recent financial crisis has taught us anything, it's that the implicit promises [of bailouts] made by governments are dangerous. They sow the seeds for future crises. ... If we want to save the idea of Europe we must dispense with these implicit assurances and instead strengthen the sense of responsibility of individual nation states by beginning to make the Greeks pay for their own mistakes." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Greece, » Europe
All available articles from » Luigi Zingales

The Greeks only have themselves to blame for the crisis, writes the right-wing liberal news magazine Elsevier. Yet it concludes that European aid for the country is inevitable and is also in the interest of other Eurozone countries: "If the financial markets lose trust in a single country it's not so bad for the rest. But if the loss of trust spreads like an oil stain, it will eventually push up the interest rates for a growing number of - if not all - government bonds issued by Eurozone countries. The growing concern about the euro will become a problem for European companies, even if initially they profit from the euro's low exchange rate. The Greeks, however, won't get off so lightly if help does come from other euro countries, because the financial supervision the European Commission exercises in the name of all the other European countries is drastic." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Financial Markets, » Greece, » Europe
All available articles from » Paul de Hen

The idea that speculation with credit default swaps (CDSs) is responsible for Greece's financial crisis and the consequent pressure on the euro is nothing but a fantasy made up by politicians seeking scapegoats for the crisis, writes the daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "From this perspective the image of greedy financiers who intentionally bring about a national bankruptcy is absurd. Certainly, speculation can inflate CDS prices in the short term, which certainly doesn't help Greece. Nevertheless risk premiums for Greek bonds are primarily determined by their probability of failure. Speculation exacerbates the problem, but it is not the root of the problem." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Financial Markets, » Greece
All available articles from » Claudia Aebersold Szalay

The EU's foreign policy high representative Catherine Ashton on Monday presented a paper in which she outlined the key appointments for the European diplomatic service.The left-liberal daily El País says Ashton is not up to the job: "In times of crisis like the present the quality of the political leaders is not just a matter of convenience, it is crucial. So in the case of the new EU posts it's not necessary to wait till the traditional 100-day truce ends before making an assessment: there are already sufficient indications to sound the alarm and cast doubt on the abilities of certain people in high office. The first steps of Catherine Ashton as the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy ... have been worse than disappointing. ... If the attitude and the standards of this key post remain at the level they have been since she took office it would be better if the European Council reconsidered her appointment and/or kept a close eye on her actions." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Europe

The former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadžić, denied all responsibility for the Bosnian war in his war crimes trial on Monday in The Hague, claiming before the UN tribunal that the Bosnian Serbs were only defending themselves against Islamic fundamentalists who wanted to take over Bosnia following the break-up of Yugoslavia. The liberal daily Pražský Deník harshly criticises his tactics: "Let us not forget that even though 15 years have passed since the tragedy there are still witnesses and evidence of crimes that are inexcusable and must be condemned. There is nothing holy about genocide, no matter who perpetrates it. ... But the behaviour of the international community at the time also raises questions. It pursued its own interests in the region rather than saving ordinary people. So the trial won't draw a line under the Bosnian war. Those who pulled the strings of European and international politics back then should also be summoned before the Hague tribunal." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » History, » Global, » Serbia, » Bosnia and Herzegovina
All available articles from » Ivan Hoffman

France wants to sell Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is currently negotiating a deal to that effect with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy during a state visit to Paris. The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticises the potential sale: "For sure, France's shipping industry is in trouble. And for sure it's a contradiction to - superficially - treat Moscow like a partner and at the same time place an embargo on it. But a Mistral is not just a normal carrier, as the French government claims; its Nato partners won't be fooled by such soothing arguments. It is an offensive weapon, and that's precisely why Russia wants to buy it: if it had possessed such a ship during the war with Georgia the war wouldn't have lasted more than forty minutes. Moscow isn't keeping us in the dark about its motive for the purchase: to project power. This motive annoys the Eastern Europeans and the Baltic states, and you can't blame them either." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » EU Policy, » Corporations, » France, » Russia

Bart De Wever, of the centre-right New Flemish Alliance, disagrees with liberal European politician Guy Verhofstadt in the debate about the purpose of national identity. De Wever argues in the daily De Standaard that identity continues to play an important role in today's society, especially in times of globalisation: "Identity is a social construct that binds a group of people who do not know each other into a community. ... For the time being we fail to appreciate the true value of a wholesome experience of identity. This is unfortunate when you consider the alternatives. On the one hand there is self-contained nationalism and its dialectic of opposites and conflict. On the other hand is Verhofstadt's postnational cosmopolitanism. Clearly this is appealing for those with a second home in Tuscany. For big earners, complete disengagement from community structures is the ultimate neoliberal dream. The less well-off, however, are in the grips of an unpleasant world where they must do their best to get by culturally, economically and democratically." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Weltanschauung, » Global
All available articles from » Bart De Wever

