"Amnesty criticises the Blair administration for 'breaking the promise it made' in 1997 to promote human rights and for implementing, first in 2001 then in the wake of July 2005, an anti-terrorist policy that pays scant heed to the rights of suspects. Amnesty describes as "Kafkaesque” the plight of foreign terrorist suspects held in custody for years without trial on evidence that is kept secret,” writes Jean-Pierre Lengellier, the paper's London correspondent. "The organisation criticises 'the cruel, inhuman and degrading' treatment meted out to detainees in the Belmarsh maximum security unit in London. Detainees are confined to a single wing twenty-hours a day and suffer from physical and mental disorders arising from their conditions of detention and uncertainty over their fate.” (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, francés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Gran Bretaña
Todos los textos disponible de » Jean-Pierre Langellier

"Tony Blair's government flouts human rights, attacks freedoms, jeopardises the independence of the judiciary, and is even threatening the rule of law in the world's oldest democracy," the head of Amnesty International Spain, Esteban Beltrán, told the daily . He believes that the attacks of September 11 2001 in New York and July 7 2005 in London (where some fifty people perished) "does not justify policies that threaten the rule of law. Spain experienced the outrages of March 11, which claimed 200 lives and injured 1,500 people. Yet it has not adopted similar measures.” (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, español)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Gran Bretaña
Todos los textos disponible de » Alvaro Tizon

"The Prime Minister has demonstrated almost as little concern for human rights at home as President Bush has abroad," bemoans a leading article in the liberal daily. "Mr Blair's condemnation of Guantanamo Bay was pathetically weak. And his defence of his domestic anti-terror agenda was equally depressing." The piece goes on the same vein. "The human rights legacy of the Blair era is taking shape. Abroad, the Prime Minister is content to turn a blind eye to torture. At home, he is relaxed about the reintroduction of detention without trial and determined to push through a host of other pointless curbs on our civil liberties. Unless this changes, Mr Blair is in danger of being remembered as the man who squandered Britain's reputation as a civilised nation." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, inglés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Gran Bretaña

Turkish-German sociologist Necla Kelek, who attracted widespread attention with her book "Die Fremde Braut" (the foreign bride) and her fight to have forced marriages banned, is one of the most controversial figures in the debate surrounding immigration and integration in Germany. Critics accuse her of exaggerating in her descriptions of the Turkish immigrant milieu and conveying a biased picture of Islam. "We forget that many Muslim immigrants here live in 'collectives' whose world views are dominated by Islam," Kelek explains in an interview led by Regina Mönch and Heinrich Wefing. "These groups, which we affectionately refer to as large families, live according to different rules. There are no individual freedoms, no 'yes' or 'no' to the headscarf, to imported brides or bridegrooms. Those who leave the group commit treason. Few dare to do this, and neither the schools nor job centres nor social security offices are sending a strong message against this that could bring about a change." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, alemán)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Sociedad, » Alemania
Todos los textos disponible de » Necla Kelek

Philosopher Yves Micaud speaks out against "the defensive, pig-headed attitude" of the French judiciary, which has come in for serious criticism since the Outreau pedophile scandal. "So frequently does the judiciary now use the principle of the separation of powers to defend its right to disregard its social responsibility or its accountability to ordinary citizens that it is worth recalling some moral and legal points that the judiciary are apparently no longer taught. (...) If there is a concern that lies at the core of both Locke's and Montesquieu's doctrines of the separation of powers, then that concern is balance (...) If the separation of powers were invoked, it would be say that the deeply serious problem revealed by judicial excesses of the type seen in the Outreau affair is the absence of checks and curbs to limit the power of the judiciary.” (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, francés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Sociedad, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » Yves Michaud

On February 25 1948, the communists seized power in Czechoslovakia. The Czech Communists are now the only party among the former leaders of the Eas Bloc countries to remain resistant to reform until today. They were the second-strongest party in the European elections, and hope to enter government as a coalition partner following this summer's parliamentary elections. Political scientist Jiri Pehe says there is no real cause for concern. "The Communists may not have changed their ideology, but they no longer have the power to damage democracy. If they do become a minor coalition partner in the new government, their undemocratic ideas will be neutralised by the main governing party, as well as by the fact that the Czech Republic is a member of both the EU and NATO. The remnants of Bolshevist thought and mafia capitalism have a worse impact on democracy, and both these things can be found across the political spectrum." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, checo)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » La República Checa
Todos los textos disponible de » Jiří Pehe

