"Veni, vidi, vici, henceforth Ségolène Royal can appropriate the words of Julius Cesar", notes Marc Lazar, professor at the Institute for Political Study in Paris (IEP). "In one year she managed to propel polls, conquered the French Socialist Party (PS) and walked away with the majority vote in the primary elections right from the first round. ... . It would be a mistake to believe that her victory is the triumph of a marketing ploy empty of ideas. Ségolène Royal is a real political leader who has a perfect understanding of the way the system works, increasingly presidential with the growing personalisation of political combat. She has indeed known how to bring together a large number of socialists because she appeared to be the only figure capable of defeating the right. ... Ségolène is not a candidate serving the PS. She is using the party to launch her presidential assault, letting it be understood that her victory will bounce back onto the PS." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, włoski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Marc Lazar

Following Ségolène Royal's election as the Socialist's presidential candidate, editor in chief Tøger Seidenfaden is looking forward to the upcoming election campaign. "It's a mistake to write Royal off as superficial and opportunistic. It's brave of her to defend Tony Blair's socio-liberal policies in a country where the left regards itself as strongly anti-liberal. And Royal's efforts to convince voters that they really can influence politics are vital in a country like France, with its rigid political culture. Although President Chirac is keeping quiet about it, there can be no doubt that Nicolas Sarkozy will be Royal's adversary in the elections. This means France's two most interesting politicians will be competing against each other, because Sarkozy is also not afraid to talk about the country's problems openly. Neither of these two candidates uses the classic evasive tactics of French politicians who think they can close the country's borders and that Brussels is to blame for everything that goes wrong anyway." (19/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, duński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Tøger Seidenfaden

Michael Huber says Ségoléne Royal has a lot of potential, but he's less optimistic about French voters: "Royal will certainly be Nicolas Sarkozy's strongest and most unpredictable rival. Sarkozy was prepared for the traditional approach of the French left, but now Royal has come along and 'stolen' the themes the right considers to be its exclusive domain. She talks about security, order and the nation, and at the same time calls for more solidarity. These two politicians are strikingly similar in the way they break with taboos and approach citizens directly to find out what exactly their problems are. This has led both to being accused of 'populism'. Another question is whether France – despite its current fit of enthusiasm for Royal – is really ready to elect a female president; to put her in command of the country's military forces and give her the key to its arsenal of nuclear weapons. It's often difficult to break with old habits." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Michael Huber

Gideon Rachman considers the distinguishing traits of politics practised by women. "Mrs Clinton, Ms Merkel and Ms Royal have all campaigned on a policy of incremental, step-by-step reform, rather than sudden, wrenching change. ... Ms Royal's supporters have called it pointillist politics, after the school of painters who built up a big picture through lots of little dots. ... Perhaps the biggest gender question that both Mrs Clinton and Ms Royal will have to overcome is whether France or the US is ready for a woman as commander-in-chief. Ms Royal's biggest stumbles in televised debates came when she appeared not to understand the Iranian nuclear issue. A 'woman's touch' may appeal on social issues, and even in some diplomatic contexts - but are American and French voters ready to accept a feminine finger on the nuclear button? My guess is that the answer to that will be - why not?" (18/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Gideon Rachman

"Beyond any political consideration, this historical innovation should be saluted", writes the editorialist Bernard Delattre regarding Ségolène Royal's investiture. "This is indeed excellent news in a country that brandishes itself as the champion of human rights while lagging behind on women's rights and notably on their right to benefit from equal political representation. This is excellent news that we hope will be exemplary. But it is important to be aware that, lest we stumble into a sort of inverted sexism, belonging to a gender does not in itself constitute a political programme or engender unconditional adhesion. Ségolène Royal, on a par with a man, should thus be judged on her profile and her project. At this stage, however, this appears to include good, questionable and less good." (18/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Bernard Delattre

