Over 100,000 people gathered in the Estonian capital Tallinn to commemorate the "Singing Revolution", a peaceful protest staged against the Soviet regime 20 years ago, with a singing festival. The daily Postimees writes that in doing this the Estonians have demonstrated political maturity and sent a message to the current government: "The people at the singing festival yesterday have proven that it is they who define the state, as Article 1 of our constitution stipulates. This was a clear message to our politicians and elected representatives. No one can claim today that Estonia has not developed into a civilian society. The question now is how we can further develop this system. But the people have shown that they have earned the necessary trust to do this." (21/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » History, » Estonia

Just one day after the bomb attack in Algeria more than 50 people have died in two new terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists south east of the country's capital, Algiers. The daily La Repubblica claims the attacks are connected to the impending begin of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. "The massacres are proof that the Islamist terrorist groups have reorganised and despite the siege of the region are coming down from the mountains of Kabylie to spread terror in the cities. ... The approach of Ramadan has woken the terrorists from their slumber. It is regarded as a good time for waging jihad [the holy war] and paradise is said to await those who die as martyrs during this time. ... Meanwhile fear is growing, particularly in Algiers, where memories of the double suicide attacks of 11 December 2007 against the headquarters of UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Supreme Court are still fresh." (21/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » North Africa
All available articles from » Fabio Scuto

The daily newspaper Dnevnik criticises Europe's widespread anti-smoking laws, drawing parallels to the anti-smoking campaign in the Third Reich: "Tobacco is 'race poison', and cigarettes are an attribute of 'ignoble races' like Gypsies and Jews. The lungs of 'the chosen people' should remain pure, however, according to just a few of the postulates of National Socialist ideology and practice. To avoid being misunderstood: of course smoking is harmful, and non-smokers need protection. Nevertheless the anti-liberal spirit which is gradually (as in the US) becoming established in the EU, the militant intolerance toward smokers and the series of bizarre restrictions call to mind Adolf Hitler's manic fight against smoking." (21/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Health Policy, » Europe, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Alexander Andreev

Following the death of ten French soldiers in Afghanistan the debate about participation in international troops and NATO strategy has flared up once more in Belgium. The daily De Standaard writes: "There is no positive side to the Afghan issue. From a military point of view the area is out of control. The expelled Taliban even appear to be gaining ground once more. It would be morally reprehensible to give them free reign, so there is no exit strategy. But establishing peace, stability and prosperity at gunpoint has also proved to be a hopeless approach. The easiest thing to do is to stay out of the conflict. But then we forfeit our right to have a say. ... We cannot expect the Belgian government to find a solution single-handedly, and we cannot allow it to let others carry the burden and criticise from the sideline. But through its military involvement it has the opportunity and also the obligation to be involved in the search for a more sensible strategy." (21/08/2008)

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All available articles from » Bart Sturtewagen

43 people were killed in a bomb attack in Algeria yesterday. The daily La Stampa calls for Europe to become more active in the region. "Algeria has been living with terrorism for 15 years. Yesterday's bombs should not be regarded by the West as the local problem of a country in which political and religious tensions are mixed up with the historical roots of the ethnic conflicts between the Algerian-Arab majority and the Berber minority in Kabylia." The paper writes that Europe needs to pay more attention to this region. "Attention that would highlight Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union project by inserting the Maghreb into a unified vision of Europe in which the hope of common interests overcomes the ethnic, religious, political and social divisions and differences." (20/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Africa
All available articles from » Mimmo Candito

An old people's home in the Netherlands has taken the decision not to resuscitate people aged over 70 when they suffer cardiac arrest. The public health authority is examining the introduction of a corresponding guideline and has thus triggered a broad debate. The daily De Volkskrant criticises the plans to introduce such a guideline. "It is generally mandatory to attempt resuscitation even if success is not guaranteed. ... Yet resuscitation does not make sense in all cases. With terminally ill patients in the final stages of their illness medical intervention can be harmful and lead to more suffering than foregoing resuscitation. But setting an age limit ... is completely arbitrary. ... Doctors and medical staff are in principle obliged to do everything in their power to keep the patient alive. Patients who are of sound mind can come to an agreement with their doctor about whether ... they are to be resuscitated or not. This is a matter to be decided by individual agreement and not by general guidelines." (20/08/2008)

