After the victory of Bronisław Komorowski in the Polish presidential elections the country should return to harmony and stability, writes Estonian politician Marko Mihkelson in his blog: "Komorowski's success is also a triumph for Prime Minister Donald Tusk because both belong to the same party and this means that the leadership of the country lies in the same hands. This is particularly important for economic policy decisions and to steer the country towards the euro. The budget deficit is at over seven percent and introducing the single currency will hardly be possible before 2015. Komorowski's victory also contains the clear message that Poland's influence in the EU will increase because along with Jarosław Kaczyński the eurosceptic camp has suffered a defeat. In the coming year Poland will take over the EU Council presidency and the results of the presidential election open up new prospects for that." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Marko Mihkelson

In the presidential elections the Poles were not led by their feelings but by their sense of reason, because the victor Bronisław Komorowski stands for a future with Europe and for peace in his own country, writes the daily NRC Handelsblad: "The upshot is that Poland won't have to face another cohabitation along French lines. Because the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, party comrade of the former parliamentary speaker Komorowski, was hindered in its functions by the former president, who had a veto right and sometimes even literally stood in the way of the prime minister at European summit meetings in Brussels. ... How long this situation of political stability will last in Poland is a moot point. Parliamentary elections will take place next year, and in the meantime even Poland will not be able to avoid unpopular crisis measures. Opposition leader Kaczyński will try to turn that to his advantage." (06/07/2010)

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

The election of Bronisław Komorowski as Polish president clears the way for much needed reforms, writes the left-liberal daily Népszabadság: "As opposed to Jarosław Kaczyński, Komorowski is duty-bound to the West. And he has the backing of the educated classes. ... In electing Komorowski as head of state the Poles have not only voted for Western-oriented policies, but also for - possibly painful - changes. And above all they have voted for an end to the politically motivated social division in the country. Komorowski's election is a major victory for his party, the liberal Civic Platform, and for Prime Minister Donald Tusk. ... The government can no longer put off pressing reforms, for example of the health and pension systems." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Poland
All available articles from » Gábor Miklós

Turkey is threatening to break off diplomatic relations with Israel if the latter doesn't issue an apology for the attack on the Gaza aid flotilla and approve the setting up of an international committee of inquiry. The business paper Il Sole 24 Ore criticises Turkey's stance: "Both sides have opted for the hard line and in doing so set the stage for worrying scenarios regarding the settling of the conflicts in the regions, from Palestine to Syria and from Lebanon to Iraq to the Iranian nuclear crisis. … The breaking off of diplomatic relations means revoking the 1996 military agreements which were decisive for the technological renewal of Turkey's arsenal and for the solution of regional conflicts, not to mention the important role the exchange of information played during the crisis between Turkey and Syria in the 1990. But today's Turkey suffers from a new syndrome: Israel has become the enemy which because of its profound knowledge of the defence apparatus can endanger the security of the nation." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Turkey, » Israel
All available articles from » Alberto Negri

The Republic of Moldova has proclaimed June 28 a day to commemorate the Soviet occupation of the country after the caretaker president Mihai Ghimpu issued a decree to that effect. The Russian parliament the Duma has criticised this as a "falsification of history". For the daily România Liberă this is taking things too far: "The gesture of the Duma regarding the Republic of Moldova is not a harmless one ... but symptomatic of the official position adopted towards anyone who dares to rebel. And the Moldovan interim president has rebelled. ... Perhaps the number of inhabitants living between the Pruth and Dniester rivers isn't enough to make up a nation, much less a people ... but as long as the Republic of Moldova exists it has the right to commemorate major tragedies. ... Perhaps the Romanian administration in Bessarabia [today part of the Republic of Moldova] was disastrous after 1918, perhaps the Romanian functionaries stole and abused, but it can't be compared with the crimes of the Soviets." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » History, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Remembrance culture, » Russia, » Romania, » Republic of Moldova
All available articles from » Nicolae Prelipceanu