The Russian journalist and civil rights activist Vladimir Bukovski, who lives in Britain, approves of Poland's veto against an EU partnership agreement with Russia and explains Russia's attitude towards Poland. "If the Russian government doesn't like a Polish policy, it won't hesitate to make a sideswipe at Poland... In my opinion, Russia's position regarding Poland is influenced by two important factors: Poland's efforts to help Belarus and Ukraine to achieve total independence from Russia and Poland's alliance with the US within the framework of the NATO. Of course, certain deeply rooted psychological motives also play a role. It's difficult to treat someone who was a servant until recently as a partner on an equal footing. Although 15 years have passed since the Red Army's withdrawal from Poland, no one in the Russian government is prepared to treat Poland in the same way they treat Paris. No one in Moscow wants to discuss things with Poland. The Kremlin still thinks Warsaw should simply accept Russian decisions without discussion." (18/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka UE, » Polska, » Rosja, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Wladimir Bukowski

The journalist and writer Barbara Palombelli met the anthropologist Ida Magli who, for fifteen years has dedicated herself to the study of the religious conditioning of civilisations and nations. In this interview, Magli examines the importance of faith and the delicate position of the West facing Islam. "There exists no culture without religion ... . I consider that faith in freedom of thought is the founding factor of the West, the very seed of Christianity. Ideally, the religion of Jesus would exist without the Church". In the face of Islamic fundamentalism, "our freedom of thought and feminist conquests must be defended and we must recall the efforts that we have made to defend our rights. Barely beginning to free ourselves of our own veils, are we willing to move backwards?". (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, włoski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Religia, » Filozofia, » Światopogląd, » Cały świat

Two days before legislative elections in the Netherlands, Ana Cabjosa considers the legacy of Pim Fortuyn, killed in 2002 by a disturbed individual. She describes him as "the Dutch politician who got rid of the shackles of political probity and warned against the unloading of millions of Muslims in Europe. ... His far right-wing party is today in pieces and has little chance of obtaining the slightest seat in Parliament. But that is not important. For, if Pim Fortuyn could raise his eyes, he would see that his legacy is extremely present and that his discourse against multi-culturalism and Islam is today echoed more than ever. ... The multi-cultural model of a country known for its great tolerance is dead, leaving room for the resurrection of Pim Fortuyn and his Islmaophobic rhetoric." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Holandia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Ana Carbajosa

The daily ponders military service in Cyprus. "The length of National Guard Service is something that hits the headlines every so often and is discussed heatedly in patriotic rather than practical terms before it again drops off the radar. With the Turkish wolf still at the door, few want to jump on a bandwagon that advocates a reduction in service, fearful it might mean political suicide. The latest public figure to brave the storm is former Defence Minister Socrates Hasikos who has called for the reduction of national service to 14 months. ... It has been 32 years since the Turkish invasion, the crossing points opened in 2003, Cyprus became an EU member in 2004, and Turkey is negotiating with the bloc. ... Two years is too long by any standards. Cyprus is not Israel. The national cause is being fought – for better or worse – at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield." (19/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Cypr

Around 200 Roma families from Hungary arrived in Sweden last week and applied for political asylum in Malmö. They explained that they had heard that Roma receive generous social welfare benefits in Sweden. The Swedish immigration authorities have announced that the Hungarian Roma will probably be deported because their motivation for seeking asylum was financial and they are not entitled to political asylum. According to Máté Nyusztay, reporting from Malmö, the whole affair highlights the situation of the roughly 700,000 Roma currently living in Hungary. "It was only when they arrived to the freezing temperatures of Sweden that they realised they didn't have enough warm clothing and that no one was expecting them. Only then did they realise you can't 'invade' Sweden, which exercises a magical attraction for Roma in Hungary, without foreign language skills. But who's talking about 'invading'? All they wanted to do was find work and be able to make a living here. Some of them sold all they had to buy the tickets to fly here." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, węgierski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Migracja, » Mniejszości, » Węgry, » Szwecja

The US's approval has removed an important obstacle to Russia becoming a member of the World Trade Organisation. The Estonian newpaper hopes that Russia's membership will remove trade barriers between the two countries: "We can now hope that once Russia is a member of the WTO, there will be no repetitions of the Yukos affair or other cases where the Kremlin has used trade as a weapon to make neighbouring countries dance to its own tune. But before Russia becomes a member, its relations with Georgia must be clarified. Georgia has already threatened to exercise its power of veto in view of Moscow's current blockade against the country. German Gref, Russia's minister of economic development and trade, has described the agreement with the US as an important step for Russia in the context of the global economy. We'll soon see how this affects issues like the drive to make Russia open up its energy sector to European companies or the negotiations for a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Russia." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, estoński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Handel, » Rosja, » Cały świat