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The daily La Vanguardia comments on yesterday's attack on Nato troops in Afghanistan in which 10 French soldiers were killed: "The worrying thing about this attack is that it occurred just 50 kilometres from the capital, Kabul, and was carried out by a group of around a hundred rebels. This is a further indication that the Taliban has redoubled its attacks. ... The situation in Afghanistan has worsened despite the presence of 70,000 US and Nato soldiers, including 500 Spanish soldiers. Although in theory it won the war against the Taliban in late 2001, the West still has a long way to go before it gains control of this vast country. [Instead] it is trapped in the country after seven years of military presence. The government under [Afghan President] Hamid Karzai is so weak that it probably would not last even a day if the allies were to withdraw - and this would have grave consequences for the region, particularly in Pakistan." (20/08/2008)

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Since 1996 there have been plans to construct a railway tunnel between the Estonian capital of Tallinn and the Finnish capital of Helsinki. The tunnel would be around 80 kilometres long, take around ten years to build and cost an estimated two to three billion euros. The daily Helsingin Sanomat welcomes the gigantic construction project. "Many people think all the talk of the tunnel is a joke. ... [But] social development and the future call for visionary projects. ... Let us reflect on how many things have changed since the plan was first presented to the public. The Baltic states became EU members in 2004. ... For a long time now the new member states have been developing at a more rapid pace than Western Europe. ... The EU's main interest lies eastwards. ... The volume of traffic in Europe requires that we adopt new approaches. ... And then there is all the worry about climate change. ... One can marvel at the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel project, but it is certainly nothing to be ridiculed." (20/08/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Estonia, » Finland

Today US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski will sign the agreement on stationing the US missile defence shield in Poland. Environmental activist George Monbiot writes in The Guardian that the agreement only goes to serve domestic political and economic interests: "Poland is just the latest fall guy for an American foreign policy dictated by military industrial lobbyists in Washington. The American government insists that the interceptors, which will be stationed on the Baltic coast, have nothing to do with Russia: their purpose is to defend Europe and the US against the intercontinental ballistic missiles Iran and North Korea don't possess. This is why they are being placed in Poland, which, as every geography student in Texas knows, shares a border with both rogue states. ... The system has been in development since 1946, and so far it has achieved a grand total of nothing. ... US politics, because of the failure by both Republicans and Democrats to deal with the problems of campaign finance, is rotten. ... Federal government is a vast corporate welfare programme, rewarding the industries that give millions of dollars in political donations with contracts worth billions. Missile defence is the biggest pork barrel of all ... The government's interests have always been provincial. ... The US does not really have a foreign policy. It has a series of domestic policies which it projects beyond its borders. ... The only question of interest is who gets paid and what the political kickbacks will be." (19/08/2008)

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All available articles from » George Monbiot

German experts are to advise the Bulgarian government on how to improve its management of EU funding. The daily Sega sees a conflict of interests here: "What could be better - German consultants, who are regarded as the Mercedes Benz of the branch, in management. Those in power have long had a preference for the Mercedes brand, and spend plenty of money on it. For their part the German consultants also have no intention of tightening their belts. Experience has shown that the German consultants who serve the Bulgarian government generally go easy on their clients on official occasions. However in their reports to their main employer, the German government, they complain that their advice is not being followed. That's the way it is when one serves two masters at the same time. ... Such diplomatic games do no one any good. If Germany wants to achieve something by putting Bulgaria under pressure, its consultants are welcome. Because what Bulgaria really needs are monitors. The government does not need to be taught - it needs to be forced to work. One should call things by their proper name: even German brooms will be no help if we continue to sweep the problems under the carpet."  (19/08/2008)

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All available articles from » Svetoslav Tersiev