The British government has announced cuts of up to 40 percent for social services and other sectors. While many welcome the plans as a way of fighting "social welfare scroungers", the cuts will also hit the middle classes, warns the left-liberal daily The Guardian: "For there is no 'they', no 'we'. Deep cuts in welfare will hit millions of people who read the papers and never connect 'scroungers' with themselves or their families. ... There is no easy free-loading 'them' in all this; there is only 'us'. Intelligent ministers understand it. They know that the optimism will vanish, as surely as the England flags and bunting did. As the hard reality kicks in, probably through the winter, the mood will change radically. If [trainer of the English national football team] Fabio Capello can go from national hero to villain in an afternoon or two, how much more so can [politicians like] Osborne, Cameron and the rest." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Social affairs, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Jackie Ashley

For German political satirist Philipp Mosetter Christian Wulff represents "the nation's side parting". In the Austrian daily Der Standard he makes observations about Germany's new federal president: "The most German man the world has ever seen is now residing at Bellevue Palace. Clean, nice, well brought-up and modest, his hair parted at the side, it goes without saying. He takes care of his sick mother, is not very intellectual but has some education, he's reserved and conservative, and in a well organised context perhaps even a little daring. In Christian Wulff we have the saviour of the ideals of the 1950s. Yet we thought we had moved on. Our national team plays the kind of football that steals the hearts of even those who are less passionate about football. ... We have a Lena Meyer-Landrut who is so relaxed with the media and her success that even the seasoned British are green with envy. We have a pope who was able to teach even the Poles a few things about Catholic teachings. We have developed in all areas and directions - or so we thought. And now this." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Weltanschauung, » Germany
All available articles from » Philipp Mosetter

Sigmund Freud coined the term penis envy, according to which women subconsciously envy men for their penises. Even today this notorious thesis of classical psychoanalysis is as widespread as it is controversial. Sofia Rijo answers from a female perspective in her blog A Vida de Saltos Altos in the weekly Expresso: "Sure, peeing while standing simplifies much, and menstruating is anything but a divine gift for which we express our thanks every month. ... But no, women do not envy penises. Of course we love to admire a well-built male body, but that's a far cry from wanting one ourselves. And let's be frank: isn't the female body much more beautiful, and ... more perfect? Added to which, peeing while standing isn't really such a great feat. Sure, it's easier, and you don't have to hide in the bushes. Not to mention that it's much less work. ... But let's put it like this: it's nothing special." (05/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Weltanschauung, » Gender equality, » Global
All available articles from » Sofia Rijo

The Portuguese government last week used its special veto rights to prevent Spain's Telefónica from buying the majority stake in Brazilian mobile phone provider Vivo from state-run Portugal Telecom. The business paper Cinco Días hopes the EU Commission will intervene: "Will the EU Commission be able to revoke the Portuguese government's so-called golden share veto rights with immediate effect? We should assume so, otherwise we would be plunged into an absurd institutional crisis that would come at a most inconvenient time for the European Union. For the latter has already become entangled in its own restrictions and tends to turn its back on the major challenges of the globalised economy, while the best opportunities for investment are moving further and further away from our borders." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Spain, » Portugal, » Europe
All available articles from » Jesús Banegas Núñez

The rich are only getting richer in these times of economic crisis, complains Giorgos Delastik in the left-liberal daily To Ethnos, arguing that the austerity policies of European governments are partly responsible for this development: "This 'global crisis' has had - as the figures show - strange results: on the one hand we have a hard austerity policy for the masses, whose incomes and living standards are on the decline. On the other hand we have a drastic rise in the wealth of the rich! ... The global gross domestic product sank by two percent in 2009, and by more than five percent in Germany, Britain and Japan. But how can it be that - while the entire world is growing poorer - the number of millionaires rose by 19 percent in the same year? ... With their austerity measures the governments have taken billions of dollars from the poor and given them to the rich." (05/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Giorgos Delastik

