"The biggest challenge for European cinemas is that the public is interested in domestic films - see the growing domestic market share for Germany, Spain and France - but hardly at all for the films of their European neighbours," concludes Hans-Georg Rodek on the occasion of the European Film Awards. But "there is an infinite number of interesting European stories to tell. ...Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Europe appears to be in an inspirational phase. And for the past few years, material has been erupting from the memory of the continent, inspired by everything from literary detectives of the Middle Ages to TV mini-series on World War II. There is no end in sight, and there appears to be no geographic or chronological boundary ... Europe is a sum of experiences, based on cultures and histories. The result is a kind of transformation of suffering into knowledge." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Film, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Hanns-Georg Rodek

Tadeusz Sobolewski comments on Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck winning the European Film Award for "Das Leben der Anderen": "Almost all the films nominated are set against a background of history, war and terror. But just as the great films of the 'Polish School' were not just reports of historical events, so today's European directors also present the people caught up in events... The course of history does not bypass our cinema. But hopefully the films do not follow the guidelines of an official 'politics of history.' I am not sure if the world is waiting for films about Polish defeats and victories. I am not sure they want to see how heroic we were, and how foreigners betrayed us. It is much more interesting to learn from someone who encountered war, communism or the Solidarnosc Revolution." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Film, » Historia, » Polska, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Tadeusz Sobolewski

"The idyll between Europe and Pedro Almodovar goes on", writes Rocio Garcia reflecting on the success of his film 'Volver' that has won five prizes at the European Film Festival. "The love at first sight between Almodovar and Europe goes back a long way. The conquest of Europe has always represented the first lap of the journey Hollywood triumph for this film-maker. In Berlin, in 1999, his talent as director and screen-writer had been recognised with 'All About My Mother', which then went on to win Best Foreign Film Award. Three years later, history repeated itself in Rome with 'Talk to her' winning five European prizes. A few months later the same film was to see itself awarded an Oscar for best film script." (03/12/2006)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Film, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Rocío García

A film about the former East German secret service has won the European Film Award. And Michael Althen sees in 'Das Leben der anderen" by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, another sign that German cinema is finally is becoming important again. "This continues the wondrous flood of prizes that hasn't stopped since the Oscar in 2003 for Caroline Link's 'Nowhere in Africa.' 'Head On' won a Golden Bear in 2004 and also a European Film Award, after 'Goodbye, Lenin!' paved the way. Three victories in four years suggests a similar dominance over the European Film Award that Gianni Amelio, Ken Loach or Pedro Almodóvar once enjoyed... It is no longer an accident. There almost seems to be a pattern here. Especially as, even away from the limelight of award ceremonies, German cinema is suddenly being taken seriously, where it was ignored for years." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Film, » Niemcy, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Michael Althen

'Destruction of the European Jews', the major work of the American historian Raul Hilberg, has just been republished. Interviewed by Thomas Wieder, Raul Hilberg discusses the way the extermination was carried out. "Over almost 60 years of research, I can assure you that I have seen very few guidelines. On imagines that in totalitarian regimes individuals spend their time taking orders and having to obey them. This is not true. In all bureaucracies, people take fare more initiative than is commonly thought. They ask themselves what they can do to conform to what they assume to be the will of their superiors. The destruction process results from this sort of emulation on every level. ... There was no pre-established game-plan. As for the question of decision-making, it is in part unsolvable: no order signed by Hitler has ever been found, no doubt because no such document ever existed." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Historia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Raul Hilberg

The Spanish student Vanessa Villalibre is the award winner of the competition entitled 'What to do with the European constitution?' launched by the Spanish version of the magazine 'Foreign Policy'. In her analysis, she considers that Europe can continue to advance by working from the treaties that are already in effect. "The reinterpretation of legislation is today in decline. Could this be because the community jurists have no more imagination, or because the situation has become so complex that they are no longer able to give it any coherence as integration continues? ... A serious effort would have to be made in order to succeed in reinterpreting the current treaties if no other alternative is presented. ... . The modification or the reinterpretation of the texts in operation, which would imply the recognition of the Constitution's failure, should allow the preparation of a new scenario for re-launching a constitutional project at a more appropriate time." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Konstytucja UE, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Vanessa Villalibre

"The quartet that is the United Kingdom is sounding discordant. The lack of harmony stems from Scotland's growing resistance to playing second fiddle to England. In its turn this has fuelled English resentment at the price of keeping the group intact", comments the English daily. "It is time for a dispassionate look at what solo careers might mean - a process that several other multi-nation states have had to engage in, with varying degrees of difficulty. ... Alternative remedies for the perpetual Scottish itch for greater freedom also need to be explored. Some promote the idea of a true federation - decentralised government in which all the constituents are juridically equal. But this would be impossible in the UK. The government of England would inevitably overshadow that of the UK. A less radical alternative would be further devolution of powers - for example over taxation - under the existing union arrangement". (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Wielka Brytania

A demonstration took place in Brussels on Saturday, December 2nd, in support of the Forest Volkswagen factory, almost 4,000 among them being threatened with dismissal. "On Saturday, the VW workers were cheered on like heroes by all those who demonstrated their solidarity. On Sunday there were only ten on the picket line", comments the editorialist Bénédicte Vaes. "The time when the whole Liège region downed tools is long passed. Nowadays multinationals suppress jobs from a distance with the flick of a remote control. The enemy no longer has a face. The battle has become virtual. ... Politicians admit their inability to regulate economy as in the time of the Nation-State. Europe, having taken up the reigns, is entirely assigned to free competition. ... Social Europe does not exist. It does not feature on the Union's programme." (04/12/2006)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, Le Soir)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Ruchy społeczne, » Przedsiębiorczość, » Belgia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Bénédicte Vaes

