Poverty is the main reason for the renewed riots in the Belfast neighbourhood of Ardoyne, writes Mary O'Hara in the left-liberal daily The Guardian: "It is impossible for someone like myself, who grew up in one of the worst-affected areas during the Troubles, not to notice that the areas now reeling from riots, burning cars and confrontations with the police are the very same ones that suffered most in previous decades. This is no coincidence. ... There are considerable and complex reasons why the current generation are mimicking the last one, but one factor that is all too often ignored in the coverage is their life circumstances. The thing is, that for all the progress ... districts such as the Ardoyne and parts of west Belfast remain areas of incredible, entrenched deprivation. For all the admirable work by individuals, local groups and communities at large to turn things around, sectarianism remains and poverty and social exclusion are its willing partners in crime." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Religion, » Minorities, » Social movements, » Demographics, » United Kingdom, » Ireland
All available articles from » Mary O'Hara

To a certain extent the riots in Belfast are a consequence of the successful peace process, writes the left-liberal daily Frankfurter Rundschau: "With Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Belfast's all-party government comprises a leading former IRA commander. And Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has also found his way from the violence of the seventies to the politics of the 21st century. Particularly in working-class neighbourhoods - where there are neither jobs nor hopes for a brighter future - the gentrification of these leaders is viewed askance. In the Catholic Republican movement there are small but growing groups that still believe violence is the best way to a united Ireland. ... Added to that are the usual authority problems of many parents, who either don't want to or cannot exercise even a moderate influence over their children as they come of age." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Ireland
All available articles from » Sebastian Borger

The rioting in Belfast is as anachronistic as the event that triggered it, the Protestants' Orange Walks, writes liberal daily La Stampa: "The members of the Orange Order march with their flags and symbols through the streets as if time had stood still and it was still July 12, 1690, when William of Orange defeated the Catholic army of the English King Jacob II. A small world that takes to the streets, 18-year-olds who take their younger brothers, children aged eight to ten, along with them. An absurd, timeless Intifada without visible cause that surges through the generations in its fury." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Religion, » Ireland
All available articles from » Andrea Malaguti

Three months after the Smolensk air disaster the opposition in Poland has announced an end to domestic peace and accused the government of being partially responsible for the disaster. The conservative and normally opposition-friendly Rzeczpospolita sees this as inexcusable: "The loss of credibility is a nightmare for any party and any politician. It looks very much like [national-conservative party] Law and Justice is willing to take this risk. Jarosław Kaczyński holds the PO [Civic Platform] government responsible for the disaster in Smolensk. [The national-conservative MP] Joachim Brudziński is demanding that Prime Minister Donald Tusk disappear from the political stage forever because he left the body of Lech Kaczyński 'lying in the mud in Ivan's coffin'. ... This is the best way to lose credibility. And in politics a lack of credibility is a mortal sin." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Marek Magierowski

The Bulgarian prosecutor's office on Wednesday brought charges against socialist opposition leader Sergei Stanishev for allegedly misappropriating confidential files of the security service DANS during his term in office as prime minister. The daily Novinar senses a media spectacle brewing and proposes the following scenario: "Stanichev's upcoming trial will be given various names: mega-trial, emblematic trial, perhaps even scandal trial. Dozens of cameras will line up in front of the courthouse to await his every appearance. As a true politician he will answer every question with patience, as he has always done. The court will evolve into a political arena. ... Incidentally the trial against [his interior minister] Rumen Petkov was also very much a spectacle - with cameras flashing and a hail of questions, accusations and indictments. In the end he was acquitted and suddenly the storm passed. Much ado about nothing. And we can expect the same thing this time around." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Media policy, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Adelina Nikolova

