"It remains unclear how many of the fifty events registered by anti-globalisation activists will be allowed to take place in the wake of the 'battle of Rostock'. It's also unclear whether the demonstrators will be allowed to approach the fence, whether security forces will be able to filter out the hooligans from the peaceful demonstrators in advance, and whether the police will have the situation under control," writes the paper's Germany correspondent Edit Inotai. "Several organisers of anti-G8 demonstrations have admitted they didn't expect the situation to escalate like this... 'Unfortunately, the rioters have no political motives, therefore it's impossible to negotiate with them,' said Manfred Stenner, one of the organisers of the peaceful demonstrations. The anti-globalisation activists know that they are the main victims of these riots because now instead of their political demands, violent images are dominating the media." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Edit Inotai

Birgit Baumann writes that the riots in Rostock have demonstrated that it's impossible to completely barricade off the location of a G8 summit. "This is a good thing, too. The freedom to demonstrate and freedom of speech enshrined in the German constitution are such noble values that they can't be emphasised often enough... However, a small minority in Germany abuses the freedom to demonstrate, using it to vent their blind and destructive rage. No matter whether it's a rally against the G8 summit, a protest against the German National Democratic Party or the May 1 riots in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, the well-organised network of the militants will be at the scene, dealing out blows and shattering peaceful protests. This is bad news for moderate critics over the coming days... If they want to preserve their credibility, the organisers of the upcoming demonstrations must do their part and make a much greater effort to distance themselves from violent radicals." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Birgit Baumann

"The security concept for the G8 summit in Germany, which the local authorities had been working on for two years, has failed," writes Hendrik Munsberg. "According to statements of eye witnesses and authorities, around two thousand left-wing militants appeared out of nowhere to provoke violent clashes. Many of them had travelled to Germany from abroad: from Bulgaria, Russia, Japan, Sweden and France. Globalised violence against globalisation. Up to now no one has been able to explain how the instigators of the rioting were able to make their way to the demonstration despite stringent controls, even passing through national border controls undetected. Apparently, the radicals have refined their techniques for escaping the attention and the clutches of the authorities." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Hendrik Munsberg

"Does the alterglobalisation movement still have a 'raison d'être'?", wonders the editorialist Yves Thréard, after the violence that broke out this weekend in Germany. "It feels like a long time ago when certain observers saw alterglobalisation as a new political force, a new 21st century ideological trend spreading over the planet, as communism had done previously. ... In vain, a common denominator is being sought for the ecologists in the Larzac region of France, the peasants of Altiplano, those nostalgic of Che Guevara, the WTO assailants, the advocates of the Palestinian cause and the followers of the black flag - the ones who smashed up Rostock. The massive demonstration in Geneva, in 2001, is now a mere memory: It didn't trigger off the international rebellion that had been so desired and so dreaded. And it is no longer all the rage to go to Porto Alegro, Mecca of all those dreaming of another world." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Yves Thréard

"Religion is gaining ground again," notes British columnist Polly Toynbee. She is alarmed by the proposal of certain European politicians to enshrine Christian values in the European constitution. "Only recently Pope Benedict strongly criticised the Berlin Declaration marking the EU's 50th anniversary for excluding a mention of God and Europe's 'Christian roots'. Benedict called this a form of 'apostasy', saying Europeans were straying from their faith. Yet the Holy See has no right to determine the values of the European Union. The Vatican is the only state in Europe that has not signed the European Convention on Human Rights. This is a fundamental criterion for joining the EU. Turkey has - with some difficulty - fulfilled this criterion to obtain access to Europe. The Holy See, on the other hand, would have been disqualified from the very start because the Vatican is not a democracy." (31/05/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Constitución de la UE, » Religión, » Ideología, » Europa
Todos los textos disponible de » Polly Toynbee

The Spanish writer Xavier Pericay is delighted by the fact that certain European political leaders are lauding the respect of a hard work ethic. "The victory of Nicolas Sarkozy in France rested on an idea that is utterly innovative in a society that for decades has been suckled by the state, considering this a practically natural right. The idea is work, the value of work. ... The conviction that effort is a value and that a society that wants to be competitive should teach its citizens this spirit of surpassing oneself, of constant ambition, the will to improve oneself. ... Now that the vote has been cast [local and regional elections took place in Spain on May 27th], and that, in the best case scenario, the next election will be held in nine months time, all political leaders would be well-advised to keep the French president's example in mind. Either we rehabilitate work ethos or Spain ... will sooner or later find itself featuring as an extra in the world." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Xavier Pericay

