"Erdogan's visit and the reactions to the tragic fire in Ludwigshafen have reminded us once again that only part of the Turkish minority shares the new-found German enthusiasm for integration," writes Eric Gujer. "At the same time the renewed flaring up of the integration debate has shown how heterogeneous the Turkish community in Germany has become. Various representatives of Turkish associations asked to speak and eloquently stated their views, with most of them calling for a broad measure of integration. Fifteen years ago there were relatively few representatives of this kind - and most of them regarded themselves as champions of Turkish state interests. Nowadays there is a wide spectrum of influential people, including writers and intellectuals, whose views range from moderate Islamist to radically secular and who receive a hearing among the majority society. Ten years ago there were no audible German-Turkish voices that would have been capable of eliciting a response in an intellectual debate." (13/02/2008)

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The word "assimiliation" may have been wrongly used in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech but it nonetheless addressed the problem of unsuccessful integration, Thomas Steinfeld believes. "The terms 'asssimilation' and 'integration' are actually easy to define: 'integration' means bringing together those who are different, whereby their differentness remains recognisable. 'Assimilation', on the other hand means the integration of the uprooted, their homogenisation. But no one in this country is demanding this, which makes the whole debate rather uncanny. ... It is quite likely that Erdogan spoke out against 'assimilation' because he does not want to relinquish hold on those Turks living in Germany. And thus it really cannot be ruled out that his concern for this Diaspora relieves him of the burden of other conflicts, above all the paradox that Turkey is demanding of the Kurds in its own country exactly the assimilation that it does not wish to tolerate in Germany." (13/02/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Migration, » Integration, » Minorities, » Germany, » Turkey
All available articles from » Thomas Steinfeld

The daily considers that the statements made by Erdogan reinforce "the image of immigrant communities that don't want to integrate. ... There is no country in western Europe that has seriously considered the complete assimilation of its minorities. Conservation of cultural and/or religious identity is a key value of European democracy. Our countries do not aim for the invisibility of indivuals in a homogenous society . The countries that still suppress the rights of minorities - such as Turkey with the Kurds - are rightly frowned upon by Europe. ... Integration of migrants, especially Muslim migrants, is now an extraordinarily sensitive subject in western Europe, and the debate is often tense. ...  In view of this sensitiveness, Erdogan would have been better advised, as PM of Turkey, to refrain from giving Turkish Germans  such a clear indication of how to behave in their host country." (13/02/2008)

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The newspaper's Germany correspondent András Dési comments on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's speech in Cologne: "It may sound rather bizarre, but Erdogan has actually done German politicians a favour. The Turkish leader knows full well that German conservatives reject the idea of Turkey joining the EU. The message of the Cologne spectacle is that although political objections and excuses can be found to put obstacles in Turkey's way, economically Turkey has in fact been integrated in the EU for some time, and the presence of more than 5.3 million Turks (some calculations even put the figure at 15 million) in the countries of the EU is a fact of life. The döner is here to stay in the everyday lives of Germans and western Europeans, even if many still find it rather indigestible." (13/02/2008)

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All available articles from » András Dési

The columnist Simon Jenkins decries Britain and the United States' wars, justified, he says, with humanitarian rhetoric. "The British government still cannot tell the difference between espousing a moral imperative and enforcing one. ... This generation of western politicians has no experience of war and little sense of history. The new interventionism may differ from the old imperialism in not seeking to settle or rule countries. But it is the same in believing that western values can (and should) be imposed on often reluctant states through military occupation. ... There is no text in international law that justifies ramming a system of government down the throats of others. Self-determination, warts and all, has been the defining essence of the nation-state throughout history ... Britain can shine its beacon abroad but it cannot impose its values on the world. It has tried too often, and has failed." (13/02/2008)

