euro|topics - The end for Olmert

07/09/2008

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Main focus of Friday, August 1, 2008

The end for Olmert

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced he will resign in the wake of corruption charges. He said he will not run for the leadership of his Kadima Party and will step down as leader of the government. Europe's press unanimously welcomes the resignation of the luckless prime minister.

The Independent - United Kingdom

For The Independent, the resignation of the Israeli prime minister comes too late: "A long overdue departure. ... Mr Olmert has been a weak leader ever since the Israeli government inquiry blamed his bad planning for the botched invasion of Lebanon. ... Little can be achieved in the two extra months he has given himself in office. The peace talks with the Palestinians and Syrians will stall, despite assurances to the contrary. The ruling party will be plunged into a succession battle at a time of heightened tension over Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear programme, on which Israel has hinted at air strikes. ... He could have done more. ... Peace is inevitably negotiated by strong leaders and Israel cannot afford to have a weak one. ... Ehud Olmert would have done his country and the region a service had he stepped down much earlier." (01/08/2008)

La Repubblica - Italy

Israel's domestic political situation is extremely unclear following the resignation of Ehud Olmert, writes La Repubblica: "Benjamin Netanyahu, former prime minister and leader of the opposition, wants to take advantage of Olmert's resignation and is pushing for fresh elections. ... Netanyahu is striking while the iron is hot. If elections were held tomorrow he would be the new prime minister." Meanwhile, Olmert's Kadima party is seeking a replacement: "Only two of the candidates seem likely: foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who is considered a dove, and the hawk Shaul Mofaz, a former defence minister who cut a less than fine figure as advisor to Olmert in the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. ... But regardless of who succeeds Olmert a majority government is anything but certain. And in the event that a coalition fails, fresh elections are the sole alternative." (01/08/2008)

Delo - Slovenia

Ehud Olmert's resignation announcement comes at the wrong time, writes Delo newspaper: "Although he is an experienced politician ... he will go down in history as one of the weakest and least successful of Israeli prime ministers. ... In fact Ehud Olmert ... should have resigned as prime minister long ago. Now, however, his departure comes at an inauspicious time, above all because of the peace negotiations with the Palestinians and the Syrians, which he initiated with the help of Turkish mediation. Clearly, peace with the Palestinians will not be quick in coming." (01/08/2008)

Le Monde - France

The daily Le Monde has little hope that Israel will find a way out of the crisis after the resignation of Prime Minister Olmert: "Ehud Olmert's mandate at the head of the Israeli government ends as it began: with a whiff of scandal. ... Shortly after he took office, the former mayor of Jerusalem was widely criticised for his poor leadership in the Lebanon War. ... Even later there was no end to the accusations and charges of corruption. Abuse of power, favouritism and bribery: the allegations mounted. ... Even the Palestinian leadership is not far from sharing this critical stance. Since the mandate of Yitzhak Shamir not a single Israeli Prime Minister has made it to the end of his legislative period. ... Even if the foreign minister Tzipi Livni, the favourite of the civil rights activists within the Kadima, should come to power, her praiseworthy diplomatic goals could be endangered by the weakening of the party in the Knesset." (31/07/2008)

» To the complete press review of Friday, August 1, 2008

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