"What are the hidden causes behind the food crisis? The fact is that the price of energy, which is indispensable for production and transport, is sky-rocketing. ... But what is having even more of an impact is the unscrupulous movement of venture capital. Given that it is now virtually impossible to make sizeable profits in the oil industry and in traditional financial sectors, the financial crisis is prompting investors to invest in agriculture! Investors are buying up production goods and fields and conspiring to keep the price of grain high. ... The solution is to immediately freeze the US and European biofuel programme. That proportion of venture capital which is aimed at making huge profits in the food industry should simply be penalised - even if such a step may appear unrealistic or impracticable in today's world." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Dániel Zsiga

Fernandes Ferreira comments on the food crisis and recent statements by US President George W. Bush: "With his usual diplomacy, Bush said that owing to their sudden increase in wealth, the Indians are responsible for the international rise in food prices. ... Americans are bursting at the seams. ... And that is exactly what the Indian authorities pointed out to Bush: 'Well then, let's get out the measuring tape!', and they offered their waists for comparison with the Americans. An American eats 3,770 calories per day, an Indian 2,440. The Indians also pointed out that the money Americans spend on liposuction is enough to cure world hunger. The Indians and the Chinese are eating more, and will continue to do so. And the world must learn to accept their new appetite." (16/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Ferreira Fernandes

The newspaper reports on a plan for combating the food crisis which the European Commission will present tomorrow: "European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has no clear concept in response to the crisis. The document speaks of measures which should slow the rise in food prices ... such as promoting second and third generation biofuels inside and outside the EU. ... The document will draw fire, advising as it does a cautious opening of the EU to genetically modified foodstuffs, the cultivation of which is limited in Europe, as opposed to everywhere else in the world." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Alberto d'Argenio

Consumers are uninformed about the reasons for price increases, writes Richardos Someritis. "A few days ago we learned that fuel prices have risen faster here than in other countries. And for a long time we have known that immunity from the law, extortion and smuggling are rife in this area. We should also know that state hypocrisy is also rampant in this domain, because state incomes rise with petrol prices. ... But we remain in the dark as regards ... the extent to which daily increases in the international price of crude oil reflect reality. The same goes for basic agricultural products. We see that these prices have gone up, and that one consequence has been the steady rise in bread prices. But we learn nothing of the sudden price slumps that have taken place in international markets, such as the recent fall in grain prices, which however failed to have a direct effect on the price of bread." (18/05/2008)

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"The Finnish government on Friday raised the question of what Finland should expect from the new EU ministry for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy . ... Roughly speaking, Finland wants to provide 100 of the 2,500 officials to be appointed to the EU body. This is a lot of bureaucracy. ... And it remains unclear what the advantages of the new EU foreign ministry will be. ... It is often impossible to achieve a consensus between EU states on complex global issues. ... And in terms of international cooperation the EU is dwarfed by the United Nations. The same is true of the UN Security Council. ... These are not simple matters, but somehow the EU must find a position for itself among international organisations - otherwise it will remain a midget when it comes to the important subject of foreign policy." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Arno Ahosniemi

"Monstrous security measures, barricaded streets, the usual family photo, great words and expectations at the beginning - and in the end general exhaustion and the question: what were we doing here?" This is how Jindřich Šídlo describes the EU-Latin America Summit in the Peruvian capital of Lima. The meeting was overshadowed by the prolonged extreme leftist speeches delivered by the leaders of Venezuela and Bolivia, Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales. The lengthy final declaration, which had already been prepared to the last detail in advance, was simply signed, Šídlo writes: !The summit concluded with a seemingly interminable speech by the Peruvian host. Afterwards, Alan García Pérez had no time for the final press conference. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, was left waiting for him in vain." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Jindřich Šídlo

Thousands of teachers hit the streets in France over the weekend to protest against restrictions imposed on their right to strike. The online news portal Rue89 explains why France is no paradise for teachers: "Several hours after the demonstration, Nicolas Sarkozy had hard words for the teachers with regard to minimum service during strikes. The government's key argument is that this minimum service is becoming the norm in Europe. But until now, it has only been practised in the public service in half of all the EU states." Referring to a report by the Eurydice information network on education in Europe, Rue89 writes: "French teachers may work somewhat less than many of their colleagues in the EU, but they also earn less, have fewer career opportunities and poorer access to advanced training." (18/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Chloé Leprince

After the right-wing extremist Slovak National Party, part of the government coalition in Bratislava, once again insulted the country's Hungarian neighbours, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány cancelled a summit meeting with his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico. The Slovak daily Pravda writes that in truth Gyurcsány is grateful to the nationalists for providing him with an excuse for cancelling his trip to Bratislava. "On the one hand this is because his ruling coalition has collapsed, which has had the immediate effect of increasing the [Hungarian] nationalists' influence. But also because he has long since lost the upper hand in the confrontation with Fico. ... A visit to Bratislava would therefore just be a risk." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Dag Daniš

In a commentary for the Polish daily, the conservative Czech President Václav Klaus accuses the EU of centralism and over-regulation. "How do I see Europe today? On the one hand I see an apparent ideological unity which emerged after the collapse of communism. I stress the word 'apparent', because during this period there was a clear, albeit subtle shift on the citizen-state and market economy-planned economy axis. This shift was in a direction which came as a ... complete surprise for us - the citizens of the former Communist Bloc. We wanted to move closer to our citizens, closer to the free market economy and further away from the state and central control. Unfortunately this was not the case. ... I see a freedom that is only freedom in form and a type of democracy that is relentlessly and inexorably turning into a system that controls people's room for manoeuvre more and more. I see a democracy that is turning into a post-democracy. ... The citizen and the politician are moving away from each other as a result of the increasing competences of international institutions - above all the European Union." (19/05/2008)

