The anger of the Spanish population at the austerity measures passed by the Spanish Congress on Thursday is understandable, but the government must not bow under the pressure, writes the conservative daily El Mundo: "It's logical that the citizens, including those who voted for the [ruling] People's Party, are annoyed about the increase in VAT, cuts in unemployment benefits and lower salaries for public servants. But as understandable and justified as the protests may be, it is just as logical and true that the government has no leeway to cede because the state of the public coffers and dependence on foreign assistance don't permit it. … The government is trapped between the pressure of the markets and the pressure from the streets because on the very day the citizens expressed their discontent across Spain the yield premium on Spanish bonds rose to its highest ever level." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Financial Markets, » Labour market, » Spain, » Europe
Who's saying what » Spain in the banking crisis

The German parliament approved by a large majority the EU bailout package for Spain's banks on Thursday. The country will nonetheless remain Europe's problem child for some time to come, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "There is not a single public institution that is not in the grips of a crisis of confidence. The royal family, politics, the economic elite, the judiciary and also the media have all seen a dramatic plunge in their credibility. Spain is cutting back and reforming like never before, incorporating debt ceilings into its constitution, restructuring everything. But hope has become a rare asset. A couple of days ago the president of the economic and social council, an advisory body to the government, announced its prognosis: At best and at the earliest Spain's economic performance will return to 2007 levels - in other words pre-crisis levels - in 2025. ... But that's only provided a breath-taking 300,000 jobs are created each year starting 2014. Where the impetus for such a trend is supposed to come from isn't clear. The country will remain stuck in a recession in 2013." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Economic Policy, » Germany, » Spain, » Europe
All available articles from » Javier Cáceres
Who's saying what » Spain in the banking crisis

In Madrid alone at least 100,000 people demonstrated on Thursday against the Spanish government's austerity policies, and there were clashes between police and protesters. The threat of growing violence can only be avoided by a true coalition between the people and its government, the liberal internet portal Marianne2 urges: "If the government were responsible and courageous it would put an ultimatum to Europe and explain that it cannot kill off its youth, and that a sensible plan is necessary. ... But nothing of the sort is being done. The elite refuses to offer the population a future, or rather: a present. ... Violence is escalating as the result of a complete lack of responsibility. All citizens need to be aware that they must unite and propose a realistic program to their politicians, who no longer have a grip on the situation. Indignation alone won't help matters. Courage and solidarity are called for. ... Otherwise the violence will only get worse. Until the unimaginable happens?" (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Unrest / Riots, » Labour market, » Spain
All available articles from » Philippe Murer
Who's saying what » Spain in the banking crisis

After the German parliament's approval on Thursday, the path is free for the Spanish bank bailout operation to go ahead. But this is just a drop in the ocean, writes the liberal daily Corriere del Ticino, because the high interest rates on government bonds could quickly be the doom of both Spain and the second struggling country Italy: "The austerity packages adopted in Madrid and Rome haven't reduced the borrowing costs the countries must shoulder to obtain fresh money on the financial market. And the investors' flight to safer havens continues, as the negative interest rates on short-term German, Finnish and Austrian bonds demonstrated. This confirms the lack of credibility of the measures agreed at the last euro crisis summit. … Without the new bailout fund the summer threatens to be a very tricky period for Spain and Italy. They can only resort to the 100 billion euros in the old EFSF rescue fund, a ridiculous sum that will hardly impress the speculators." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Banks, » Italy, » Spain
All available articles from » Alfonso Tuor
Who's saying what » Spain in the banking crisis