The Cyprus government has pronounced itself unsatisifed with the EUs' decision to freeze only some chapters in Turkey's accession negotiations. The daily advocates a more measured attitude. "Many in Europe may want Turkey kept out of the bloc, but no one has a desire to kick it off the rails at this early stage, to humiliate an important ally at a particularly sensitive time in relations between the West and Islam. ... Cyprus is not alone in seeing the EU accession carrot as a lever on Turkey, but, unlike Cyprus, the rest of Europe is strongly aware of the balancing act needed in maintaining that lever by keeping the carrot credible. No realistic prospect of accession, no lever. Europe's leaders are also sensitive – as indeed we should be – to the fact that the Erdogan government faces general elections in the new year, and are keen not to enflame nationalist passions by pushing Turkey over the edge." (03/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Rozszerzenie UE, » Cypr, » Turcja

Following the initiative of Silvio Berlusconi, a demonstration gathered together more than 700,000 people in Rome on Saturday, December 2nd, against the tax increase planned by the Prodi government. The editorialist Edmondo Berselli notes that the "eternal" Berlusoni has for the time being no successor on the right. "This has not been enough: despite the electoral defeat and the revolt of the Christian Democrats (who wish to restructure the Italian right), not to mention last week's physical lapse in Montecatini, the body and soul of Berlusoni are still very much there, pictures of charisma and power. The some 700,000 demonstrators of the centre-right are all his, they belong to him ... . On the Piazza San Giovanni, we could see a photo of the Italian right, a fixed image, not a film in motion; a pious image immortalising Saint Silvio, almost as if her were a martyr surrounded by a crowd of his followers". (04/12/2006)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, La Repubblica)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka finansowa, » Podatki, » Włochy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Edmondo Berselli

Right-wing populist mayor Ján Slota of the Slovakian National Party lost his post in communal elections in the city of Zilina last Saturday. He had been mayor since the fall of communism. Bratislava correspondent József Szilvássy comments: "No one expected this. Ján Slota's own countrymen, citizens of the northern Slovakian city of Zilina, were primarily dissatisfied with his dictatorial methods, his vulgar style and his hatred for the Hungarian minority. At last, the red card for Ján Slota. No one knows if he will stop his verbal attacks against minorities, or what effect the elections will have on his party. But the rest of the world – not only Slovakia – can learn from the courage of the people of Zilina." (03/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, węgierski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Słowacja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » József Szilvássy

According to an EU Commission report, most member states are trying to avoid reducing CO2 emissions. Björn Sundell advises: "Nine out of ten countries will now be forced by the commission to revise their emissions plans, Germany and Lithuania included. The EU thus becomes the first region in the world to try, using emissions trading, to limit the discharge of carbon dioxide. The model should be up and functioning as of 2008. And if it actually works, it can be a model for other countries. The commission will have to be tough, but fair. Tough, to ensure emissions trading leads to investment in the environment; fair, to stop member countries from use creative accounting to dodge the Kyoto protocol." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, szwedzki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Środowisko, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Björn Sundell

Novica Mihajlovic comments on the ambivalent attitude of Europeans towards environmental protection. Europe's new chemical guidelines, REACH, drawn up last week, require European firms to verify that the chemicals they use are not harmful: "Europeans want profit, and at the same time they want to protect the environment... REACH will please the Americans most of all. They always prefer profit. But for us Europeans, nature is holy. We are constantly wavering between protecting the sacrosanct, and seeking profit. We spend a little money on environmental investigations and in the end we opt for profit.... On the other side of the Atlantic they are laughing at us." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, słoweński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Środowisko, » Przedsiębiorczość, » Europa

John Lichfield, the paper's correspondent in Paris, considers the French capital's urban planning. "The psychological, and physical, barriers between the capital and its suburbs explain many Paris's racial and social problems . The historic city, beautiful but frozen in time, also suffers. 'Old' Paris has been severed from the pep and creativity of its 'young' suburbs. Politicians, local and national, have discussed the problem for years. Nothing has been done. Now events and political decisions may be conspiring to create a de facto 'Big Paris' over the next decade. Plans are afoot for a series of enormous office blocks just outside the city, including one skyscraper at La Défense, which will be almost as high as the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building. By 2012, more and more Parisians will be commuting to work in the 'banlieues', rather than the other way around." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Architektura / Miasta, » Francja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » John Lichfield

"So what have we gained from the Year of Mozart?" Wilhelm Sinkovicz asks, and responds: "There is only one answer to this single, all-moving, honest question: Money. Lots of money. Austria's economy took in infinitely more cash by using the aura of this composer - who so perfectly symbolizes the marketing bomb of 'Musicland' - than this land of music is willing to invest in cultural self-promotion. There is a lot of talk these days about indirect artistic profitability. To boost the economy, it is obviously sufficient to splash Mozart's name on website banners one more time in the place of cheap musicals that look the same around the world. And profit turnover immediately goes up 30 percent." (04/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Muzyka, » Austria
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Wilhelm Sinkovicz