Czech President Václav Klaus has expressed his bitterness in an essay about the Germans who have 'peacefully established a clear hegemony in Europe after waging two unsuccessful world wars". The liberal weekly Respekt sees this as an impertinence: "How would the president react if someone made similarly disparaging remarks about the Czechs? He's probably tell the Germans not to visit the Czech Republic unless they want to risk their hair being shaved off and swastika painted on their backs, their property being stolen and perhaps even being shot [as was done during the expulsions when the war ended]. Such arguments are unacceptable in a civilised debate. ... Naturally the Germans have a lot of influence. But this is the result of their industriousness and skills, not a peaceful version of Hitler's plans. It is Germany that contributes the most to the EU budget - and therefore to the Czechs too." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » History, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Germany, » Czech Republic, » Europe
All available articles from » Silvie Lauder

The conservative governments of Berlin, Paris, London and Rome have one thing in common: they are afflicted by scandals, power struggles, failed coalitions and intrigues, writes the liberal daily Corriere del Ticino: "In Europe the conservative governments are becoming increasingly quarrelsome. The centre-left formations are still in the vacuum left when they exhausted the inspiration reserve of the 1990s. But the other side of the political spectrum is characterised by heterogeneous coalitions, difficult partners, an inability to meet the true needs of the public, uncertainty with respect to the economic crisis and doubt over how to combat it, together with scandals, fights over succession and a sense of the sudden powerlessness of national policies. That is the common denominator of Rome, Paris, London and Berlin, over and above regional differences." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Germany, » France, » United Kingdom, » Italy
All available articles from » Gerardo Morina

On the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, which coincided with the World Cup final last Sunday, many people in the Balkan region hoped to see the Dutch defeated by Spain, writes Alexe Dan in the daily Romania Libera: "In this global media show that divided this planet's cultural ties the Dutch didn't have too many fans - for reasons which have little to do with their sports performance. ... July 11, the day when the final game took place, was a particularly sad day: the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre when many thousands of Bosnians - over 8,000 according to the official figures - were cold-bloodedly murdered by Serbian forces who occupied the small town of Srebrenica, which was officially under the protection of Dutch UN soldiers. That the Dutch, who were supposed to be protecting the area, left it to the Serbs without putting up any resistance has been a stain on the Dutch past ever since." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Sport, » Global
All available articles from » Dan Alexe

The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico testifies to mankind's destructive power, writes economist László Bogár in the conservative daily Magyar Hírlap: "What we are describing as an environmental disaster is really a profound moral and spiritual crisis for mankind. ... The Earth got along fine without mankind for billions of years and will continue to do so once mankind has disappeared. ... True, it will remember us for some time. According to a recently published study after mankind has died out it will take three thousand years for all the poisonous chemical residues we 'presented' it with to disappear. Its most lasting memory of us will without doubt be the nuclear waste that will continue to emit radiation for millions of years. ... Mankind's greed for profit is insatiable and makes it capable of anything. ... The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is only receiving such intense media coverage because it affects the world's most powerful and richest nation. ... But unfortunately it is only too clear that the gigantic machinery that governs the world's oil reserves is far more powerful than any government." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Energy, » Corporations, » U.S., » Global
All available articles from » László Bogár

Although many media accuse Europe's politicians of not doing enough to combat the financial crisis, such reserve regarding economic matters is in fact a boon, writes Hansrudolf Kamer, deputy chief editor of the daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung, in a commentary for the conservative weekly Die Weltwoche: "What we're seeing is a high-level lamento and fears that what has been achieved may not be maintained. The conditions for putting the major recession behind us and creating the conditions for new growth are not really all that bad in Europe. 'Lameness' on the part of politicians, the catchword of the day, could really work to our advantage, because overzealousness in clearing up the financial crisis could well hamper growth by creating more uncertainty than trust. ... Politicians do in fact have a role to play, but a different one. France's president Sarkozy was right to define pension reform as crucial, although he was merely trying to convince his countrymen of the benefits to be gained from raising the retirement age to the relatively youthful 62. Without such a move not only the state finances but also growth will be jeopardised. It may be difficult for thought patterns deformed by the mentality of the welfare state to grasp, but prosperity is for the most part created by work." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Financial Markets, » Germany, » France
All available articles from » Hansrudolf Kamer