The small and economically insignificant Bulgaria, which traditionally maintains good relations to the Middle East, has long been considered safe from terrorist attacks, the opinion portal Svobodata writes. But Wednesday's bombing has now taught Bulgarians differently: "The idea that we are on the margins of the largest conflict of the 21st century has turned out to be a myth. Bulgaria too has not been spared from the insanity that started on September 11, 2001 in New York. Clearly in the times of international terrorism there are no big or small nations. There are only more or less viable targets for attack, whose value is measured solely in the number of people killed. The hope that smaller nations would escape the Islamic barbarity has been dashed. Just like the illusion that the terrorists are well disposed to us because Bulgaria had good relations with them under communism and exchanged weapons for drugs. The events on Wednesday have made that perfectly clear." (19/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » U.S., » Bulgaria, » Israel
All available articles from » Edvin Sugarev

In the aftermath of the attack in the Bulgarian city of Burgas which left seven Israeli tourists dead, the liberal daily Sydsvenskan looks at the cynical argumentation of countries and organisations that view Israel as an enemy: "The reporting on the incident in Bulgaria conveys the idea that Hezbollah - if it was in fact Hezbollah - looks for 'weak targets' like tourists only because the security precautions for Israeli politicians and diplomats are so thorough. As if Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Qaida and similar groups whose aim it is to wipe Israel from the map felt any kind of remorse about attacking civilians. Anti-Semitic propaganda makes frequent use of the term 'chosen people' to refer to the Jews, as a people that sees itself as selected by God, a people destined to rule, superior and full of hatred for non-Jews. Terrorist attacks like the one in Bulgaria are proof that the Jews indeed are a chosen people in at least one sense, wherever they are in the world. Not chosen by God, but by their enemies." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » Unrest / Riots, » Bulgaria, » Israel

The bomb attack on members of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle has hit the Syrian government on a sore spot, the left-liberal daily The Guardian comments. Now representatives of Syrian society must slowly but surely prepare for a change of government: "Despite the weakening of the regime evidenced by the recent events, the Syrian conflict remains at an impasse. On one hand, the regime continues to pursue the military-security approach aiming to crush the popular uprising at all costs. On the other hand, some rebel groups on the ground and the organised opposition in exile have come predominantly to uphold the military option as the means of bringing down the regime. To break out of this impasse, Syrians from all sectors of society will have to come to agree that a solution cannot be achieved through military means, but that they have to negotiate a political settlement for a post-Assad government and a programme of national reconciliation." (20/07/2012)

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All available articles from » Salwa Ismail
Who's saying what » Civil war raging in Syria

In the plagiarism scandal involving Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta's doctoral thesis the ethics committee appointed by the Ministry of Education announced on Thursday that it doesn't see any evidence of the prime minister having lifted text for his paper. In doing so it contradicts the National Council for Attesting Titles, Diplomas and University Certificates (CNATDCU), which ruled at the end of July that Ponta had plagiarised a third of his paper. The daily Gândul can't understand the ethics committee's ruling: "Anyone who can read Romanian sees immediately what primitive plagiarism we are dealing with here. … But few Romanians will actually scrutinise the paper. Some believe the plagiarism was just a story fabricated by a snooping Băsescu [the president now suspended by the parliament]. Others condemn the plagiarism not because it's academically reprehensible but because they're trying to help Băsescu [in the election campaign ahead of the referendum on his impeachment]. … The prime minister is probably most honest with himself on this subject and is asking himself: why all the fuss about a doctorate? It's just a title that makes you look good in the world of politics. Everyone does a bit of cribbing for it." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Science / Research, » Upbringing / Education, » Romania
All available articles from » Cristian Tudor Popescu
Who's saying what » Power struggle in Romania

Cyprus's rapidly increasing credit requirements and the economic policy of President Dimitris Christofias are causes of serious concern for the liberal daily Phileleftheros: "We started with 1.8 billion euros to save the Laiki Bank - and within a few days there's talk of the state needing 15 billion euros. … No need to worry - everything's fine. … But within a matter of weeks the billions we needed have mushroomed so that without really realising it we could soon need as much as Spain. … Is Dimitris Christofias entitled to talk about the economic crisis and explain to others what needs to be done? The president who led us into the bailout mechanism, who brought the troika to Cyprus and ruined our lives? The president who doesn't have enough money to pay the people who work for the government and who is breaking into the pensions of ordinary citizens? At least out of respect for the institutions he should stay quiet until the presidential elections in February and stop gabbling on about clever solutions."  (19/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Banks, » Spain, » Cyprus, » Europe
All available articles from » Michailidis Aristos
Who's saying what » Ways out of the debt crisis

