The Catholic Church in Belgium put out its report on compensating victims of abuse on Wednesday. After years of denial, finally a first step towards more openness and transparency has been taken, the liberal daily Le Soir writes: "The Church still has a long path ahead of it. The arrival of the new and likeable Pope Francis has not yet rid it of its secrecy and blockades. ... At least for the moment, the transparency of the Belgian Church is balm to the wounds of the victims, and society as a whole. But the Church leaders who are concerned about how their congregations are thinning out - above all because of the growing loss of trust after the abuse scandals - must do more to make the Church modern and credible. Only in this way can they regain the faith of followers who have been put off by the Church's silence and dogmatic denials." (16/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Marc Metdepenningen

A Finnish couple was freed at the beginning of May after being held as hostages for five months in Yemen. In view of the fact that the rescue cost Finnish taxpayers roughly half a million euros, the liberal daily Pohjalainen wonders whether those rescued shouldn't be made to foot part of the bill: "The Foreign Ministry provides constantly updates on the most far-flung regions where it's better not to travel. A welfare state like Finland helps its nationals who encounter emergencies abroad with all the means at its disposal, and that's only right. But it's interesting to ask how much people themselves are to blame for the problems they find themselves in. ... In certain situations, it might not be a bad idea to think about whether it makes sense to have people pay some of the cost of their rescue. Perhaps that would make them think twice before heading off on wild adventures." (17/05/2013)

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Plans for the Polish music band Bracia Figo Fagot to give a performance at the university in Poznan next week have triggered a discussion about racism in Poland. Twenty-five academics called in the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza for the band's show to be cancelled because their lyrics insult the Roma. The appeal has so far gone unheard - and this is just the tip of the iceberg, the paper believes: "Does this mean that in the view of the organisers it's okay for people to have fun with songs that insult minorities? Sociological studies show that Poles still have a problem with accepting Roma, Jews and blacks. The lower their level of education, the greater their distrust vis-à-vis foreigners. ... There have been negative Roma stereotypes in Poznan in the past. But this doesn't make the city any more xenophobic than other Polish cities. It's just that here there are a handful of courageous individuals who are protesting against such attitudes. It's just a pity that this is only happening here - and that it's just a handful." (17/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Piotr Żytnicki

For the first time ever, scientists in the US have successfully cloned human stem cells to create genetically identical embryos. The medical applications must be the driving force behind this research, and politicians must keep a watchful eye on the process, the state-run liberal Wiener Zeitung urges: "Not all cultures see it as a sin that Adam was tempted by Eve into biting the apple of knowledge. Our insatiable curiosity has without doubt opened up ever new horizons for us humans. ... So insisting on bans is not a realistic or sensible reaction to the great promises held out by genetic research. But the goal must be to realise the dream of healing illnesses that have hitherto been incurable and to prevent the nightmare of human clones. For the politicians this means maintaining a flexible legal framework for this morally precarious research. ... They must not close their eyes to the possibilities, but view this research with a healthy dose of scepticism and bear in mind that our curiosity can also be our undoing." (16/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Walter Hämmerle

The Human Development Report for Estonia was presented on Wednesday. According to the online portal of the Estonian public radio Eesti Rahvusringhääling, the country is like a house with a pretty front that's inhabited by dissatisfied people - above all the disparities between men and women are conspicuous: "Women are considerably better qualified than men. ... Estonia is a country of highly-educated but poor women and uneducated but rich men. In any family where the mother is a teacher and the father a construction worker, the father brings home several times what his wife does (at least that's how things were during the boom). As far as the [gender] wage gap goes, we're right at the top in Europe. And we've all become much cooler regarding our state, which we had so longed for - and loved." (15/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Neeme Raud

Within just a few days of each other a 14-year-old Afghan and then a 20-year-old Syrian have been attacked and seriously injured by unidentified individuals on the streets of Athens. The web portal Protagon warns against a trend of people looking away when it comes to racist attacks: "Bodies are falling to the ground in the centre of the city. Stabbed, injured and beaten. It happens right next to us. In underground stations, in broad daylight on busy streets, or evenings on the squares of impoverished neighbourhoods. ... These incidents have not only become more frequent, they have multiplied. At the same time our indifference has increased. In most cases of attacks against immigrants there were eye-witnesses. ... But few dare to say anything or intervene. Most prefer to look away. But not always because of indifference or tacit approval. It is fear that keeps them silent. The fear that the same fate as that of the persecuted immigrants awaits us if we try to say anything against the attacks." (16/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Giannis Pantelakis

US actor Angelina Jolie made headlines across the globe with her article in the New York Times about the removal of her breast tissue. Journalist Diana Rusu calls in the blog of the conservative daily Adevărul for an EU-wide law on dealing with breast cancer: "The impact of Jolie's article on the average citizen is worrying. Many women may now be considering such a drastic step. Moreover there is an entire genetic testing industry in the US (and increasingly in Europe too). Many offer express tests as well as analyses via a few clicks online - and all without medical supervision. Such genetic tests are no child's game. In the interest of society, the EU should create a corresponding legal framework. And what's more: the information about this should be provided by doctors to prevent mass emulation of a film star who after all lives on a reputation for eccentricity." (16/05/2013)

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US actor Angelina Jolie has had a preventive double mastectomy because she says she carries a gene that dramatically increases her risk of getting breast cancer. The liberal daily NRC Handelsblad praises the film star for breaking three taboos: "In this way Jolie is using her fame and status against the taboos surrounding cancer and amputation and offering encouragement to those who find themselves in a similar situation: 'I do not feel any less of a woman', she wrote. ... Another taboo with which Jolie has lost patience is her market value. After all, in the US entertainment industry, where even a wrinkle is seen as proof of poor taste, a star with cancer and without breasts is like a leper. ... Film studios will probably play it safe. They prefer not to confront their audiences with a film starring a popular actress who is associated with a feared illness and the worst deformity a woman can have from a Hollywood perspective." (15/05/2013)

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Nine members of the Roma minority were sentenced last week to several years in prison by a court in the Hungarian city of Miskolc. They were found guilty of attacking a car in which members of the "Hungarian nation" were sitting, and of acting for "racist" motives. The left-liberal daily Népszabadság voices surprise: "So what the hell are these Roma if they're not Hungarians, dear court in Miskolc? How can an attack be directed against a community if the attackers themselves are members of this community? ... The judgement sends the message that the Roma are not part of the Hungarian community. This is a highly interesting idea considering that it refers to a group of Hungarian citizens. ... It can't be stressed often enough that we're talking about an attack within the community here. Although not all Hungarians are Roma, all Roma with Hungarian citizenship are nonetheless Hungarians." (13/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Dóra Ónody-Molnár

A row has broken out in Poland over the celebrations to mark 4 June 1989, which was the day when Poland's first partially free elections took place. The liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza praised this day last Saturday, saying that on this day the dictatorship came to an end without bloodshed. Filip Frąckowiak of the national Catholic daily Nasz Dziennik has no understanding for this position: "I won't be celebrating because on that day my father, Józef Szaniawski, was in prison, and only heard all the racket about freedom from behind bars. He was to remain in prison until Christmas. ... The propaganda about the freedom and human rights that are supposedly tied up with this day is a lie. Those who claim that the Poles ended communism without bloodshed and elected democracy on this day are lying, because it was an entire generation that fought for it. ... The truth is that these Poles shed plenty of blood to bring about the fall of communism." (15/05/2013)

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All available articles from » Filip Frąckowiak