If the EU wants to preserve peace in the Balkans it must rein in Serbia, urges the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "The breaking away of the former province is a reality that can no longer be reversed - even if Belgrade's politicians disseminate the illusion that they can continue the conflict with Kosovo and join the EU at the same time. This conflict can lead to bloodshed at any time in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo. ... Serb head of state Boris Tadić and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić also paved the way for conflict in recent weeks. Both are openly demanding the partition of Kosovo and hence a redrawing of borders in the Balkans. This nightmare could spread to Bosnia and Macedonia. If the EU wants enduring peace in the region it must point out to Serbia and the Kosovar government that there are a number of stop signs on their road to Europe." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU neighbourhood policy, » Kosovo
All available articles from » Enver Robelli

The Serb minority in northern Kosovo is the main problem, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica, because the Serbs are intent on defending this area: "The provocation of the Serbs strains the already tense relations between Priština and Belgrade even further. This will pose a real problem for the UN Security Council, which is meeting to discuss the border conflict at the behest of Belgrade today. ... According to Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi the government's decision to gain control of the north is based on the constitution. This is not the first time since the declaration of independence in 2008 that the Kosovar government has tried to bring the north under its control. However, it is the first serious attempt to get their hands on parts of Kosovo where the Serbs have actually declared that they are willing to risk their lives to defend it." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » Separatism, » Serbia, » Kosovo
All available articles from » Renato Caprile

The violence on the border between Serbia and Kosovo is a consequence of international disagreement about whether to recognise Kosovo, the left-liberal daily Der Standard writes: "The United States and the most important EU states have always spoken out against a division of Kosovo. But nothing has happened. Although the EU mission is there, the border is de facto not being monitored. After three years of independence, local criminal structures have formed that are flourishing in this lawless area. Therefore besides Belgrade's political interests there are also the economic interests of the local mafia. It was naive to believe that it would be possible to resolve the question of North Kosovo in a 'technical dialogue' between Belgrade and Prishtina. Because this is not only a bilateral conflict but also a geopolitical one: Russia and therefore China as well support Serbia, the US and most of the EU Europeans support Kosovo. A political solution is required." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Unrest / Riots, » Serbia, » Kosovo
All available articles from » Adelheid Wölfl

Following the attacks in Norway a debate has erupted about which ideology the suspected mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik espouses. It doesn't matter which ideology drove the attacker, the right-wing conservative daily  Magyar Hírlap stresses: "The Norweigan farmer Breivik killed 76 people. And behind this unspeakable horror another shimmers through: the debate about in the name of which ideology the atrocity was committed. The left-wing press writes about a right-wing radical, xenophobic attacker. The other side, the Right, on the other hand, see an anti-Islamic, Free Mason, Zionist murderer. And both sides see their fixed ideas confirmed, both sides are waving Breivik's mass murder around as if it were proof [of something]. ... My goodness, as if it matters! As if it ever mattered. As if it mattered one bit whether someone is killed for racist motives or on the basis of class warfare." (26/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Weltanschauung, » Society, » Norway, » Global
All available articles from » Zsolt Bayer

The Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders, who was named several times in the manifesto of the alleged killer in Norway Anders Breivik, has distanced himself from the attacks in Oslo and on Utøya. This is good but not enough, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "Freedom of expression is fortunately very strong in the Netherlands. But besides the legal limits there are also those dictated by a politician's sense of decency and responsibility. Anyone who talks of Islam as if it were a terrible natural disaster akin to a 'tsunami', who talks of 'multicultural elites waging a total war against their own peoples' runs the risk that some unthinking person will get the impression it's time for drastic measures against that Islam and these elites. ... Wilders does not share blame for the Norwegian drama. ... But he has an obligation to realise how many people hang on his every word. His words have a far-reaching impact. This entails great responsibility." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Netherlands, » Norway
All available articles from » Raoul du Pré

The continuing dispute between the United States' two major parties over how to overcome the debt crisis is embarrassing, the conservative daily Upsala Nya Tidning comments, saying that responsible politicians must deal with the issue at hand in difficult situations: "In Sweden we learned during the 1990s how to take tough decisions. The reforms of the pensions and taxation systems are proud examples of decisions in which the long-term interests of the country carried more weight than party politics. Because all the parties, with the exception of the Left Party, and all the other important stakeholders supported the pensions reform, there was no popular rebellion despite various protests. ... Leading political personalities must have the courage to take intelligent decisions, even if they come at a price. For us voters it is important that we understand the economic facts confronting the country. Really it is our responsibility neither to reward economic recklessness nor to punish politicians who have the courage to take difficult decisions for the good of the country." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Economic Policy, » Sweden, » U.S., » Global

The famine in the Horn of Africa may be home-made but the West is by no means entirely free of blame for the disaster, writes the liberal daily Dagens Nyheter: "Without reliable institutions, without a functioning market for agricultural products, without financial institutions that can provide capital and without a functioning physical infrastructure, droughts will lead to famine time and again. The brunt of the responsibility lies with those in power and those struggling for power in the affected regions. But the distortion of competition resulting from the huge subsidies for the European and American agricultural sectors makes it more difficult for African farmers to make a profit with their products. This is a disgrace." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Agriculture, » Natural disasters, » Natural disasters, » Africa, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Petter Birgersson

