Following Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia the Turkish daily Milliyet condemns Russian support for the Republic of Cyprus: "In principle, or on paper, everybody is in favour of territorial integrity and against separatism. The Russian Federation also espouses these principles due to its own problematic regions, like Chechnya. But when it suits its interests, Moscow carefully defends the same criteria for others, like on the Kosovo issue, or for Cyprus. Moscow has long supported the Greek Cypriot administration over the Cyprus issue, objected to Turks' establishing a separate entity, and refused to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). But Russia's operation in South Ossetia and its active support for separatism both there and in Abkhazia ... shows that when its own interests are at stake, it takes the opposite side. Moscow's recognizing separatist regions over Georgia's territorial integrity is a bad example for the Greek Cypriots, who have always gotten sympathy and support from Russia." (27/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Cyprus, » Russia, » Turkey
All available articles from » Sami Kohen

Cyprus must insist that international law will be observed in the Caucasus conflict, writes Phileleftheros newspaper. "It is true that Russia ... supported us in the Cyprus conflict. It is no accident that the Republic of Cyprus ... sees Moscow as a stable ally, because Moscow's view of the Cyprus problem ... is based on international law. Appealing to international law ... is the strongest weapon we have. For that reason we must be very careful how we interpret the crisis between Russia and Georgia. The Republic of Cyprus will soon ... have to make an official statement on this topic. This position must not vary from the one we have had for years. That means we must unconditionally call for the respect and protection of the territorial sovereignty of states. The position we ... adopted for Kosovo must also apply to Georgia. ... Otherwise we will only undermine our own position." (28/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Cyprus, » Russia
All available articles from » Giannis Antoniu

The Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung sees Turkey caught in a catch-22 situation regarding Russia owing to the unresolved Cyprus issue. "Turkey has fallen between two stools as regards the Caucasus crisis. ... While the US and many European states have condemned Russia's recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ankara confined itself to a statement by its foreign ministry expressing Turkey's concern about the 'recent developments'. That was a minimum rather than a maximum of diplomatic criticism. ... If Turkey condemns Moscow's recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ankara risks being told by Moscow that it has done the same thing in Cyprus. ... Turkey could even be tempted to follow Russia's example in Cyprus. ... The game with the two conflicting principles, the right of self-determination of minorities - including those in Kosovo and on Cyprus - and territorial integrity in all other cases, is an extremely awkward issue." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Cyprus, » Russia, » Turkey

For the first time French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner mentioned yesterday the possibility of imposing sanctions against Russia for its conduct in the Caucasus. The left-liberal newspaper Právo considers this approach unrealistic: "The only sanction that would really hurt Russia would be if Europe were to stop buying its gas. But the EU cannot afford to do this even in theory because it would collapse before Russia even noticed the difference. Independence on Russian raw materials is a mortal sin. The EU has never been able to agree on a common energy policy. ... One could exclude Russia from the G8 group of states. It doesn't belong there anyway; it was only allowed to join as a gesture to Mikhail Gorbachev. Boycotting the Sochi Olympic Games would only be a moral gesture. So what can be done? A ban on imports of Russian caviar? Rubbish! ... The West has no alternative but to act rationally and try and save what can be saved. Both Georgian provinces have been lost. The main priority now is to save Ukraine from a similar fate." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Russia, » Europe
All available articles from » Jiří Hanák

Le Monde analyses the significance for EU citizens of the European elections and the nomination process for the president of the European Commission laid out in the Treaty of Lisbon: "Apart from referendums, the elections to the European Parliament are the sole means for the citizens of the Union to directly express their opinions on questions regarding Europe. Certainly, the elections are often dominated by national problems, but they offer political parties a platform for a broad debate on the state of Europe. ... In France, as elsewhere, preparations for the elections in June 2009 have already begun. In 2009 the new Commission President will also be named. Why not use this twin event to make up for the European Union's ... 'democratic deficit'? ... Coupling the parliamentary elections with the battle for the Commission offers a double advantage: it would make the procedure more transparent, and the nomination of a president would no longer be choosing a person, but a policy." (28/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Thomas Ferenczi

Slavenka Drakulić, expert on international tribunals, accuses Croatia in The Guardian of keeping fascist traditions alive behind its innocent mask as a popular tourist destination. "If anti-fascism is stated in the constitution of the new Croatian state, if the law prohibits the inciting of national, religious and racial hatred, then what's the problem? The problem is the Croatian attitude to its own past. Documents and declarations are one thing, but reality is another. ... Before its 17 years of independence, Croatia was an independent state only once: between 1941 and 1945 - when it was ruled by a Nazi puppet government. ... Croatian politicians, especially Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, loudly promote European values and declare their commitment to join the EU. While such un-European behaviour as war crimes, terrorism and fascism might be legally banned, they are, in practice, tolerated and even nourished. Does the EU need this Croatia - a country that is showing the world only its pretty summer face, but keeping its dubious values hidden?" (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » History, » Croatia
All available articles from » Slavenka Drakulic

The Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has refused to include the former Polish president and freedom fighter Lech Walesa on a list of victims of the former communist regime. The liberal right-wing government criticises this and wants to restrict the authority's powers regarding the re-examination of communist crimes. In the daily Dziennik Commentator Piotr Zarmenba argues against a reform of the law. "I find it very disturbing when politicians start trying to mould autonomous institutions to fit their own ideas. ... Just as I was against the Institute compiling an official list of former agents I am also opposed to the idea of the victim list being passed by government decree. The IPN should write the history but leave the public to draw its own conclusions. ... In future someone who has different views to those of [IPN President Janusz] Kurtyka could take his place. But this should be done in a civilised manner and only when his term of office has come to an end." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » History, » Poland
All available articles from » Piotr Zaremba