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Javier Redondo, Spanish professor of political science, analyses a new element of media democracy. "Videopolitics, namely the diffusion of videos with little informative content but which are very strong on the passionate front, cuts all rational debate off at the knees. Not because it succeeds in spreading propaganda or demagoguery, ... but because it embodies the devastating stimulant of an image of a society that lives at full speed in which citizens don't waste their time worrying about problems of the 'polis.' ... What's more, it works perfectly with a medium of diffusion, the internet, where the individual in a hurry looks for their own injection of pseudo-information. Videopolitics is nothing more than an advanced form of propaganda built upon a new conception of politics: media democracy... . Gifted communication and a telegenic personality win out over the classic leadership qualities." (13/02/2008)

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All available articles from » Javier Redondo

Three people suspected of planning to assassinate the graphic artist Kurt Westergaard were arrested in Denmark on Tuesday. Westergaard's caricature of the prophet Mohammed carrying a bomb in his turban caused a furore when the newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of Mohammed caricatures in 2005. The newspaper is now reprinting this caricature as a symbol of freedom of opinion, and writes: "The positive thing about the story is that the Muhammad crisis and the reactions to current events have shown clearly that freedom of opinion is a fundamental prerequisite for a free society. It has become apparent that encroachments on freedom of opinion will not be tolerated in this country. Taking resolute action serves as an object lesson for anti-democrats in Denmark and elsewhere. Freedom of opinion guarantees us the right to think, say and draw what we want. We are answerable only to the law. No terrorist plan can change that." (13/02/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Denmark

"Even though the first round of the presidential election is taking place in four days [Sunday, February 17] and the candidates are neck and neck, the attention of Greek Cypriots is fixed on Kosovo," writes the editorialist Lefteris Adinilis. "Because election day is also the day that Kosovo is expected to declare independence. The principle theme of the elections is the reunification of the island: how can't we see in Kosovo's probable declaration of independence an imposing shadow? Russia dropped a diplomatic bomb this week by making a parallel between the independence of Kosovo and the independence of Northern Cyprus. ... Russia is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that is openly opposed to Kosovo's independence. It will refuse to recognise it. So, is the reunification of Cyprus, which seems so close, already dead?" (13/02/2008)

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"When the government decided to end its protection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the end of 2007, several different sources predicted that the Netherlands would lose its prestige," writes the daily. "This was repeated last weekend during a demonstration of support organised in Paris. The petty decision made by Dutch politicians has allowed France to act as if it is the generous protector of the free world. ... The message is clear: France is engaged against religious fanatics, while the weak-kneed Netherlands prefers to watch from the sidelines yet again. ... A democracy must protect its citizens from the violent extremism of a political Islam that wants to destroy the liberty on which our society is based. This is now more true in Paris than at the Hague. But if the Dutch government now makes the right choice and protects Hirsi Ali, like the UK did for Salman Rushdie, we will be able to resolve this embarrassing affair." (12/02/2008)

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Miklós Duray, the deputy leader of the Hungarian party in Slovakia, has been ordered to pay a fine of one million crowns for calling the right-wing extremist National Party of Jan Slota, which is a member of the governing coalition in Bratislava, "fascist." Justifying her decision, the ruling judge said Duray had demeaned and insulted the National Party. Chief editor Štefan Hríb protests: "Slota spreads so much nationalist hatred (particularly against the Hungarians) that many Slovaks feel nauseated when they hear the word 'nation'. Even if a few stupid journalists go on calling him a patriot, Slota has never cared about the interests of the Slovak nation. Isn't it strange that Slota hasn't been punished for his vulgarity, his crudeness and his tirades of hate? At least both politicians should have the right to say what they think. The court's ruling against Duray harms not only the person convicted but our freedom as well." (12/02/2008)

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All available articles from » Štefan Hríb

As the election campaign starts out in Italy, the question of abortion is already emerging as a hot-button issue. On February 11th, the leader of the right, Silvio Berlusconi said he would like the UN to impose a moratorium on the subject. On the 12th, the police caused a stir at a Napolese hospital after interrogating a woman who had just had an abortion for medical reasons. Francesco Merlo weighs in. "What would these seven officers have done if they had arrived during the operation instead of immediately afterwards? Would they have left the fetus inside this woman? ... This event reminds me of a story invented to show the idiocy of pro-life activists, to demonstrate to what lengths they will go in the name of a noble principle. ... Let's hope that this horrible episode in Naples will serve to show everyone the poverty of a vision that attributes the mad desire to abort to the left, and the defense of life to the right, in our pitiful country." (13/02/2008)