Preliminary investigations into a series of fatal traffic accidents in the US which were allegedly caused by a technical problem with Toyota vehicles exonerate Japanese carmaker Toyota and place the blame on driver errors instead. Toyota should take action, writes the online version of the daily Der Standard: "Even if Toyota is exercising dignified restraint and has refrained from pointing its finger at the drivers in the ongoing lawsuits, no doubt they're laughing up their sleeves at the carmakers' headquarters. After all, the 'exonerating study' was commissioned by the US government. ... Although the study hasn't reached its conclusion it indicates that a number of the accusations were unfounded, and that perhaps even some of the lawsuits were a waste of time. Sooner or later the results will have a positive effect on Toyota's tarnished image, but it will still have to bear the costs of all the lawsuits, fines and recall operations. Perhaps Toyota should consider suing the US for compensation. In the land of unlimited opportunities all doors are open to a carmaker with the slogan 'Nothing is impossible'." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » U.S., » Japan
All available articles from » Daniela Rom

Since the euro crisis Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain have counted among the weakest countries in the Eurozone. But nonetheless the financial situation in the so-called PIIGS countries is improving, writes the business paper Les Echos: "In less than a week three members of the notorious PIIGS countries ... have passed the market test with little difficulty. Spain, Greece and Portugal have managed to place their bonds at acceptable conditions. This has not happened in months. No doubt it is still too early to talk of a return to normality. The rates offered for these bonds still testify to a high level of exigency on the part of the markets. But one thing is certain: the panic is over." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » François Vidal

The Finnish criminal investigation department has reported that money laundering by Russian citizens in Finland is on the increase. The daily Etelä Saimaa is not surprised. "The core of the problem lies in Finland's legislation, according to which money laundering is only a crime if the money launderer is not the owner of the money in question. In this respect Finnish laws differ from the European mainstream. ... No doubt most companies and real estate businesses fulfil even the strictest criteria here. But a couple of rotten apples can ruin the entire harvest. ... And apparently neither the sellers nor the police nor the banks have the resources to check whether a buyer's money is clean. On the other hand: how many of us care about small-scale money laundering as long as Russian customers are handing over plenty of euros to the cashiers at the chic shopping malls? The euro too, loves its loyal servants." (14/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Trade, » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Banks, » Finland, » Russia, » Europe

Spain gathers precise figures on the number of cases in which women are murdered by their husbands or ex-husbands. There have already been 39 such cases this year, representing an increase on last year. Other countries don't even keep count of such cases, comments writer Rosa Pereda critically in the left-liberal daily El País: "Foreign tourists are amazed at how often murders are committed in Spain. True, but that's because we keep count, I tend to reply, and if you don't keep count it doesn't count. Spain and Canada keep count - and no one else. One of the demands of the feminists within the United Nations is that member states be obliged to keep count of the number of women murdered, but many refuse." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Gender equality, » Spain, » Global
All available articles from » Rosa Pereda

Russian is gradually replacing German as a second foreign language in Latvia's schools. The daily Latvijas Avīze is critical of this development: "In the first years of independence many people decided against Russian on the grounds that they could get by without it on our march towards Europe. For that reason pupils were eager to learn other EU languages. In addition they believed that sooner or later everyone in Latvia would speak Latvian. But that has proved an illusion. Well-educated youths have a hard time finding a job without a knowledge of Russian, with the result that many believe you can't get by in Latvia without speaking it. And it's not just people who are for a post-Soviet Latvia who think this way. Many of those who support our membership in the EU thinks so too. ... Nevertheless this idea forces us to believe that Latvia's economic future lies in Russia or elsewhere in the east, while the figures show just the opposite: we do far more business with the EU." (15/07/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Integration, » Languages, » Latvia
All available articles from » Aija Cālīte-Dulevska