Wieland Schneider describes incumbent Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek as the "Machiavelli of the Vltava": "The poor Czechs. They can only shake their heads in confusion at the behaviour of their political elite – confusion about whether what they're witnessing on the Vltava is a burlesque or a deadly serious drama about a man clinging to power at all costs… The official version was that Social Democrat Paroubek haggled with President elect Mirek Topolanek about the price of the Social Democrats' toleration of his new government. But it soon became clear that Paroubek wanted more: he wants to steer the new cabinet's policies. It's now becoming increasingly evident that this latter-day Machiavelli let the negotiations fail on purpose – so that he himself can become prime minister again. There are enough governments in Central and Eastern Europe where adventurers are wreaking havoc, from the Kaczynski brothers in Poland to Slovakia, where the cabinet is propped up by right-wing extremists. Now the Czech Republic, too, seems to be headed the wrong way." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » La República Checa
Todos los textos disponible de » Wieland Schneider

Berthold Kohler describes the latest developments as a "Prague nightmare". Step by step, incumbent Prime minister Jiri Paroubek "has shown the Czechs that ODS won't be able to form a government without his support. And his solution to the problem is clear: Jiri Paroubek has no reservations about forming his own cabinet with the support of the Communist Party. All he needed for a majority was a defector, for example from the People's Party, which has formed a coalition with him in the past. For their part the Communists, now cast in the role of the knight in shining armour, must think they're dreaming." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » La República Checa
Todos los textos disponible de » Berthold Kohler

Former dissident Petr Uhl approves the decision of Miroslav Kalousek, leader of the Christian Democrats, to join a government which is dependent on the support of the Communist Party. "With his decision he is contributing to improving the political situation. Now Martin Bursik, leader of the Greens, is the only one who still opposes the idea of a communist- backed government. But the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats don't need the Greens. They already have enough votes to form a government… The Christian Democrats have given up their resistance to the left and its social policies. Since yesterday the country's future looks more democratic and less anti-communist." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » La República Checa
Todos los textos disponible de » Petr Uhl

Commentator Karel Steigerwald takes a very different view of the situation, harshly criticising the Christian Democrats for being content to see themselves tolerated by orthodox communists. "This future government is not a product of the elections. It has been forged among the parties themselves. Who would have voted for a coalition between the Communists and Social Democrats? Or between the Christian Democrats and the Communists? Miroslav Kalousek, head of the Christian Democrats, admitted yesterday that forming a coalition with the Social Democrats (tolerated by the Communists) would be an important step for his party. It's more than that – it's betraying the voters." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » La República Checa
Todos los textos disponible de » Karel Steigerwald

Journalist Sonja Margolina notes that Russia's intellectuals are turning their backs on Western values and looking for their models elsewhere: "Post-Soviet society doesn't want charity but the success which the fake democracy of the 1990s failed to provide and which oil-rich authoritarianism now promises. Global players like China, who make no normative demands of other states but have reached dizzying heights, exercise a powerful attraction over the losers of the new world order. The Chinese miracle is proof to them that success and 'Western values' do not necessarily go hand in hand; that fewer personal freedoms and corrupt institutions don't necessarily lessen your chances of success. In addition to America's mistakes and Europe's abstinence, the new experience of a different kind of success, a non-Western one, is leading to a weakening in pro-Western orientation… China's success legitimises Russia's different, non-Western approach." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Movimientos sociales, » Rusia
Todos los textos disponible de » Sonja Margolina

"The left will only be able to seriously confront the world of the future by modernising, which is to say, by doing what all the other parties of the European left have done: imagine the world of the 21st century using the tools of the same century," warns Zaki Laïdi, researcher at the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI) in Paris. "The left must stop demonising globalisation as is its wont, and for a very simple reason. In acting this way, it reinforces among its members and voters the very type of social pessimism and lack of long-term thinking that they rightfully deplore. ... The real challenge here is not to demonise globalisation or, conversely, to minimise its dangers. It is to emphasize, in a systematic way, the opportunities that it creates for everyone. To be of the left is to open up the playing field; it means bringing about social optimism." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Filosofía, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » Zaki Laïdi

Luckas Vander Taelen, Belgian journalist and stage-manager, picks up on the controversial remarks made by the Flemish president-minister, Yves Leterme, who declared in a recent interview that the Walloons have little in common with Flemishes."So is there no-one in the Flanders region who understands that Francophones find themselves in doubt when the Flemish president-minister doesn't go beyond beer and football when asked what keeps us together in this country? This really doesn't indicate the least interest for culture in our country. But this double identity of which Leterme is, with a Walloon father and a Flemish mother, rather ironically one of the products, no longer interests him (...) Leterme will reap electoral benefits from these tough remarks, but I fear that with this kind of outburst, the Flanders region is  increasingly becoming withdrawn into itself." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Bélgica
Todos los textos disponible de » Luckas Vander Taelen

A statue of the dictator Franco was removed from the Saragossa military academy on August 24. For the right-leaning daily, the government is seeking to conceal Spain's real problems. "It is not permitted in democracies to deflect the public's attention from the issues that really matter by creating artificial problems that only concern the petty interests of certain parties. However, this strategy is starting to become a habit and, as a result, it becomes less and less effective every time it is used. Democracy implies that leaders should devote their time to resolving problems, not to creating them. ... For new generations, the only importance of the protagonists of the Republican period and Francoism lies in the history books. And the act of re-opening old wounds does serious harm to the system of cohabitation based on the Constitution, and suggests grave irresponsibility on the part of a democratic government." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Historia, » España