Bucking popular opinion in Bulgaria, the weekly magazine Kapital writes that the country did have its own 1968, and experienced a local version of Prague Spring: "It was the first country to call for military intervention in Czechoslovakia and the last one to apologise for the crushing of Prague Spring after the fall of communism. That is our 1968, and we should not forget it, much less disavow it, because it determines the transition in Bulgaria and what we are now. We should think of this 1968 every time we are shocked by a supposed dissident's collaboration with the secret police, or when we marvel at our society's tolerance in the face of corruption, abuse of power and political manipulation. ... It is the mark which separates the East from the West both culturally and economically, and renders equalisation impossible. Because Prague Spring marked out a geography according to which we are still in the East." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » History, » Bulgaria

According to a study by the non-governmental organisation Foodwatch, agricultural businesses in Germany produce just as much carbon dioxide as road traffic. The news magazine Der Spiegel calls for a reduction in beef consumption: "The result [of the study] will put die-hard lovers of braised beef in a panic. Because even if all companies and methods - bio or not - were optimised to reduce their environmental impact, the fact remains that the central way of making agriculture more climate compatible involves a drastic reduction in beef production. ... The price of beef olives will then rise dramatically. ... [And] anyone who believes that buying a rib steak from an health food shop will help climate protection has another thing coming. This becomes obvious when you convert beef production to an equivalent number of kilometres driven in your car. One kilo of bio-fed meat generates the same emissions as driving 113.4 kilometres in a compact car. With conventional feed the equivalent is 70.6 kilometres because production is more intensive. ... However [politicians] only call for what has long been compulsory: not the slightest reduction in beef production." (25/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Consumers, » Agriculture, » Germany, » Global
All available articles from » Michaela Schiessl, » Christian Schwägerl

Only recently the European Commission issued telecommunications companies with a warning for over-charging for their roaming services for international mobile phone calls. Now the Commission has intervened once more to prevent the branch from rounding up the costs of telephone calls to their own advantage. The tabloid newspaper De Telegraaf justifies the move: "A conversation that lasts a minute and two seconds can be rounded up to two minutes, driving up the bill. The Commission's indignation at this practice is justified. Such behaviour is not just inappropriate, it borders on theft. Naturally the Commission wants to take new steps to protect customers, so it has called on all states to oblige telecommunications companies to charge by the second. An excellent idea, although it is a shame that it is necessary to pass laws to make companies act reasonably. But a sector that treats its customers like this has only itself to blame." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Corporations, » Europe

According to the most recent data collected by the National Statistics Office the UK's economic growth has ground to a halt. The business newspaper Les Echos says British Prime Minister Gordon Brown must act accordingly. "The athletic Gordon Brown should take inspiration from the ... gold medals ... won [at the Olympic Games] in China. ... The Scotsman ... does not lack determination, but he has less tactical skill. ... For the grandiose achievements of the 'Team Britain' were the only bright spot for the British this summer. By contrast the country's economic performance is on a downwards slide. ... Of course the British economy is not the only one in Europe to be sinking into recession. But this is small consolation for our island neighbours who have enjoyed 16 years of uninterrupted prosperity. ... Let us hope that [Olympic champion in track cycling] Chris Hoy can give Gordon Brown a few tips. ... Otherwise the latter could become the 'eliminated Scot'." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Trade, » Corporations, » Financial Markets, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Isabelle Chaperon

Europe's airlines are in the midst of a crisis. Following in the footsteps of debt-ridden Austrian Airlines and Italy's Alitalia, Luxembourg is now also seeking a partner for its state-owned airline Luxair. But a partnership with Germany's Lufthansa could lead to conflict, the daily Luxemburger points out. "The name Lufthansa must ... bring back unpleasant memories for the Luxembourger cargo airline. After all, it was the German airline that got the international air cargo rivals - including Cargolux - into trouble with the competition authorities in Europe and the US for coordinating their fuel surcharge prices. The [German] company may have acted appropriately in its own interest, but Lufthansa did considerable damage to Cargolux. This relationship would have to be resolved in the negotiations." (28/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Corporations, » Germany, » Luxembourg
All available articles from » Andreas Holpert

In view of the success of electronic devices for reading books such as Amazon's "Kindle", the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung asks whether "the printed book, our culture's most important medium, is menaced. ... So far only one thing seems certain: anyone who has anything to do with books, be it writing, printing, binding, publishing, transporting, selling or reading them, will be affected in one way or another by the new technology. ... It is not just the economics of the book market that will change. An unprecedented upheaval is threatening to radically alter the long-standing profanation of the written word. ... The cult of the book has its oldest and deepest roots in religion. The process of Enlightenment and secularisation has not destroyed this cult, but simply given it new roots. Anyone who picks up Amazon's e-book reader cannot fail to be impressed in the first hours and days by the technical possibilities offered by the device. Then when he goes back to his bookshelf, the aura of the book appears to him as tender and vulnerable as the wings of a butterfly." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Audiovisual Media, » Publishing houses, » Global
All available articles from » Hubert Spiegel

For the first time in Romania's football history seven Romanian teams are to compete in the UEFA Champions League. The daily Adevărul comments: "Almost half of the First Division is in: the Bucharest trio Steaua, Dinamo and Rapid plus four from the provinces. ... Two Romanian clubs are playing for the first time in [the most important European club championship] the Champions League: Steaua Bucharest and CFR Cluj. This is truly amazing because five or six years ago we would never have dreamed that even one team would play in the Champions League. ... Football greats like Holland, Russia, Turkey, Greece and Scotland are doing less well. ... That must mean something. ... Now the main thing is that we do not behave like the poor relatives from the provinces. Steaua must do better than last year when Bucharest scored only one point. And newcomer CFR Cluj should take care not to go wild at the festival." (29/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Grigore Cartianu