Europe's attitude to Obama and the trans-Atlantic relationship is governed mainly by emotions, not political issues, the Financial Times Deutschland believes. "Life will certainly be uncomfortable with the Democrats, they [the experts and analysts] warn; the saviour will demand that the Europeans send more soldiers to Afghanistan; on trade policy he will yield to the pressure of the protectionists in his party. ... These advocates of cool objectivity are right on every score, and yet they are mistaken all the same. ... No other relationship with a foreign country arouses such strong emotions in the European population as that with the USA. ... After eight years of the culturally alien, politically incompetent, high-handed George W. Bush the trans-Atlantic relationship needs a positive figure to identify with more urgently than at almost any time in its history. The elegant, politically agile and physically sleek Barack Obama is certainly far more capable of offering the Europeans a plane for their positive projections than the odd-ball John McCain." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Thomas Klau

The business newspaper Le Monde reflects on the phenomenon of "Obamania" in Europe and says that the Europeans should not have overly high expectations of the next US president: "If the Europeans were able to elect the next president of the United States on 4 November the result would no doubt ... be a very broad majority ... for Barack Obama. ... But whoever becomes president, whether a Republic or a Democrat enters the White House on 20 January 2009 - the Europeans are expecting too much of him ... [They] are expecting a radical change of course in US foreign policy ... But the Europeans should not deceive themselves ... Paradoxically, if they really want to obtain such a radical change in US policy, then it is the economic and trading power Europe that should change and become a real political entity in order to be a serious partner of the United States as well as China, Russia and the other newly industrialised powers." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Europe, » U.S.
All available articles from » Jacques Hubert-Rodier

Markku Ruotsila, a lecturer on American and British history, criticises in his guest commentary for the daily Helsingin Sanomat the Europeans' unrealistic expectations of Obama: "People say and believe that as soon as he takes office he will turn his back on George W. Bush's foreign and defence policy and set the United States on the path of multilateralism, cooperation with the United Nations and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts according to the West European model. This idea is absurd. Obama will act no differently to Bush on key foreign policy issues for the simple reason that there is cross-party consensus in this area in the US. Election campaign tactics may lead him to claim the contrary but the fact is that on the most important foreign policy issues ... Bush followed the US tradition. ... And Obama, too, will be no exception in this respect." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Markku Ruotsila

According to the daily Postimees the reason why Obama is so popular in Europe is because he invites his partners to participate in dialogue. It is only with Russia that he comes up against limitations: "In contrast to his [Republican rival John] McCain Obama believes that one can overcome differences through negotiations. But as history has shown, this is not possible with Russia. In this respect his policy of reconciliation is naïve and even destructive from the point of view of Estonia. ... We should not believe that Obama understands our history and our concerns for he did not visit our country during his tour of Europe. McCain on the other hand counts the leaders of smaller nations like Georgia among his friends; and McCain supported the country when it was exposed to Russian aggression while Obama went on holiday to Hawaii with his family." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Estonia, » Russia, » Europe, » U.S., » Georgian Republic
All available articles from » Priit Pullerits

The continuing protests in Italy against the educational reform, which have resulted in street battles between radical groups of students, prompt the daily Le Temps to analyse the deterioration in the social mood in Italy. "It's a long time since Italy has had such a destructive social climate. ... The mass protests that the law [introduced by Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini] has induced between different extreme tendencies within the student movement shows that the school reform is only a symptom of a more profound malaise. For some time Italian society's radical attitude to immigrants, but also the polarisation of social relations among the Italians themselves, has been an alarming factor in a creeping [social] intolerance. In football stadiums the Ultras [fans prepared to engage in violence] feel justified in using the Hitler salute. ... The rebellion of the Italian students is not just a whim. It is a cry for help from a younger generation looking for a future not marked by fear." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Stéphane Bussard