Bénédicte Vaes reacts in an editorial to the shake-up of the German manufacturer Volkswagen that is due to concern several European countries and notably Belgium. "German metal workers have accepted to work longer for the same pay in exchange for the guarantee of employment ... at the expense of other factories. It is hard to imagine that such a tempting offer could have been turned down in a Belgian company. This is the proof that social Europe is indeed more an incarnation, a dream, than a reality, perhaps even against nature. How, in the EU, built on a liberal model, could it be otherwise? The union is devoted to the free market. To render it social is a wager. Sometimes we manage to combine solidarities despite national egoism. ... Volkswagen will reveal whether unbridled competition pushes employees to war." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Przedsiębiorczość, » Niemcy, » Belgia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Bénédicte Vaes

Following the sensational auction of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting "Berliner Straßenszene" (Street scene in Berlin) a debate has broken out in Germany about the restitution of art works looted during the Nazi era. Law firms and auction houses in particular are being accused of having created a new line of business, referred to as 'art law', out of works of art whose ownership remains unclear. Heinrich Wefing comments: "The decisive factor is historical research. This means that meticulous research aimed at uncovering works of art that are in the possession of public institutions and which may fall under the rules governing restitution is frequently the starting point for a restitution process, rather than the desire of an heir of Nazi victims to recover lost property. Auction houses and law firms employ researchers, usually historian or art historians, who search archives and storage houses for years looking for works of art that could fall in this category. Only once they find such a work do the lawyers get in contact with the potential claimant to convince them to contract them to institute legal proceedings against the museums in question for the restitution of their property." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Sztuki piękne, » Historia, » Niemcy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Heinrich Wefing

In the year 2000, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux organised an exhibition entitled, 'Presumed innocent - Contemporary art and childhood' that was subsequently attacked by an association for the protection of childhood. Six years later, Henry-Claude Cousseau, the director of the museum up until 2001, has been taken to court for 'the distribution of paedo-pornographic images'. The editorialist Gerard Dupuy considers that, "moral leagues have developed a strategy of judicial dissuasion regarding the forms of expression that displease them. ... Contemporary artists living in France are in an uncomfortable situation. They have the greatest difficulty getting themselves heard beyond the specialist spaces that they are allocated. Even there, some would wish to gag them, resorting if needs be to calumny. Not all the Taliban have stone Buddhas at their disposal. Sometimes they don't even wear a beard either." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Wystawy / Muzea, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Gérard Dupuy

In his new play, "Transfer!", Polish director and playwright Jan Klata deals with the subject of the displacement of Germans and Poles after the Second World War. Exiles from both countries tell their stories in the play. Roman Pawlowski went to see the first showing of the play at Wroclaw's Teatr Wspolczesny. "Politicians won't like 'Transfer!' because Klata's play doesn't take an ideological approach... Old people tell and act out the story of their transfer on a stage covered with a thick layer of black soil... After a while, the German and Polish words melt into one voice that is permeated by the same feelings – a sense of grief at the loss of loved ones, the yearning for their lost homes, feelings of loneliness and insecurity in their new homes... 'Transfer!' certainly won't live up to everyone's expectations. The Poles will think it's too biased towards Germany and the Germans will perceive it as an accusation. Nonetheless, it will play a vital role in the dialogue between Germany and Poland." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Scena, » Historia, » Niemcy, » Polska

Brussels correspondent László Szőcs notes that English, French and German are increasingly becoming the lingua franca among Europe's citizens, yet the EU institutions continue to insist on a multilingual approach and translate official documents into all 21 official languages of the EU. "The language chaos within EU institutions has reached Babel-like proportions, and this is also having an impact at an administrative level. Gallic recently became the EU's 21st official language, and Romanian and Bulgarian are soon to follow. Three regional languages spoken in Spain – Catalan, Basque and Galician – have been granted special status... The costs for written and spoken translation add up to almost a billion euros per year. In an attempt to justify the creation of the post of EU commissioner for multilingual affairs, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, quoted the words of the famous Italian author Umberto Eco: 'The language of Europe is translation'." (20/11/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, węgierski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Polityka kulturalna, » Europa