"The fad for Bayrou is another way of evading change, not embracing it", considers John Lichfield, the daily's Paris correspondant. "After the cul-de-sacs of extreme left and extreme right, France is now tempted by the cul-de-sac of the extreme centre. For 24 years, since François Mitterrand gave up socialism in 1983, France has been governed by consensual, muddle-through governments with alternate left-right labels. Ideological 'cleavages' are hardly France's problem. M.Bayrou has one or two mildly sensible ideas, on the national debt and the job-killing burden of social security taxes. He has some antediluvian, corporatist ideas, on agriculture and education. He does not have the power base to deliver the economic and social change that France needs and says that it wants. His UDF party - the rump of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's anti-Gaullist coalition of the right and centre - is too small, under-funded and disorganised to give him a parliamentary majority in the legislative elections in June." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, inglés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » John Lichfield

"The Bayrou syndrome is a symptom, or rather a stigma, of a sort of necrosis in our political architecture", states Claude Cabanes, chief editor of the Communist daily. "When Ségolène Royal distances herself from the fundamental reference points of the left, when Nicolas Sarkozy blabbers on with the ghosts of Jaurès and Blum [founding fathers of the French socialist movement] (and for example self-proclaims himself State advocate against 'the predators, speculators and cheats'), as Jean-Marie le Pen proclaims himself of the 'centre-right', confusion gains ground. ... For lack of an alternative society, French society is moving like tectonic plates towards the conservative values of 'everyman for himself'. ... Mr. Bayrou seems to be harvesting the bitter fruit of a sort of 'run for your life' general electoral attitude. This is leading to a total dead-end, an illusion. Bayrou is to Nicolas Sarkozy what Pepsi is to Coca-Cola." (09/03/2007)

» ir a la página de inicio (enlace externo, L'Humanité)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Francia

The conservative daily considers that François Bayrou may represent a real threat to Nicolas Sarkozy, unlike Ségolène Royal, "who has largely shown that she has no concrete programme to offer. ... It is precisely this lack of consistency in the Socialist candidate that has favoured the rise of François Bayrou. He is presenting himself as a centrist, but is really defending Jacques Chirac's legacy which is based on a particular political concept baptised 'ninism' by French political scientists. This is a hypothetical median that resists being labelled either socialism or liberalism. But for those who have discovered that they could not possibly vote for such an empty candidate as the socialist, Bayrou can represent a more presentable choice on the anti-Sarkozy front." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, español)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Francia

"Although François Bayrou is profiting from his rivals' weakness he hasn't won the battle yet," writes Stefan Brändle. "By demonstrating a preference for Bayrou in the most recent polls, the French are making it clear that they alone want to decide who will be the future ruler of the Elysée Palace, rather than leaving it to the parties or the media - which had hedged their bets on a 'Ségo' - 'Sarko' showdown. The intractable French are following a similar impulse to that which sent right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen into the runoff vote in 2002 - basically because they didn't like prospect of the Chirac vs. Jospin scenario. This raises the question of whether there might not be four instead of three major rivals. Is it not feasible that Sarkozy and Bayrou could neutralise each other to such an extent that at the end of April Le Pen makes it into the second round again? Le Pen is always at his strongest when the other candidates ignore the people with all their politicising." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, alemán)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » Stefan Brändle

In an interview with Piotr Najsztub, Polish gender researcher Agnieszka Graff explains the connection between nationalism and women's rights. "Growing nationalist sentiment is currently having a major impact on the rights of women. This is because nationalism is characteristically degrading to women... . It is a universal phenomenon that the symbol of a country which a nationalist loves and to which he feels he belongs is often an idealised feminine figure. In Poland it is the mother of God combined with 'Polonia', the mother of all Poles. We constantly hear the comments of right-wing MPs who idealise womanhood, which is expected to sacrifice itself for their sake... We know from research that the more womanhood is idealised, the more women are degraded in real life." (08/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, polaco)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Filosofía, » Polonia, » Global
Todos los textos disponible de » Agnieszka Graff