The US computer giant Apple has admitted that three of its Chinese suppliers have employed children under 15, although the minimum working age in China is 16. In her blog for the business paper Kauppalehti, Pirkko Tammilehto criticises the stop-at-nothing profit motives of big international companies: "Although the catalogue of requirements grows from year to year and all manner of quality certificates have been introduced, children continue to work in factories in poor countries. ... It's hypocritical to say that if people put their minds to it all of the world's children could go to school, and none should have to sweat away to care for their families. But the worst infractions could be prevented if international producers stopped using subcontractors that violate their contracts. Apple itself went public on this issue, as have many other businesses whose subcontractors or suppliers have been uncovered. But many close their eyes to such practices because of the huge cost advantages." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Corporations, » Social affairs, » Labour, » Global

In view of Portugal's poor economic situation and damaged creditworthiness on the international market, the daily Jornal de Notícias writes that the country will have to fast not just until Easter, but for the next three years: "When we entered the Eurozone we agreed to adhere to certain rules of good economic and financial conduct. However we weren't particularly exemplary when it came to adhering to them. The 2009 budget deficit and the nervousness of today's global market mean that the Stability and Growth Programme (SGP) ... is more important than ever. Does the SGP signify that our current period of fasting and abstinence must last for the next three years? As a repeat offender with little creditworthiness we have no choice but to cut some expenditures and foreswear others altogether. If that is done in a rational way the state can emerge on a sounder footing than before. ... But we shouldn't kid ourselves. As is so often said, we are the state." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Tax Policy, » Portugal
All available articles from » Alberto Castro

The synthetic drug mephedrone is taking Europe's party scene by storm. The new substance is still legal but the EU European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Abuse (EMCDDA) is gathering evidence of harms to decide whether it should be banned. The UK should wait for the results of the EU assessment before it passes its own legislation on the use of the drug, the British daily The Guardian advises: "Is mephedrone harmful? Because its use is so recent there is relatively little evidence on this point, but from its pharmacology we could not make the assumption that it would be completely safe, especially at high doses. Users report effects such as a faster heart rate as one would expect from a stimulant. In the UK, there have been scare stories of mephedrone deaths, but so far none has been proven, though mephedrone was involved in the death of a Swedish teenager in 2008. The Israel experience was that it could lead to repetitive use and stereotyped behaviours in some users consistent with the likely release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Health and Medicine, » Science / Research, » United Kingdom, » Europe
All available articles from » David Nutt

In the past twelve years the UK has spent over 313 million euros on sex education and contraception for teenagers. Yet there has been no noticeable drop in the number of teenage pregnancies because youngsters are pressured into becoming sexually active at an early age, the daily The Irish Independent writes: "The official theories are, in any case, very much in conflict with the highly sexualised globalised culture where porn material is available at the click of a mouse. A recent British government survey (carried out by YouGov) found that 27 percent of young boys look at pornography online each week, and this diminishes their 'respect' for females. Meanwhile, little girls are encouraged to dress like tarts from the age of eight and to go on networking sites such as Miss Bimbo, which obsesses about cosmetic surgery, dieting and hyper-sexualisation. Wouldn't it also be more honest to admit that youngsters are under immense pressure to become sexually active before they can really understand the meaning of such relationships, let alone the consequences, and protect them by stopping them from being sexually involved too young?" (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Social affairs, » United Kingdom, » Ireland
All available articles from » Mary Kenny

Media presence plays an increasingly important role in today's world, writes the news portal Delfi, which criticises the fact that the EU doesn't have its own broadcaster along the lines of BBC World, Deutsche Welle or Al Jazeera: "Large states use information like a weapon in the battle to establish their position in regional and global power structures. While during the Cold War the struggle was all about radio frequencies, disrupting radio waves is no longer a common practice. Nowadays satellites are used to broadcast images far beyond one's own borders which are also increasingly making their mark on new platforms such as computers or mobile phones. ... Unfortunately the EU has so far failed to play a significant part in this creation of a global information sphere. This is strange considering that Europe is seeking a common foreign and security policy, because it would be the most important type of weapon in this political battlefield. But there is a lack of common propaganda for Europe beyond its borders, and nor is there any talk of creating such an instrument." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Audiovisual Media, » Online media, » Media policy, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Allan Alaküla

Pay TV channels were more successful last year in France than in other European countries. The business paper Les Echos tenders an explanation: "Caught in the grips of a profound economic crisis and an unprecedented rise in the availability of free contents, Pay TV should by all rights have had a disastrous year in 2009. Far from it. With very few exceptions all of the operators of satellite programmes or Pay TV channels continue to chalk up huge profits. Households pinch their pennies when an economic crisis hits, but television ... is not one of the first things to be sacrificed. Especially seeing as once you've cut down on the visits to restaurants or the cinema, the TV becomes all the more important." (02/03/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Media economy, » France
All available articles from » David Barroux