Before he attends the G8 summit in the German seaside resort of Heiligendamm US President George W. Bush is visiting Prague today to meet with members of the Czech government to discuss the missile defence project. The US wants to set up a radar station in the Czech Republic. Chief editor Robert Casensky defends the project: "If the Czech Republic agrees to the plans for a radar station, which would make a large defence shield over Europe possible, the Germans, French and others who are not particularly happy about the plans at the moment may one day be grateful to us. If we say no, we will one day be accused of having allowed ourselves to be manipulated and overcome by the sympathies or antipathies (against the Americans) of the moment. One doesn't have to admire Bush or give him a warm welcome or sympathise with his war against Iraq. But it would be unwise, to say the least, to forget our own security because of these things." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Robert Casensky

Delivering a speech during an economic conference in Trente on Sunday, June 3rd, the Italian head of government Romano Prodi was interrupted by whistles. The demonstrators were protesting against the installation of an American military base in Vicenza in the north of the country and against the President of the United States' next visit to Italy. Lucia Annunziata considers that "Prodi was contested in an unsuitable place. He met contestation from the most radical left. ... The visit of George Bush will oblige the centre-left to ponder the issues around which major disagreement is fomenting at the centre of the coalition in power, perhaps even total incompatibility of points of view: war, peace, relations with the United States, engagement in Afghanistan, Lebanon and the European project." (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Lucia Annunziata

As French candidates are campaigning for the legislative elections with a first round scheduled for June 10th, Laurent Joffrin, the daily's director, considers that "only the odd exception from 'visible minorities' will become members of parliament. Parties may indeed have strived to present more representatives of these 'communities' than usual in this election, but they are rarely eligible. ... From immigrant backgrounds, these candidates, as we well know, are also from working class or lower middle-class backgrounds. The discrimination has as much to do with class as race. In other words, the cold mechanics that stall the upward mobility of minorities are too strong for simple citizen vigilance to overcome. The ratio of women in politics didn't grow before parity became an imperative. Do we need constraining rules to guarantee diversity among members of parliament? Let us dare to discuss this openly." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política interior, » Integración, » Francia
Todos los textos disponible de » Laurent Joffrin

The Christopher Street Day gay pride parade is a source of deep controversy in Latvia, where the celebrations have repeatedly been the target of homophobic rioting. Banned last year, the 2007 demonstration was allowed to take place last weekend - albeit with certain restrictions. Aivars Ozolins criticises Latvian politicians, and in particular Minister of the Interior Ivars Godmanis and Ainars Slesers, the leader of the Christian Fundamentalist Party: "Slesers believes it's his job to use government money to foment hate and intolerance against homosexuals and discredit them as archenemies of the state. Now these politicians have come up with a clever plan: participants in the CSD celebrations are herded together in a park on a small piece of land to which 'unauthorised persons' have no access... The parade is about the integration of these people, yet Godmanis is achieving the opposite by demonstratively marginalising them. This is a parody of the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly which our constitution guarantees." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Integración, » Minorías, » Letonia
Todos los textos disponible de » Aivars Ozolins

Irene Hernández Velasco, special correspondent for the daily in Malta, explains that the island's population nurtures strong resent towards illegal immigrants who arrive via the sea. "This little country with a surface of just 316 square metres ... proudly boasts the greatest majority of Catholics in the world: 99% of Maltese people say they are of this faith. ... However, a survey published last year by the Malta Times reveals that 90% of the inhabitants in ultra-catholic Malta do not wish to have Arab, Jewish or African neighbours. On such fertile grounds, it is no surprise that parties with xenophobic ideology are rife in Malta with The National Republican Alliance, for example, is an organsiation that has used the rejection of immigrants as one of its most defining features." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política de la UE, » Política interior, » Migración, » Malta
Todos los textos disponible de » Irene Hernández Velasco