"Was it racism that drove the 'Barbarians' to abduct and torture a young man? Or was it mere cretinism that prompted the murderers to believe that 'a Jew is a jackpot'?” wonders the editorialist Joëlle Meskens after the murder last week in France of Ilan Halimi. According to sources close to the inquiry, he was kidnapped by a group of young people demanding a high ransom because he was a member of the Jewish community. "That such clichés can still wreak havoc sends a shiver down the spine. Have all the efforts undertaken (particularly the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps) to rekindle the memory of the Holocaust failed to exorcise the demons? What the tragedy has revealed is this: ignorance, stupidity, greed, indifference, and fear (neighbours curious about the abductors' comings-and-goings dared not inform the police) fed this barbaric act. Whether the crime stemmed directly or indirectly from racism is not the sole question. For the murder raises questions about our whole social model.” (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, francés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » Joëlle Meskens

Walter Laqueur, director of the Washington-based Institute for Strategic Studies is surprised at some views on Denmark in the wake of the controversy over the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. "I have read articles in the world press that claim the far right has taken over the government without anyone realising and even that a semi-fascist regime is now in place. (...) Fascism does not rule in Denmark, and populism even less – at least not through any fault of the government. The current situation is a sorry one. An old friend, the former editor of one of Denmark's leading dailies, asserted that the government should appease Muslims by building a big mosque in downtown Copenhagen. If that could ease the situation, the ten mosques should be built. But would that work?" (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, español)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Dinamarca
Todos los textos disponible de » Walter Laqueur

Vaclav Klaus and Lech Kaczynski, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland respectively, both stressed that they have imposed strict bans on registered partnerships between homosexuals at a joint press conference held on February 17. Columnist Jerzy Pilch is appalled: "It was a disgraceful spectacle...To watch two heads of government taking pride in banning something, boasting about it and competing to see whose better at banning – is this a comedy or a tragedy?" (22/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, polaco)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Sociedad, » Centroeuropa
Todos los textos disponible de » Jerzy Pilch

For over 70 years – with the exception of a few brief interludes – Sweden has been governed by the Social Democrats. According to Max Arhippainen, this can't be attributed solely to the merits of the Social Democrats, but is also the result of chronic struggle between the country's different conservative parties. Since 2004, the four conservative parties have been trying to form an alliance to improve their chances of winning the elections this autumn. "If the partners manage to present a joint front, it would be a turning point in Swedish politics. The Social Democrats have always accused the conservatives of speaking with a forked tongue. Nowadays, they themselves are dependent on the Greens and the Left Party, and are not in a position to clarify which compromises they may be forced to agree to in the future." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, sueco)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Suecia
Todos los textos disponible de » Max Arhippainen

Moscow correspondent Andras Nemeth analyses the relations between Russia and the countries of Central Eastern Europe. "Russia wants to strengthen its economic influence in the countries of Central Eastern Europe. President Putin's upcoming visits to Prague and Budapest are aimed at this goal... Russia is trying to abuse the superior economic power it has achieved through increasing the prices for oil and gas. Many Hungarians and Poles are concerned to see Moscow increasingly using lobbying tactics to push forward its investment interests, and Russian capital gaining more and more influence in Central Eastern Europe. At the same time, Russian entrepreneurs have been complaining for years that - despite the denials of Central Eastern European governments - they are still suffering from discrimínation in Central Eastern Europe." (22/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, húngaro)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Economía, » Centroeuropa
Todos los textos disponible de » András Németh

One in six foreigners on the Austrian labour market comes from Germany – the majority of them from eastern Germany. This means that for the first time there are more German immigrant workers than Turkish ones in Austria. Lubos Palata notes that "the Germans work for salaries that, until now, only 'those from the East' have been willing to work for. He adds: "It won't be long before the Czech Republic is facing a similar situation. There's plenty of work here, and given that the Czech economy is growing as fast as the salaries, in a couple of years from now there will be German immigrant workers looking for work in Prague, in addition to the German managers who are already here. Perhaps then the government in Berlin will be willing to lift the restrictions that prevent Czech workers from working in Germany." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, checo)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Economía, » Austria
Todos los textos disponible de » Luboš Palata