German Green politician Karl-Martin Hentschel enthuses about the Scandinavian model, which combines economic growth and a welfare state in spite of high taxes. "The secret of Scandinavia's success is the State's closeness to its citizens. The municipal communes are the State. For example they collect most of the tax revenues... Therefore, in Sweden almost 50 percent of public spending is administered by the communes. In Denmark it's around 66 percent. The average citizen only comes in contact with the federal state when he has dealings with the army, the police force or the judiciary, which are the traditional institutes of the authoritarian state. Given the important role of the communes it's no wonder citizens are willing to pay higher taxes. They see where the money's spent." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, alemán)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Política financiera, » Impuestos, » Europa del Norte
Todos los textos disponible de » Karl-Martin Hentschel

The Luxemburg writer Jean Portante, a regular chronicler in the weekly, finds it unacceptable that Turkey should have to pay for the current EU crisis. "The European flag is at half-mast within the Union, as if its new members  were mourning its past fervour for Europe, whereas not so long ago the EU was synonymous with an ocean of hope. The thing is that most of them had been part of something that, even in their wildest dreams, they did not think they would ever be free of. The implosion of the Soviet empire led to desires which, today, no longer have wind in their sails. And yet it is because Turks do not want to fall prey to the radical Islamism looming large on its doorstep that they are dreaming of our Europe and our European values. We are for Turkey what we were previously for Poland and Hungary: the means of escaping an undesired domination. This is why, strategically speaking, Turkey's place is within the EU." (08/03/2007)

» ir a la página de inicio (enlace externo, Le Jeudi)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Ampliación de la UE, » Europa, » Turquía
Todos los textos disponible de » Jean Portante

On Thursday, March 8th, Greek Cypriots demolished a wall in order to allow the opening of a crossing point on Nicosia's emblematic Ledra street. Local authorities are talking about a "gesture of good will" aimed to revive negotiations between the two parts of the island. "The soldiers got stuck into the wall of separation between the Greek Cypriots' southern part of the island and the northern quarter occupied by the Turkish army since 1974. This wall is located in the heart of Nicosia, divided it with what is delicately called the 'green line'", explains the daily. "The re-opening of this point is against the will of Turkish Cypriots. From now on they are going to have to take up a course of action once again and engage in negotiations, something that Greek Cypriots have always wanted. They may have said 'no' to the UN reunification plan in a referendum in 2004, but they are not opposed to reunification in itself." (09/03/2007)

» ir a la página de inicio (enlace externo, Phileleftheros)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Chipre

Romania is currently locked in a conflict with the neighbouring Republic of Moldavia [Moldova in Romanian], which broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991 and now fears losing its independence to Romania. Romania feels strong ties with the people of Moldavia, who also speak Romanian. For its part, Moldavia is accusing Romania of interfering in domestic affairs and threatening the nation's sovereignty, and has therefore refused to allow Romania to set up a consulate in the capital Chisinau. Marius Cosmeanu comments. "It would be naive to expect Chisinau to show more understanding for Romania's foreign policy regarding the Romanians of Bessarabia. As long as the political culture of the Republic of Moldavia's remains the same as it was under the Soviets before 1990, we won't be able to forge a working, profitable partnership and can't expect Moldavian politicians to open their doors to us. But even if Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin and Prime minister Vasile Tarlev were democrats, their behaviour would be understandable - after all it is an independent state. Romania wants strengthen its ties with the Republic of Moldavia, or even unification." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, rumano)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Relaciones internacionales, » Ampliación de la UE, » Rumania

On the eve of a demonstration called for by the opposition against the partial emancipation of the Basque prisoner José Ignacio de Juana Chaos, the daily fears a radical division in Spanish politics. "Mario Rajoy's party, [PP, the Popular Party] believes that the Juana Chaos affair has provided a means of uniting the right against the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ... . This is why PP, while hiding behind the 'blue ribbon' [a symbol of peace] is furiously set on creating a tense atmosphere on the streets that is growing more and more suffocating. ... Such a strategy strikes us as very dangerous, as it is damaging one of our society's main values, coexistence. It was enough for the PP to accuse the socialist government of succumbing to ETA [Basque separatist movement] blackmail for the Spanish far-right to decide to head the demonstration. The PP has not distanced itself enough from those who shout out that Zapatero is a traitor, the anti-Christ even, while also reiterating Franco's slogans." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, español)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » España