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned France about failing to meet its savings targets and called for more budgetary discipline on Wednesday. Although the liberal business newspaper Financial Times Deutschland is not surprised by the warning, it says it only makes the issue more volatile: "The IMF is calling on France to economise - ironically for the first time under its new French director Christine Lagarde - otherwise the country may lose its top 'AAA' rating. The facts about the French economy and debts are known, the danger that the country will be drawn into the debt crisis has been discussed in Paris for two years now. These harsh words are therefore no less surprising than Italy's dangerous debt situation. ... However, the warning has a new urgency, because together with Germany, France forms the core of the euro defence centre. If France loses its top rating, Europe will face a problem of such magnitude that many will yearn for the times when Greece had to be rescued over the weekend. The EU's whole rescue strategy would be wiped out." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » France

The Bulgarian customs authorities shut down the country's only oil refinery on Wednesday after the operator of the refinery, the Russian oil concern Lukoil, failed to install the compulsory fuel flow meter by the deadline set by the tax authorities. The daily Trud praises the state for cracking down: "First: the sovereignty of the law. A signal of this kind is urgently required, because in the last twenty years of Bulgaria's history there have been far too few examples of this kind. ... Second: healthy competition. Equal treatment for large and small companies alike using common criteria promotes a fair business environment in which success is a function of competence and not of the ability to pull strings. The finance minister and head of customs have taken the first step in this direction. Now further steps must follow that show whether the state has really woken up from its sleep or whether it was all just for show." (27/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Corporations, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Krassimira Georgieva

Maciej Owczarek, CEO of the Polish state energy company Enea, has raised his monthly salary to 150,000 złoty (38,000 euros) by performing his duties on the basis of management contracts to which the legal limits on the incomes of the managements of state enterprises don't apply. The politicians are behind this, relentlessly backing their acolytes, complains the conservative daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna: "Under normal circumstances the income of the CEO of Enea would not be such a feast for the journalists. It is neither particularly high for the management of a major Polish company nor particularly controversial as long as the supervisory board has given its blessing and the shareholders don't protest. With the difference that all the above would apply to Enea only if it were a private company. ... This is just one of many proofs of the trite fact that politicians defend their interests at state companies any way they can."   (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Marcin Piasecki

The German CEO of Air Baltic, Bertolt Flick, has called several times in the last few weeks for the company to increase its capital in order to modernise its fleet of airplanes. So far the Latvian State, which owns the majority of the airline, has refused. The liberal daily Diena criticises this stance: "The government must decide to raise Air Baltic's capital, as called for by the airline's private shareholder (who has already advanced 12 million euros), by aviation experts and by the trade unions. So far the government has hesitated, but the company needs new, efficient airplanes and more investment in development. The capital increase may be being hindered by the agreement with the IMF, which ignores the needs of the economy and simply stipulates key performance indicators that must be met. The government has gone over to keeping information about Air Baltic secret. We know, however, from bitter experience where secrecy and lies can lead." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Economy, » Latvia
All available articles from » Sandris Tocs

The Greek film-maker Michalis Kakogiannis died in Athens at the age of 89 on Monday. He became famous in 1964 with his film of the novel Alexis Sorbas, which won three Oscars. The conservative daily Kathimerini praises the image of Greece that Kakogiannis communicated to the world: "The Sorbas character - however stubborn he may be - responds in a remarkable way to disasters. ... His passion is life itself. ... Even if the idea that there is a Sorbas in every Greek may sound romantic and naive, the image of Greece that Kakogiannis conveyed in his film has proved fitting in many respects. Perhaps also because he did not try to beautify or idealise the country. ... He articulated social realities and thus contributed to Greece's development. ... He crossed borders with a fundamental principle: 'If art is to be universal, it must speak the truth'." (27/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Weltanschauung, » Culture, » Greece
All available articles from » Maria Katsounaki

In the space of three weeks 28 wild boar have died on the Breton coast because of an algae epidemic, which scientists say was caused by fertiliser. It is suspected that the wild boar suffocated from the poisonous gases emitted by rotting algae. Agricultural representatives deny there is a connection and are manipulating politicians, the left-liberal daily Le Monde criticises: "When economic interests are at stake, scientific findings are often dismissed as ecological fundamentalism via cleverly staged propaganda. Politicians are apparently very susceptible to such campaigns. ... The epidemic of green algae is of course not as dramatic as asbestos contamination. But if a solution to this health or environmental problem is delayed for hypocritical reasons, it may aggravate the consequences. One can deny the laws of nature. Initially that doesn't cost much. But eventually nature will again call attention to itself." (27/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Agriculture, » France

The international NGO for promoting press freedom, Reporters without Borders, complained in a report on the state of the Romanian media presented on Tuesday that the business sector and politics wield too much influence over the media. The weekly Revista 22 agrees, saying that media mogul "Sorin Ovidiu Vântu dreams of appointing ministers, replacing presidents and controlling the intelligence services and the judiciary. His media group uses all means at its disposal to keep tabs on his enemies. He smuggles in 'spies' to get hold of good information, puts the competition under pressure and makes huge profits. ... But the most arrogant of all media moguls is Dan Voiculescu, who even occupies a high-ranking post in the Senate. He uses his Intact group to pursue political rather than journalistic or economic goals. ... He wants to eliminate all the opponents who stand in the way of his privatisation plans. ... Another weapon used is to force companies to buy advertising, as an editor recently uncovered. ... As long as the mass media continue to be more political instruments than business enterprises they will remain beyond salvation." (28/07/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Media economy, » Press freedom, » Romania
All available articles from » Brindusa Armanca