The French ban on the full-body veil is strangely similar to the requirement to wear it, writes the daily Aftonbladet: "The question is what use a ban has and whom it serves. Probably no use and no one. It will neither lessen the oppression of women nor weaken radical Islamism. To do that you need other means. Neither the values of the Enlightenment nor the Western style of living are menaced. With the ban on the burqa and niqab a Europe has emerged that is in part a mirror image of that form of society condemned by those who favour the ban, and of which they are so afraid. The pressure to wear a certain type of clothing and the pressure not to wear it are two forms of the same lack of freedom." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Integration, » France
All available articles from » Kennet Andreasson

The burqa ban in France curtails women's freedom and is for that reason un-European and wrong, writes the liberal business paper Financial Times Deutschland: "Banning Islamic women from wearing full-body veils in public is in the best case an attempt to assert European values and in the worst case an attempt to cater to people's diffuse fears of Islam. But in so doing the state enters into an insoluble conflict: it limits the rights and freedoms of women who wish to wear the burqa - that is to say it goes against the very values it seeks to inculcate in Muslim immigrants. This balancing act is not only awkward legally, but morally as well. Because with the ban the state is damaging its own credibility - which it badly needs in the fight against Islamic fundamentalists. A European state that takes rights and freedoms seriously should respect the freedom of women to fetter themselves, so to speak." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Migration, » Integration, » Gender equality, » France

France is banning the full-body veil in the name of defending the values of the French Republic, but this contradicts Europe's values, the business paper Il Sole 24 Ore writes: "France is the second European country after Belgium to take the step of banning the veil, but it's not doing this only for public security reasons. … The symbolic value of the law goes far beyond the existing ban on headscarves and similar items of clothing at schools and authorities. … For the Council of State the law is irreconcilable with the French constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. Yet Justice Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie describes the vote as a victory for the defence of the Republic's values: Freedom, equality, fraternity and secularism. The French MPs' vote goes in the opposite direction of the European Council's line, which sees the wearing of the veil as a basic right for women." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Gender equality, » France
All available articles from » Angela Manganaro

The burqa ban will be difficult to enforce, writes the European correspondent Gavin Hewitt in his blog for the BBC: "Initially there will be a six-month period where women who wear the full-face veil are stopped and told about French laws and the reasons behind them. But after that period a police officer could tell her to remove the veil or risk a fine. Clearly, in some suburbs of Paris with strong Muslim communities it would be very sensitive to order a woman to remove her veil. It will also be hard to prove that a woman is wearing a veil against her wishes. Another risk is that the ban will create martyrs. ... But today marked an important moment in the debate over multiculturalism. Increasingly the French want new arrivals and members of ethnic minorities to integrate more. There will be those in the banlieues - the suburbs where many minorities live - who will argue that they are the ones who are prevented from integrating into mainstream French society." (13/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Integration, » Minorities, » Gender equality, » France, » Europe, » Global
All available articles from » Gavin Hewitt

The French Labour Minister Eric Woerth, who has come in for criticism following a corruption affair, has resigned his duties as treasurer of the governing UMP party. The conservative daily Le Figaro writes that the presumption of innocence should hold for everyone, including politicians: "The presumption of innocence is the most important protection of personal honour, as it protects individuals against the prejudices and passions of popular justice. While citing the best intentions, the principle result of the so-called 'transparency' laws has been to reverse the onus of proof to the detriment of elected officials. ... The danger inherent in cases of conflict of interest is to consider the individual as per se incapable of resisting temptation. ... Clearly Mr Woerth should have resigned as treasurer of the UMP when he became budget minister. But it's another thing altogether to suspect him of abusing his authority without a shred of evidence." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Alain-Gérard Slama

Italian plans to build a nuclear power plant have triggered a storm of protest in neighbouring Austria. The daily Die Presse criticises the Austrians' knee-jerk rejection of the plans: "By now almost all Europe has come to the realisation that the demand for an adequate supply of environmentally-friendly energy can only be satisfied by increasing nuclear power. Austria is different. It imports nuclear power but the provincial politicians and the tabloid press never miss an opportunity to stir up fears of a nuclear accident each time a nuclear reactor is set up near its border. ... And because nuclear phobia, like neutrality, is part and parcel of the state ideology it has an impact on foreign policy that reaches all the way to the EU level. The phobia regarding all things nuclear is a constant factor in Austrian politics. Austria is willing to risk a deterioration in its neighbourly relations for its sake. This attitude has little to do with rational thinking but is based rather on a missionary fervour fuelled by populism." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Italy, » Austria
All available articles from » Christian Ultsch