The daily welcomes French President Jacques Chirac's announcement on Thursday, August 24 that his country will send 2,000 troops to the UN force in Lebanon, well above an initial commitment of 200. "Mr. Chirac's larger pledge should help encourage others to follow suit when EU foreign ministers, with Kofi Annan in attendance, meet in Brussels today. French officials hotly insist that since they had never promised to contribute the lion's share of what has been billed as 15,000-strong force there was nothing to renege on. Still, no one disputes France's desire, from Charles de Gaulle onwards, to play a leadership role in Europe, often arguing that the interests of the country and the continent are identical. ... But this is a big opportunity for the entire EU, keen to flaunt its aspirations for global clout, to do something significant to realise them in its volatile Middle Eastern backyard." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política de seguridad / Crisis / Guerras, » Francia

"Even when they manage to adopt a common position, Europeans have lots of trouble giving it visibility on the international stage," observes columnist Thomas Ferenczi, after reading a study published by the Centre for European Reform in which two British analysts, Charles Grant and Mark Leonard, point out the weaknesses in European diplomacy such as a lack of coherence or an excess of bureaucracy. "An analysis of these various deficiencies suggests the road to follow: promoting strategic thinking, encouraging continuity by eliminating the rotating presidency, nominating a foreign affairs minister, creating a diplomatic service as proposed in the constitutional treaty, and establishing by all means possible a climate of trust between those responsible for foreign affairs. This will not be enough to ensure the success of European diplomacy, but it may help." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política de la UE, » Europa
Todos los textos disponible de » Thomas Ferenczi

The cultural festival "Images of the Middle East" was intended to improve Denmark's reputation in the Arab world after the cartoon row. Now, however, the organisers are facing a media scandal because they have presented an anthology of texts and authors from the Middle East which does not include Israelis. According to the newspaper's sources, it was pressure from the main sponsor, the Saudi royal family, that led to the omission. "The grotesque thing about the anthology is its title: 'The Bridge'. 'The Hole' would be a more fitting title. The editor and the organisers of the festival are sitting in that hole and making a mess of things. They haven't even the faintest idea about how to make the term 'dialogue' at all meaningful. Even Mecca must have heard by now that the festival's dialogue is completely hollow. The politicians in question should ask themselves whether it really makes sense to finance such a superficial and amateur cultural festival again." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Exposiciones / Museos, » Política Cultural, » Dinamarca

Jela Krecic writes that festivals are at the heart of cultural life in the summer season, pointing out that this is how festivals like the Trnfest, Sanje, Mladi Levi and the Days of Poetry and of Wine have established themselves. He adds that although such events can only be the product of voluntary commitment, they nonetheless urgently require more support from the government and the economic sector: "Culture has long since become a profitable asset that is continually gaining value on the market… Cities and communities all over Europe organise festivals so that people will get to know their region and perhaps come back, among other things because of the festival… However, up to now both Slovenia's economic sector and its tourist industry have failed to recognise the economic benefits of culture." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Exposiciones / Museos, » Política Cultural, » Eslovenia
Todos los textos disponible de » Jela Krecic

Jan Goossens, director of the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS), is preparing, in collaboration with the National Theatre, a new festival (Toernee General) that will program theatre plays from the Francophone and Flemish communities. Interviewed by Marie Beaudet and Guy Duplat, he insists upon the importance of the role played by culture in a multicultural society. "I am convinced that politics is less and less what will change the world. Art and artists may not change the world either, but they can at least show the way, whilst politics rarely does anymore, just seeking the status quo. I don't really care about Belgium, but what interests me, however, is a model where all communities can converse and co-operate, following the example of Europe in the making and in the KunstenFESTIVALdesarts [Brussels's performing arts festival]." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Escenarios, » Bélgica
Todos los textos disponible de » Jan Goossens

The daily reacts after the National Union of Teachers described as a 'complete disaster' new figures showing a decline in the number of UK secondary school students studying foreign languages. "The NUT's hyperbole catches the attention, but it would be more helpful to speak about a depressing impoverishment of our culture. There are compelling practical reasons for seeking mastery of a foreign language, whether they be advancing job prospects or facilitating travel for pleasure. But to argue the case simply from a utilitarian point of view is to miss the deeper educational value of unlocking the door to a different mode of expression, and therefore of thinking. Learning a language broadens the mind and, by a mirror effect, helps the student to a greater understanding of his or her native tongue. English is a superbly flexible language with a huge vocabulary drawing on both Latin and Teutonic sources. Unfortunately, its universal status suggests to native speakers that it is not worth learning another." (25/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Gran Bretaña

The Polish government has commissioned British brand expert Wally Olins to work on the 'Brand Poland' project. Olins talks to Marek Ostrowski about Poland's image abroad. "I can clearly distinguish two aspects in this issue. I've absolutely no doubt that the young Poles who've turned up en masse in Western Europe, and in Ireland and Great Britain in particular, are making an excellent impression. I can confirm this from my own experience: Poles are full of enthusiasm, they're nice, and they're willing to work hard. So when a Western European meets a Pole for the first time, he's impressed. But there's another aspect. Poland's governing elite is perceived very differently. The bad press came after the last change of government. But this is only the political aspect and has nothing to do with Poland's economic or cultural image." (23/08/2006)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Polonia
Todos los textos disponible de » Wally Olins