Sixty-one percent of voters in the German state of Bavaria approved an absolute smoking ban in bars and restaurants in a referendum on Sunday. The daily Kurier says it's time for a similar move in Austria: "The Bavarians have cast their votes - for a smoking ban in all bars and restaurants. In doing so they've shown that they are braver and more reasonable than the politicians - in Bavaria and above all in Austria. ... The general smoking ban works in so many countries: in rainy Ireland, in chilly Sweden, in sunny Italy. And it will also prove its merit in Bavaria - whose climate is comparable to that of Austria. Moreover it is good for pub and restaurant owners: if you can't smoke anywhere, non-smoking establishments are no longer at a disadvantage. Austria's politicians should dare to take the plunge and pass clear non-smoking legislation - even if that means stepping on a few smokers' toes. And if they're too cowardly to do that, they can always ask the people what they want." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Germany, » Austria
All available articles from » Eva Gogola

Unidentified persons attacked the Finnish gay festival Helsinki Pride on the weekend with pepper spray and tear gas. The daily Turun Sanomat condemns the attack: "A peaceful demonstration with around 5,000 participants was sabotaged in the centre of Helsinki in a way which the constitutional state of Finland hasn't witnessed since the 1930s. ... Although luckily there were only a few injured, it was a criminal act that has severely harmed the citizens' basic rights. … Does the incident in Helsinki mean that Eastern Europe's well known violent disruptions are spreading to Finland? Was the attack based on the same rejection of otherness that is responsible for the increasing activities of extremist groups in many EU countries? Hopefully the criminal investigation will produce clear answers to these worrying questions. The main thing is that violations of the rights of minorities should be given no chance to spread." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Gender equality, » Finland

The Roskilde Festival in Denmark, one of Europe's biggest rock festivals, ended on Sunday. The daily Nordschleswiger comments critically that more and more of its visitors are softies: "The wimps can rent a spot on the Green Campus with a hefty price tag of between 1,500 and 5,000 krona [around 200 to 700 euros] per square metre, which without admission includes wireless Internet access, its own toilet facilities and free warm water. … The really spoilt book one of the eight double hotel rooms on location, for which they fork out 10,000 krona [1,300 euros] for eight days. ... Naturally no one is obliged to sleep on the hard or soft mud and spoon his breakfast cornflakes out of his hand while the water splashes off the plastic covering, simply to preserve the charm of the festival. But it is a bit of a shame that warm, soft hotel beds are now being flogged to eager customers." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Music, » Denmark

The 56-year-old media manager Rémy Pflimlin has been named president of the French public broadcasting group France Télévisions. The appointment marks the first time that the head of the state television has been named directly by the president of the republic. The business daily Les Echos takes a relaxed view of the appointment: "People have been quick to denounce the move as pure cronyism and clientelism. ... But in fact there's nothing in the allegation because that's not how things have turned out. By confirming yesterday that he intended to appoint Rémy Pflimlin as president of France Télévisions, Nicolas Sarkozy made the most consensual decision possible. ... In the end he made what can be considered a default collective choice, without anyone really knowing what roadmap this new boss is going to be following." (06/07/2010)

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

It's only because the Polish football association is still so badly organised that the Polish-born striker Miroslav Klose climbed to the top of his profession in Germany, writes tabloid Fakt: "Jan Furtok (48), who played many great games in the colours of Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg SV says: 'At best he would have won two Polish championships with Wisła Kraków or Lech Poznań. And now he would certainly be resting on his laurels and kicking around the ball somewhere on Cyprus or in the Greek divisions.' That's sad. But Furtok is right for the most part. Klose would never have had such a career if he had stayed in Poland. When he emigrated to Germany with his mother our training system was at a very low level. In this respect we're still 20 years behind Germany." (06/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Poland
All available articles from » Jan Furtok