The presidents of Slovenia, Italy and Croatia met on Tuesday in the Italian city of Trieste for a reconciliatory meeting. They commemorated the burning down of the "National House", the community hall of Trieste's Slovenes, by Italian fascists and visited a memorial dedicated to the Italian expellees from Istria, Rijeka and Dalamatia. The daily Delo praises this political gesture: "The event had great symbolic power and could hail the dawn of a new era. When the Italian President Napolitano stood in front of the National House ninety years after it was burnt down and the national anthem was played straight after the Italian and Croatian anthems the Slovenians applauded enthusiastically. For the Slovenians present on this occasion all the political analyses and potential criticism of the meeting in Trieste melted into the background. They made the effort to look to the future without forgetting the bad things in the past." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Italy, » Slovenia
All available articles from » Tone Hocevar

The Slovakian party Most-Hid comprising Slovakian and Hungarian parliamentarians can serve as a model for a Hungarian-Romanian party, writes the daily România Liberă: "When Romanian politicians don't dare do something on their own, they secure the support of the UDMR [Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania] in the belief that it has a constant electorate that votes for it regardless of how corrupt it is. But is that really the case? ... NGOs concerned with ... parliamentary sessions know that the UDMR systematically sabotages ideas involving transparency, responsibility and reform - regardless of whether the matter at hand is the reform of public television, public contracts or the freedom of information. ... The young people who are taking over are even worse and more corrupt than the old guard. ... By contrast the Slovakians and Hungarian-Slovakians have shown that politics based on closed ranks no longer works, and founded a Hungarian-Slovakian party. When will we found a Hungarian-Romanian one?" (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Elections, » Hungary, » Slovakia, » Romania
All available articles from » Cristian Ghinea

After the Spanish team's victory at the World Cup many commentators are calling for Spain, torn by internal strife, to follow the example of harmonious teamwork set by the footballers from the country's different regions. The parallel between sport and politics may be interesting but won't achieve a thing, writes Marco Schwartz in the leftist daily Público: "To try to learn political lessons from the heroic example of the national team is a legitimate exercise, and even understandable given the passion that football inspires, but at the same time it's in vain. The sensible thing about a mature society is that every citizen can express their feelings as they like. People can applaud [national manager] del Bosque's team and wrap themselves up in a flag if they want to. Or if they're not interested in football they can stay at home or go to the cinema. But what should be avoided at all cost is the temptation to turn the expression of people's feelings into a test of their loyalty to a certain political or ideological project. Spain is simply too pluralistic - territorially and individually - no matter how much it hurts the crusaders of uniformity to admit this." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Sport, » Federalism, » Separatism, » Spain
All available articles from » Marco Schwartz

Under pressure from the Eurozone's financial ministers Slovakia has now agreed to support the rescue fund for the single currency. However it still refuses to help Greece out of its crisis with direct funding. The conservative daily Lidové noviny takes issue particularly with the harsh tone adopted by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble: "Up to now the Slovakians regarded their membership of the Eurozone as a status symbol confirming that they are no longer part of the East. Now they're seeing a different side of things when Schäuble says: 'There is no room for negotiating [with Bratislava].' Why not? The rescue fund won't be established until everyone has agreed. That's what the rules say. ... From January to May the German government dithered about helping Greece. ... And anyway: Would Schäuble use such words addressing Germany's constitutional judges, who have yet to rule on this matter?" (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Germany, » Greece, » Slovakia, » Europe
All available articles from » Daniel Kaiser

The EU finance ministers have fixed the exchange rate for the Estonian kroon, removing the last hurdle for the introduction of the euro in the country on January 1, 2011. Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, expresses his delight in his blog: "Our joining the Eurozone is compelling proof for Estonia's maturity as an EU member. On the one hand it testifies to our domestic savvy, which was already manifest when we attained important international objectives. ... On the other hand in its six years as an EU member Estonia  has gained in self-assurance. Entering the Eurozone means our status as a new EU member will increasingly recede into the past: Estonia is now among the states in this region best-integrated into the West. This gives us additional possibilities but also new obligations. For that reason it is now essential that we make the most of these international opportunities to raise the living standard for everyone in Estonia." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Estonia
All available articles from » Marko Mihkelson