The Swedish daily Aftonbladet criticises the leadership style of current EU Council president and French head of government Nicolas Sarkozy, who apparently considers the next countries scheduled to hold the rotating EU presidency, the Czech Republic and Sweden, to be lightweights: "They are not part of the EMU [European Monetary Union] and do not have the same authority as the larger EU countries. ... Sarkozy is completely ignoring EU regulations and practice: the countries billed for presidency are being pushed to one side and the authority of the ECB undermined; the three dominant EU powers are setting the agenda ... The Swedish government, which Sarkozy has ticked off in the same way as he did with the Czech government, remains silent. [Head of government Fredrik] Reinfeldt, who is in danger of having to conduct his EU presidency from the sidelines, seems prepared to accept the arrogance of the great power [France]. [Foreign Minister] Carl Bildt is as usual residing at some unknown location. ... But at least one of the [conservative] members of government should remember that Sweden is part of Europe." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » France, » Czech Republic, » Sweden

Morocco has recalled around 50 imams from the Netherlands to give them new instructions. According to the daily Trouw this smacks of dangerous intervention in religious issues: "The second problem is that the number of Moroccan Dutch who have managed to become imams is very small. This means the Moroccan community has to rely on Moroccan imams, and if they prove not to be deaf to instructions from Rabat spiritual freedom could be at stake. ... Moroccan Dutch must also be able to develop without having to fear the long arm of their former native country. But the most worrying thing about this situation is the secrecy: imams who travel to Morocco without giving any explanation and a Moroccan government that cloaks itself in silence. An end must be put to all this secrecy as a toxic source of rumours. One glimmer of hope is that the Moroccan community has also come to this conclusion." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Integration, » Netherlands, » North Africa

In an opinion piece for the daily Delo Janez Potočnik, the EU Commissioner responsible for Science and Research from Slovenia, advocates an intensified exchange of knowledge within Europe: "We need freedoms that boost our creativity, our entrepreneurial spirit and our innovative potential. Knowledge is becoming the motor of the global economy. ... We continue to strongly advocate the fortification of the 'four freedoms of the EU': they guarantee citizens living in the member states freedom of movement, free movement of goods, free circulation of services and free movement of capital, but clearly the time has come to add a fifth freedom, free movement of knowledge. ... If we are looking for the best solution we are more likely to find it if we look in 27 countries and not just in one. ... The model of open innovation, which means that companies can freely seek the most comprehensive knowledge and the best qualifications independently of their location, strengthens the interaction between national governments and the private sector, ... for no country can secure highly qualified knowledge while at the same time producing knowledge in all areas. Performance in research and innovation can therefore only be optimal if we transcend national levels." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Janez Potočnik

Christoph Meyer, former British Ambassador to Washington, reflects on the "special relationship" between the United States and Britain: "Since 1945, the relationship has gone through sharp troughs and peaks. These have had almost nothing to do with whichever party was in power. It has always been about interests and issues - and, at the margin, personal chemistry between leaders. ... America will act on an unsentimental calculation of where its national interest lies. The problem with the rhetoric of the Special Relationship is that it implicitly denies this reality, putting a burden of expectation on the ties between our two countries, which they cannot bear. Whoever wins, Britain must rest its relationship with America on four propositions: is America our single most important ally and partner? Absolutely. Does this mean that our national interests will always coincide? Absolutely not. Should we stand up for our interests when they diverge from the Americans? Absolutely. Will having rows with the US from time to time fatally undermine the closeness of the relationship? Absolutely not." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Christopher Meyer

The business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore has welcomed the plan presented in the European Parliament to support the European car industry. Alongside financial assistance for developing environmentally-friendly technology the plan also includes incentives to scrap old cars. "Those are the pillars of a two-pronged strategy emerging at the European level to support the ailing car industry and to cushion the costs incurred by the sector through the package of climate protection measures. The demands presented by the director of Peugeot and the presiding chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Christian Streiff, have gained the full support of the vice-president of the EU Commission Günther Verheugen. ... Still to be resolved is the problem of emissions and carbon dioxide. Car manufacturers are demanding that they be given more time to adapt to the norms and are protesting above all against the sanctions for non-compliance, which in the end would only prompt new injections of funding from state budgets." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Corporations, » Europe
All available articles from » Enrico Rivio