In Poland, as in the Czech Republic, participation in the US's missile defence system is currently the subject of heated debate. Polish politicians of the ruling PiS party have called an additional security pact to be signed with the US because they claim NATO is "weak and unreliable". Czech commentator Lubos Palata approves of the initiative, pointing out that other NATO members are investing too little in their defence budget. "The European members are not only lagging behind Russia which is rapidly stepping up its weapons programme, they are also losing ground against China and India." According to Palata, NATO's increasingly obvious failure in Afghanistan is "primarily a failure of the European NATO wing. ... The Poles are right to describe NATO as weak. But this is also the fault of the Poles themselves - as well as the Czechs, the Germans and the Belgians. Those who want peace must prepare for war. We Europeans, however, are preparing for capitulation - and it doesn't even really matter whether we capitulate to China or to Russia." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, checo)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Relaciones internacionales, » Política de seguridad / Crisis / Guerras, » Política de la UE, » Europa, » Global
Todos los textos disponible de » Luboš Palata

In addition to the consequences of climate change the EU summit in Brussels is also examining the economic development of EU member states, whose economic problems are far from being solved. Sweden being one of them, the daily comments: "In recent years Scandinavia has been held up as a shining example. Thanks to the economic boom of the North, countless politicians made a pilgrimage to Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm to learn from their role models. However, as a recent EEAG report [on Europe's economy] shows, unfortunately it's still too early to draw the conclusions that proponents of the social model would like to see drawn. It's true that Sweden and Finland in particular have experienced an economic boom over the past decade. However, this boom must be attributed to the crisis of the early 1990s. ... Although Scandinavia economies have certainly recovered since then, it's ridiculous to talk of a Scandinavian miracle. ... Like the rest of the European continent, Sweden, too, must step up its reform activities, because Scandinavian boasting won't create new companies and jobs." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, sueco)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Empresa, » Europa del Norte

"Following the fall of communism the eastern half of Europe tended to take over the centres of power of the old regime rather than construct new buildings for its political rulers," comments Hungarian architect (and co-founder of the liberal SZDSZ party) László Rajk on the subject of the plans for a new government district in Budapest. According to Rajk, political architecture offers a wonderful opportunity, as the example of Berlin has shown: "Germany took a different path... and redefined the basic tenets of political architecture. The results are 'daring buildings', ... that reflect modern society's fundamental desires and at the same time free the term 'political architecture' of its negative connotations. One can only hope that a reluctance towards risk-taking doesn't take hold in Hungary, and that an adventurous head of government opts for adventurous, innovative buildings. A modern country needs daring buildings as centres of power that at the same time testify to its commitment to democracy and freely accessible public spaces." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, húngaro)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Arquitectura / Ciudades, » Alemania, » Hungría

An exhibition of nineteenth-century German paintings is currently on show at Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts. The exhibition comprises 150 paintings "that are among the best works of German art history" and in which Germany casts its eyes on its European neighbours. Harald Jähner went to see the exhibition and found that Germany presents itself as "an ambitious country full of model Europeans;  EU citizens from the beginning of time... In this interpretation of history, for once Germany's path does not lead from small-town life to nationalism, but has a European orientation. The exhibition reveals a Germany that is charmed by the cultures of its neighbours - an open-minded nation of cosmopolitan artists to whom nothing is more alien than those features typically attributed to Germans in art history: eccentricity, secretiveness and a love of the dark, the mysterious and the authoritarian." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, alemán)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Exposiciones / Museos, » Artes gráficas, » Alemania, » Europa
Todos los textos disponible de » Harald Jähner

"The English pub, one of our few remaining institutions worthy of reverence, is not only a place to drink - whatever some young people might think", sighs the British daily. "For centuries, it has been a place to meet, and to engage in harmless recreations with one's fellow man (and, in these enlightened times, woman). Dominoes [and other games] have all had their place in this happy culture: but nothing symbolises the pub game more than darts. Now, as we report today, darts in the pub is under threat. The rise of the gastro-pub, and the prevalence of the continental-style bar, is doing for darts. The group now being formed to campaign for the sport, and its place in the four-ale bar, deserves unqualified support. Pubs with games are part of the civilising process of our youth, and have been for generations." (09/03/2007)

» ir al artículo completo (enlace externo, inglés)
Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Cultura cotidiana, » Gran Bretaña