An unsuccessful attempt on the part of a former Bulgarian politician to prevent the broadcast of a television report on corrupt customs officials has brought to light once again the dimensions of organised smuggling in Bulgaria, which lies on the border of the EU. Criminologist Tihomir Bezlov calls in the daily 24 Chasa for pressure to be stepped up on the politicians pulling the strings: "A system of relationships exists that allows the risk to be distributed among several levels and guarantees mutual support. ... The schema of political protection has functioned unchanged for 20 years. Local politicians oversee the appointment of police officers, customs and tax officials. As soon as they have a problem it is reported to the party headquarters on the grounds that criminal proceedings would constitute an attack on the politician's reputation. For this reason it is not enough to put pressure on the organisational structures. The whole system of political protection must be restricted." (13/07/2010)

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All available articles from » Tihomir Bezlov

Poland's new president Bronisław Komorowski is considering moving a cross set up by Warsaw citizens in front of the presidential palace in Poland to a church. The cross was erected by the citizens spontaneously after they heard about the air disaster in Russia to commemorate the victims. The conservative daily Polska says more needs to be done: "If Bronisław Komorowski really is proposing to do this he must offer more. Poland losing its state leadership as well as its political, administrative and spiritual elite in one fell strike is not something that happens every week, year or even decade. This has to be commemorated. And the spontaneous action of the residents of Warsaw demonstrates clearly that this place - directly in front of the presidential palace - is the most appropriate place for a memorial." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Piotr Zaremba

Follwing the suicide of presumed murderer Raoul Moat thousands of British are mourning the man who was Great Britain's most wanted criminal until the weekend. The conservative The Daily Telegraph sees the police force's growing helplessness against criminals as one reason for this: "Moat, let us not forget, had murdered a man, and murdered him with an illegal firearm. The police in many counties will strip a responsible gun-owner of his shotgun licence if they understand that his unlicensed wife knows where the key to his gun safe is, which is easier than catching real, dangerous criminals like Moat. He had also wounded his former girlfriend, and shot a policeman so badly that the poor man may be blinded. Yet a mindless proportion of the public still thinks he was a bit of a hero. ... This was all of a piece with the change in the character of the police over the past 20 years. They were a force and are now a service." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Demographics, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Simon Heffer

Last year German newspapers earned more money from sales than from advertising for the first time, the Federation of German Newspaper Publishers announced on Tuesday. The conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung takes a sceptical view of this development: "The way the German publishers are reacting to this is very similar to the strategies of other publishers, above all in Switzerland, where the newspaper market has a similar structure. On the one hand they have increased the burden on readers: they raised the prices of their newspapers and were able to take in more from sales even while circulation dwindled - as it has been doing for years. ... Worrying is above all the fact that you can't make anywhere near enough money to finance a good editorial staff with online advertising. It all seems to come down to extracting an oath of manifestation from the readers: How much do they value good journalism? How much are they willing to pay for it? This question will determine the future of the quality newspapers, whether print or online." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Print media, » Online media, » Media economy, » Germany, » Switzerland, » Europe
All available articles from » Matthias Benz

Former Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was recently voted out of office, has lost a lawsuit against the liberal daily Sme, which had published a cartoon portraying him as a spineless politician. The newspaper writes that Fico should have known from the outset that he couldn't win: "The only mistake about the court decision is that it didn't come before the parliamentary elections. The outcome probably wouldn't have been any different. But the defeat of the man who was head of government at the time would have strengthened the people's trust in the independence of the courts. ... Fico's lawsuit was absolutely absurd. ... Even under his government there were judges who weren't his willing tools and who protected the free word. ... What will stay in people's mind about the case will be Fico's basic attitude towards journalists and press freedom. He, who has described journalists as prostitutes, Mafiosi, snakes and hyenas, is unlikely to change and suddenly start saying nice things about them." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Print media, » Press freedom, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Lukáš Fila