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Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has reached an agreement with Gazprom in Moscow, thus preventing the pipelines being blocked. The Estonian newspaper does not believe, however, that this is the end of the problem. "For Ukraine the gas issue remains a threat that Russia can use any time it needs to. Whether and how the gas bills can be paid is a permanent internal political issue. The question is what good the debate will do people left sitting in the cold if things go wrong. Moscow knows this and therefore has no trouble destabilising Ukraine. ... Yesterday's agreement is nothing other than political blackmail. Putin has warned Ukraine against allowing NATO infrastuctures to be built on its territory and threatened to point its rockets at Ukraine if it does. What else could Yushchenko do except promise to consult Moscow over the NATO issue?" (13/02/2008)

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Incomes in Romania are among the lowest in Europe, but price levels are similar to those in western Europe. The newspaper comments: "There is little money around, but a lot of speculators. A study conducted by J.P. Morgan Bank shows that prices in Romania are 59 percent of the EU average, but incomes only 37 percent, a discrepancy of 22 percent. In Bulgaria, which is supposed to be lagging behind Romania, the difference is only 8 percent. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia prices are lower than in Romania, but salaries are twice as high. ... Consumers respond to this by shopping elsewhere: people who live near Bucharest go to Bulgaria to buy cheap goods; people in Transylvania go to Hungary, and those in the north go to Ukraine." (13/02/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Labour market / Services, » Consumers, » Economic Policy, » Romania

French public media has gone on strike today, February 13th. They are protesting the President's plan to eliminate advertising from public television channels. "A public channel without advertising, with quality programming instead of spectacular diversions of all types? Yes, of course, yes three times over!" writes Fabrice Rousselot. "But here we are, and behind the great words, as is often the case, there is nothing. Without the money however, we can't have the public television of our dreams. Because the end of advertising isn't the end of ratings nor the renounciation of 'trash tv'. It's financing that allows us to take more risks, to present innovative programming, to develop new French television series. So it's up to Nicolas Sarkozy to provide the means to 'revolutionise' television without which we'll end up with the worst possible results of this decision, like lifeless public television." (13/02/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » France
All available articles from » Fabrice Rousselot

"Never before has a documentary film made it into the official comptetion at the Berlin Film Festival. That the first documentary to do this should be Errol Morris' film about the background to the Abu Ghraib torture scandal says something about our culture's addiction to images," writes Harald Jähner on "Standard Operating Procedure." "It is a film about conditions in the largest military prison in Iraq - but it is above all a film about the power of images, about sadism and voyeurism and a particularly unscrupulous form of amateur film-making and photography, shot by US soldiers using three digital cameras." Jähner, however, finds Morris' approach "questionable." "The Oscar winner has made a name for himself as a maker of 'impressionistic' documentary films, never at a loss for a design idea. Morris is a master of retrospective staging, who knows how to make documentary films into visual spectacles that aesthetically are a match for any extravagant feature film. Here he tries to compete with the gruesome directors of Abu Ghraib - and fails." (13/02/2008)

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The British government wants to close the loophole that enables rich Britons to avoid paying tax, by claiming 'non-domicile tax status'. "This ruse involves living in Britain while not being an official resident, and is one of the main ways in which the richest 54 billionaires in the country have paid on average 1 and a half per cent tax." Mark Steel writes the claim that any tax reform will force the rich to emigrate is ridiculous. "The genius of this argument is it says that to let the richest people in the country not pay tax is good for the economy. In effect it's saying the less we take from them, the richer we are. ... Along with Ireland, we're the only country that allows the wealthy to live here and pay no tax through this system, and apparently we should be proud of this. So we're bragging, 'We're so soft they come to rob us. Isn't that wonderful? They don't rob France or Italy, just us. But we mustn't upset them or they might go somewhere else and rob them instead'." (13/02/2008)

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All available articles from » Mark Steel