In an editorial, the daily considers that Portugal is facing a big challenge: to resolve the imbroglio of the European Constitutional Treaty under its EU presidency that will begin early July. "The Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates and the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, two of the most pragmatic minds in Europe, will be meeting this Monday, June 4th. Socrates will be aligning himself with the French president's proposition to approve a simplified treaty that will avoid referendums and other time wasters. The treaty, which is no longer 'mini', should appear as a step forward, rather than a shameful new version of the treaty. The claim is to have a simple text that is comprehensible for all Europeans. ... By pure coincidence, just as the presidency of the Union is about be taken over by Portugal, a Portuguese citizen is also at the head of the Commission. Lisbon could well see its name attached to the treaty." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Política de la UE, » Portugal, » Europa

Twelve of the 15 "old" EU member states have adopted the euro. Björn Mansson points out that the enlargement of the EU to encompass 27 countries means that euro countries are in the minority at present, despite Slovenia's joining the Eurozone. However he adds that this is soon to change. "It's highly likely that the decision will be made to let Malta and Cyprus become members of the Eurozone as of 2008. This means that the euro will once again be the main currency in the majority of EU countries - in 15 of 27. Of course, like Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus are only small economies with little influence within the Eurozone. Nonetheless, the fact that the majority of EU members will have the euro has a certain symbolic value. Do the British, the Danes and the Swedes really intend to wait until even the last former socialist state has converted to the euro?" (04/06/2007)

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Todos los textos disponible de » Björn Mansson

Only at the end of 'The Big Donor Show', broadcasted on June 1st, were Dutch television viewers informed that it was a hoax. The BNN channel explained that they had organised the whole thing to raise the population's awareness of organ donation problems. Jean-Noël Cuénod is not impressed. "The Dutch producer [Endemol] has just drawn inspiration form the prevailing mentality. The dictatorship of emotions has become so anchored in us that we have all, more or less, got some Endemol in our brains. Like a junkie who needs to up doses in order to continue feeling the drug's affects, we need ever more intense emotions. We need to be moved in order to budge. And to move us there is nothing like broken taboos. ... In this sentimental society that worships technology, reason has become a dirty word and the desire to understand has become a nasty neurosis. Our new media-finance capitalism needs consumers, not citizens." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Medios de comunicación audiovisuales, » Holanda, » Suiza
Todos los textos disponible de » Jean-Noël Cuénod

The Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych, who is a member of the nationalist conservative League of Polish Families, wants to change the school curriculum to include more Christian devotional literature and fewer European classics. In his commentary columnist Bronislaw Wildstein attempts to understand the reasons behind the Ministry's move to change the official literary canon: "Poland's national tradition could explain the removal of Goethe - because he was German -, of Kafka - because he was a Jew (and wrote in German) - and perhaps even of Gombrowicz - because he was gay... But Dostoyevsky's removal doesn't fit in here because he was Russian (nationalist Poles are fond of their Slavic brothers) and a zealous Christian, and also anti-revolutionary and reactionary... There are rumours that online bookstores are already advertising the books Giertych has excluded. So is this all about advertising or is it just the usual nonsense?" (02/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Polonia
Todos los textos disponible de » Bronislaw Wildstein

On Sunday, June 3rd, the priest Dun Gorg Preca, founder of 'the society of Christian doctrine', was canonised by the pope, becoming the first Maltese saint. The daily comments: "What Malta experienced yesterday – with 5,000 Maltese pilgrims getting drenched in St Peter's Square just to be able to say 'I was there' when Dun Gorg was made a saint, and the thousands of others who watched the ceremony on television – was an event that brought the whole country together. ... In his way, Saint Gorg Preca will be yet another exception to the rule that unfortunately sees us so divided as a country. Because his sanctification yesterday got us all together as a people. It did unite us, at least for one day. And although it will be impossible to expect that the unity that prevailed yesterday is maintained just because Malta now has a saint, yesterday's event should inspire us to work harder towards being more respectful towards each other. We will still be a divided people, but if the example given by Saint Gorg Preca is followed, Malta will certainly be a better place to live in." (04/06/2007)

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Más de la revista de prensa sobre el tema » Religión, » Ideología, » Malta