Journalist Dace Akule asks whether Latvians who have left the country to work in Great Britain, Ireland or Sweden are causing damage to Latvia or helping it. "In Ireland, Latvians earn a lot more than at home and can send the money home to their families and accumulate savings which in most cases end up in Latvia. But in the long term and from an economic point of view, the Latvian state is missing out on tax revenues. Moreover, the great majority of emigrants have a higher level of education... This is why Latvia's ecomomic and demographic situation is particularly bad in comparison with other EU countries... So the time has come to think about how Latvians can be persuaded to remain at home." (24/02/2006)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, letón)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Economía, » Letonia
Todos los textos disponible de » Dace Akule

The paper looks back at the police raid ordered by the Justice Ministry at the offices of the "24 Horas". A month ago two "24 Horas” reporters, Joaquim Eduardo Oliveira and Jorge Van Krieken, had published leaks from an investigating magistrate's case file on the Casa Pia pedophile affair, which came to court in late 2004. "Disclosing to someone that his or her telephone has been tapped contravenes the secrecy law in cases under investigation,” admits the managing editor of the Diário de Notícias in a leading article. "But that is not the question. It lies, rather, in the how the law governing judicial secrecy is interpreted. (...) The government is putting in place a veritable administrative and legal obstacle course for free, independent journalism. We will fight it in every way we can.” (24/02/2006)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, portugués)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Medios de comunicación, » Portugal

"Never before has this been done so early", remarks Uta Baier after a press conference at which Roger M. Buergel, director of the 2007 international art exhibition "Documenta" in Kassel and his curator Ruth Noack announced the first names on the list of artists whose works will be shown in the exhibition. The names were Ferran Adria, Ricardo Basbaum, Imogen Stidworthy and Artur Zmijewski. "So it looks like it's somehow going to be about tradition, vulnerability, the joy of life and education," writes Baier. She adds: "The Spanish star cook, Ferran Adria, fits in perfectly here. Most people describe him as the most exciting, creative and craziest cook in the world... Buergel refuses to be drawn into the 'boring question' of whether cookery is an art form saying: 'After all, we can all agree that not every oil painting is a work of art.'" (24/02/2006)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, alemán)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Cultura, » Alemania
Todos los textos disponible de » Uta Baier

A comparative exhibition comprising 36 paintings by the Dutch Baroque painter Rembrandt and the Italian painter Caravaggio opens at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Monika Malkowska hails the exhibition as the "greatest event of the Rembrandt Year" marking the 400th anniversary of the birth of the famous artist. "There were certainly great differences in temperament between Rembrandt and Caravaggio, and this is reflected in their art. But what did they have in common? Well, both attempted to convey psychological truths about their heroes. And both were excellent 'directors' – they achieved wonderfully dramatic effects with their paintings... The exhibition is conceived as a kind of dialogue between these two masters. Pictures by the two artists with similar atmospheres are paired up and hung next to each other, and whenever possible, the same is done with pictures with the same motif or portraying the same event, as in the case of 'Holy Families' and 'Abraham's Sacrifice'." (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, polaco)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Cultura, » Holanda
Todos los textos disponible de » Monika Malkowska

The daily pays tribute to the Swiss theatre director Benno Besson, who died on Thursday February 23rd. It recalls how he arrived in the German Democratic Republic in 1948. "The world was splitting in two. The West saw Stalin as the Devil, and the Communist bloc as Hell. Besson chose East Berlin and a student's garret. He lived the life of a hedonistic intellectual, in an atmosphere of overdrive and conspiracy within the Berliner Ensemble, the troupe led by Brecht and his wife Helen Weigel. Benno Besson flaunted his irreverence and his taste for masks, farce, and popular forms of theatre. (...) Besson liked to enjoy himself, even when working. The play was his life, his way of seizing the world, and giving all the chance to reinvent reality as they saw it. There was nothing dogmatic about this former Trotskyist, as he called himself. He was a man of loyalty – to the effervescence of East Berlin in the early Communist period, to Brecht, and to his own sense of fantasy.” (24/02/2006)

» informaciones adicionales (enlace externo, francés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Cultura, » Alemania
Todos los textos disponible de » Alexandre Demidoff