The dizzying ascent of Volkswagen share prices to around 1000 euros per share was triggered by careless speculation. The daily De Morgen has no sympathy with the traders. "These pirates of the market ... were once aptly described as the locusts of the stock exchange. Always on the lookout for financial gain without any consideration for the economic and social bloodbaths they triggered in doing so. ... Now some pretty clever traders have deservedly suffered losses and some of the hedge funds are on the verge of bankruptcy because they bet on the wrong horse. Few will shed any tears for them. ... It is proof that the real economy sometimes triumphs over the greed of the speculative vultures. Nonetheless, it remains a mystery why the authorities, who at this point have injected many billions into the system, have not put an end to these practices." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Financial Markets, » Germany
All available articles from » Yves Desmet

The EU is currently investigating whether in offering Internet access at a particularly low rate Polish Telekom (TPSA) abused its dominant market position. The conservative daily Rzeczpospolita comments: "At issue is a breach of the principle of competition. ... The whole affair was so fishy that even Brussels smelt a rat . But it is hard to be surprised about TPSA. For some time now - ultimately because of a ruling of the market monitoring authority UKE - TPSA has been losing customers to its rivals. [The monopoly Telekom is legally obliged to allow private telecommunications companies to use its network.] And no company will willingly share its profits with its rivals. ... But one need not feel sorry for TPSA [either], for its profits exceeded two billion złoty [around 550 million euros] in the first ten months of this year." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Hubert Salik

The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung comments on the efforts of Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to get a last-minute invitation to the meeting of the G20 group. The G8 and the chief newly industrialised countries will meet in the United States in November to discuss a new order for the financial market. "There should really be no doubt that after thirty years of democracy and an astonishing flourishing of its economy Spain should no longer be sitting at the children's table when the international community discusses strategies for the future. Through skillful national government and generous European funding Spain has prospered to become a model economy and, in terms of GDP, number 5 in the EU and number 8 in the world. Yet it still has to wait outside the door when the G8 meets. ... In his second term in office Zapatero has developed foreign policy ambitions. But so far Madrid's knock has produced only a faint echo." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Leo Wieland

The Brussels correspondent of the daily Romania libera Dan Alexe is worried about the future of education: "Many countries, France, Britain, Belgium etc. already know that the next generation will experience a shortage of teachers and trainers. My two children go to school in Belgium, and for years I have been watching the quality of education decline. I have seen that many teachers lack a comprehensive grasp of the subject they teach. Primary school teachers have problems with spelling, or they use only the Internet without ever entering a public library; these are people whose knowledge of the world is gleaned from television. Teachers are among the worst paid professional group, in both eastern and western Europe. ... Nowadays a teacher is a loser. A person who does not even have enough money to buy property." (30/10/2008)

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All available articles from » Dan Alexe

The festivals in Villerupt and Annecy have become the two most important events for Italian cinema and culture in France. The daily Le Quotidien reports on how these events are now battling for survival after the Italian cultural budget was cut: "The efforts of the film industry to get their films distributed internationally have often been confined to producing a copy with English subtitles. ... The Villerupt festival has therefore spent 20,000 euros on French subtitles for films they really wanted to have on the festival programme. ... Despite the economic crisis it is difficult to understand the film policy of the Italian government, particularly seen as trans-Alpine films are experiencing a boost in both quantity and quality at the moment." (29/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » France, » Italy
All available articles from » Pablo Chimienti

Once again a row has broken out between the authorities and the residents of Copenhagen's alternative neighbourhood known as Freetown Christiania, which was founded in 1971 in the city's Christianshavn district. Following a house eviction rioting broke out in the streets between Christiania residents and the police. The daily Dagbladet Information writes: "The worst thing about this is that any further clashes between Christiania residents and the police seem so utterly pointless. Sooner or later Christiania will be granted the right to continue to exist, just as happened with the [hotly disputed] youth centre that celebrated its opening ceremony last week - around 200 million crowns plus a couple of CNN reports and a devastated [Copenhagen district of ] Norrebo richer." (30/10/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Denmark