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In view of current academic policy and the Bologna Process in Europe, sociologist Emilio Lamo de Espinosa recalls the ideas of Wilhelm von Humboldt, co-founder of Berlin's Humboldt University: "If, as is currently the case, almost 100 percent of pupils graduate from secondary school, there is no alternative: the university becomes the training ground for professions required by society. University education is to our knowledge-based society what the school leaving certificate was to industrial society. ... Nevertheless we must also find a place for research, critical thinking, reflection, the creation of new ideas and excellence in universities. Two of the university's key functions are being displaced by the third. ... Bologna can be important for vocational training, but fatal for research. Going from Berlin to Bologna means taking a step backwards." (19/05/2008)

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Many Eastern European workers are returning back home from Western Europe as living and working conditions improve in the new EU countries. This poses a significant problem to Denmark, writes the Danish business magazine Mandag Morgen. "Danish politics seems to be spending all its energy on surrealistic symbolic battles, while major, decisive challenges to the welfare state are being pushed to one side, relegated to commissions, or at best expressed in the 'In Brief' columns in newspapers. ... Instead, Denmark and its decision-making elite should put more time into discussing how we are going to make up for the lack of qualified workers, which is already enormous. Unemployment has now reached an all-time low of 1.9 percent. 66,000 vacancies need to be filled. And on top of that, thousands of Eastern European guest workers now threaten to leave Denmark and return home. ... If we do not find a solution, it will be difficult to finance the welfare state in the future." (19/05/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social Policy / Employment, » Economic Policy, » United Kingdom, » Denmark

French daily Le Monde praises the policies of President of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet: "This time it is not just a victory, it is, without any doubt, a supreme triumph - a kind of coronation for Jean-Claude Trichet. The President of the European Central Bank was right about inflation: contrary to the views of recognised experts, he predicted that inflation was anything but dead. Moreover, he prevented the US sub-prime mortgage crisis from causing ... a bank crash in the Eurozone. Now Trichet is also winning on the growth front, where his position had seemed weakest. His financial policy, branded 'ultra-rigorous' by critics, is not stopping Europe from growing quickly." (17/05/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » Europe

Estonian music critic Margus Kiis finds the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 mediocre: "When I listen to the 42 songs that are competing this year I can only say one thing to the people of Europe: You should be ashamed of yourselves! You are trying to be pseudo-Brits, Pseudo-Germans and even pseudo-Italians - anything but proper countrymen. It is truly embarrassing that there are fewer national elements than there have been for years, and when even the French start to sing in English it is the beginning of the end. Yet the original idea behind Eurovision was to find a European answer to American rock 'n' roll. ... At least the Estonians have one advantage over all the fat men in hetero get-up: their breakneck chorus. And because Europeans have terrible taste in music and a weird sense of humour and are tired of the traditional 'Eurovision' fare, 'Kreisiraadio' has a real chance of winning. After all, we have nothing to lose." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Margus Kiis

In the Netherlands, the cartoonist who works under the pseudonym Gregorius Nekschot [which means "shot in the back of the neck" in Dutch] was taken into custody for a short period last week. He is accused of discriminating above all against Muslims with his cartoons. Bert Wagendorp calls this an "attack against freedom of expression" in the Dutch daily De Volkskrant. "I have no sympathy for little assholes like Gregorius Nekschot who use the Internet to insult people anonymously, but neither do I have a problem with them. Now it looks like a couple of people in The Hague are really going crazy. Next thing we know, the minister [minister of justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin] will make blasphemy a punishable offence. ... According to Hirsch Ballin this is not a restriction of freedom of expression. Is that so? When ten policemen storm into your apartment because of a cartoon, you are not free, and you are perhaps afraid. I think Nekschot should be allowed to continue doing what he does in complete freedom for the rest of his life." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Bert Wagendorp

Jean-Marcel Bouguereau, chief editor of political weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, warns of a draft law by Justice Minister Rachida Dati which could undermine the protection of journalistic information: "[Last] Thursday the members of parliament adopted the proposal for the so-called Dati-Law in the first reading. The official aim of this law is to guarantee the protection of journalsitic sources. But in truth it represents a step backwards, because the Justice Minister ... believes that the protection of information 'cannot be absolute' and may be suspended 'under certain, clearly defined circumstances'. ... What is at stake here is clear. How can a witness of bribery or some other scandal trust a journalist if the protection of information is not guaranteed in full? ... The European Court of Human Rights does not hesitate to call journalists the 'watchdogs of democracy'. ... But we will be a far cry from that if the Dati-Law is passed." (17/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Jean-Marcel Bouguereau

Italian daily Corriere della Sera sees the new Italian football champion Inter Milan as an international phenomenon: "Ibrahimovic's two-goal salvo handed Milan the Scudetto [the Italian championship]. The black-blue model is to put together the best foreigners. The team owes its victory to a foreign champion who plays in a foreign team. Only two of the players who were on the field yesterday are Italian: Materazzi and Balotelli. This is also the response of the club's president Massimo Moratti to the many calls for him to put together a team with more Italians on it. The president swears by the team's new spirit. ... And the background of an [Italian] protagonist of this Scudetto confirms that Inter Milan is indeed an open society: Mario Balotelli, born in 1990 in Palermo to parents from Ghana and brought up in Brescia, is the present and future of this team." (19/05/2008)

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All available articles from » Fabio Monti