According to figures published by the Polish Economics Ministry on Wednesday the country's GDP growth will decrease by at least 0.5 percent compared to the previous quarter to below the three percent level. In addition the government has also sold off shares it owned in the partially state-owned PKO BP bank in a bid to reduce the budget deficit. These are indications that Poland is facing hard times, Adam Buła of the conservative daily Polska writes: "Prime Minister Tusk, who has already announced that this autumn would be tough, knew exactly what he was talking about. But don't get me wrong: the Polish economy has performed extraordinarily well so far and is not doing badly at all considering that we have reached the next level in a global crisis. But this time we won't escape unharmed. We are no longer an island of happy souls. … Our burgeoning economy will decelerate because there is no more money from the EU's coffers to be used for investments. And Europe, which is in a recession, will order less and less from our exporters." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Banks, » Economy, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Adam Buła

The Slovakian capital Bratislava remains in the shadows of its neighbour Vienna, the business paper Hospodárske noviny complains: "We like to call Bratislava the 'Beauty on the Danube'. But its charms have no place on tourists' maps. The city simply doesn't do enough to make itself attractive or to exploit its potential to the maximum. Despite the fact that it lies close to Vienna. But whereas eleven million tourists visited Vienna in 2011, only 800,000 come to Bratislava each year. The ships that ferry back and forth between the two cities are always sold out. But what we get from that is practically nothing. In the evening the tourists are once more back in Vienna, and they leave precious little money here in passing. The problem is that we can't convince foreign travel agencies of Bratislava's merits. And that problem only increases with every passing year." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Tourism, » Economy, » Slovakia, » Austria
All available articles from » Tomáš Vašuta

Several theatres in Budapest have been closed down without any explanation being given. For the oppositional left-wing daily Népszava this is further evidence of the destructive cultural policy of Viktor Orbán's conservative government: "While the government wants to build expensive football stadiums willy-nilly, it is closing down theatres simply because of financial problems. First it was the Chamber Theatre of Budapest and now the capital's Játékszín Theatre is closing its doors. … One can only speculate about why the two Budapest theatres are being closed down, because there has been no explanation based on objective criteria from the government so far. … Of course we all know that the Hungarian theatre scene needs reform, but the way the government is going about it is disgraceful. The taxpayer and theatre-goers certainly don't deserve such an ill-considered, arrogant and destructive cultural policy." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Stage, » Culture, » Hungary
All available articles from » Gyula Balogh

The 100 year agreement with which the island of Ikaria in the North Aegean obtained its independence from the Ottoman Empire and joined Greece in 1912 expired on Tuesday. The Italian daily Libero used the occasion to publish a humorous piece on Monday according to which the islanders are now considering leaving Greece and joining Austria. The daily Kathimerini is surprised at the violent reactions the article sparked in Athens: "This is further proof of the complete lack of humour on the one hand, and of the completely hysterical reflexes that kick in at the slightest hint that we might relinquish part of our sovereignty on the other. ... And this whole spectacle is taking place while the rest of Europe engages in a serious discussion about the transfer of sovereignty of the euro countries and the construction of a political union. So it's not just Greece's inability to introduce economic reforms that is forcing us from the Eurozone. It is also the deep-seated complexes making us cling to conspiracy theories and infantile nationalism that prevent us from modernising our country and following global developments." (20/07/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Italy, » Greece, » Austria
All available articles from » Xenia Kounalaki
Who's saying what » Greece puts the Eurozone to the test, » The row over debt mutualisation