Markus Bernath is convinced that Muammar al-Gaddafi "is up to something" as far as the death sentence of the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor is concerned. "Perhaps he wants more money, or he feels the EU hasn't been treating him with the respect he deserves in recent times, or it's part of a plan to maximize the effect when he steps in with a last-minute act of mercy. Because it can only be a few of the victims who actually believe that the nurses and the doctor will be executed... The EU has attempted to compensate for the grave omissions of former Bulgarian governments that have allowed the case to drag on out of a mixture of neglect and political incompetence... However, the nurses who left their country to work for a monthly salary of 250 dollars to help their families back in Bulgaria are being held hostage by the Libyan government and its unwillingness to assume responsibility for the tragedy." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Bułgaria, » Afryka Północna
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Markus Bernath

Ramon Perez-Maura, assistant chief-editor of the daily, considers that the EU should take up a big challenge. Bulgaria will be a supplementary actor in the Union in twelve days time. Its three last governments, successively led by the conservative Ivan Kostov, Simeon II of Bulgaria and the socialist Sergueï Stanichev, have strived to reach an acceptable agreement with the Gaddafi regime. ... The length of the procedure was abnormally prolonged. And it is precisely now, just as Bulgaria is becoming a fully-fledged member of the EU, that Gaddafi has decided to bring on another arm-wrestle. ... He wished to regain his status as tenor in Muslim countries and he knows that the quickest way to do so is to attract the praise of terrorists who are killing in Baghdad every day, by becoming the upholder of the law bringing the West down on its knees because of the deaths of 400 Libyan children. And Bulgaria now has to pay the price for its military presence right from the beginning [March 2006]." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Bułgaria, » Afryka Północna
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Ramón Pérez-Maura

"Stalin did not have time to shoot his torture victims - Jewish doctors. Gaddafi no doubt will have time to execute the Bulgarian nurses, but we may go so far as predicting that he will not dare to. Foremost, because the accused are not guilty and everyone is perfectly aware of this", propounds the chronicler Pol Mathil. "All the proof of the innocence of the accused has indeed not prevented the Libyan justice system from twice pronouncing a verdict that is as scandalous as it is aberrant. ... However, in this affair, as in the others where the 'Leader of the Revolution' and author of the 'Green Book' - Bible of the Libyans- has been implicated, we can count on his interest, which is that of a pariah hoping to obtain a place in the international community. 'The 'new Gaddafi' cannot therefore allow himself to set the civilised world such a challenge." (20/12/2006)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, Le Soir)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Bułgaria, » Afryka Północna

Brussels correspondent László Szőcs comments on the Libyan court's death verdict: "The European Union resolutely opposes the death penalty. This sentence in the Finnish EU presidency's press release has been singled out in news reports. This is a grave mistake because it could turn the indignation provoked by the ruling into a philosophical discussion between the democratic states and NATO member states about whether a state has the right to kill a citizen... The EU member states, including Bulgaria, can refuse to let themselves be blackmailed by General Gadaffi – this would mean the death of the six health workers – or the EU can go along with the general's game. Gadaffi wants the West to beg for the lives of the condemned health workers... If the EU does go along with this game of cat and mouse (in which, unfortunately, it won't be the cat), Italy and Malta should use their special relationship with Libya and lead the negotiations with Tripoli." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, węgierski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Bułgaria, » Afryka Północna

The daily evaluates Libya's evolving relation with the West. "In 2003 it surrendered the weapons of mass destruction it still had. Since then western leaders, including Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac, have beaten a path to Colonel Gaddafi's tent door. The US is grateful for his help in fighting the 'war on terror'. This one-time pariah was feted in Brussels and the EU seeks his cooperation in controlling migration. His reformist son and heir apparent has studied in London. Oil and gas companies are investing heavily in Libya again. Bulgaria's position has been strengthened by the coincidence that it is about to join the EU and can expect solidarity from fellow member states over this sordid affair. Condemnation of the trial should be a signal to Tripoli to drop the death sentences, discuss offers of financial assistance for the families - and prove that the new Libya fully respects the rule of law." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Bułgaria, » Afryka Północna

"If people keep on talking about a clash of cultures, then it won't be long before there is one," writes Robert Misik, who notes an escalation in the "jargon of confrontation": "Even if the real points at issue are more about power, justice and the economy than culture, they are being translated into the language of culture, religion and identity. For far too many Muslims, everything that is going wrong in the world, particularly in the Muslim world, is the result of a Western conspiracy aimed at suppressing Islam and offending its sensibilities, destroying Muslim traditions with commercial products and plundering their natural resources. The relatively new species of militant Western liberals, on the other hand, is waging a daily battle against Islamic totalitarianism. They see three men with long beards standing in a group as a threat to freedom, Western civilisation and women's liberation." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Religia, » Światopogląd, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Robert Misik

The Italian writer and essayist Umberto Eco considers an anonymous, undated essay entitled 'The Happy Republic', which describes a utopian republic in which laws are based on popular proverbs and maxims. In this system, "the fundamental principal on which the legislator depends is not only that the proverbs translate popular wisdom, but that the voice of the people is also the voice of God. Thus a perfect State should be built on the basis of this unique wisdom, all other ideology, moral, social, political and religious projects having failed. ... In the end it is obvious that this 'Happy Republic' makes its inhabitants unhappy and they all run away. Proving himself wise, the author of this essay recognises that excessive trust should not be placed in proverbs". (20/12/2006)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, La Repubblica)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Filozofia, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Umberto Eco

The Romanian president Traian Basecu presented on Monday, December 18th, the report written by a commission of historians officially recognising the crimes of communism for the first time. For Marcel Gaston, correspondent for the daily in Bucharest, this event, which has received a great amount of media coverage, bears more resemblance to "a publicity campaign two weeks before entering the EU than the beginning of a witch hunt ... , and cannot be interpreted as the starting point of an honest and courageous debate on reconciliation and fault, a debate that Romania is not prepared to take on. It does not seem very likely that the concrete measures proposed by the Commission will be put into practice, measures such as the opening-up of archives or other efforts to shed light on historical truth. This would have to be approved by politicians who wish, for various reasons, for things to remain as they are. And it is therefore in the press that the debate might take place, through self-serving revelations about the past of certain people and political blows beneath the belt". (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Historia, » Rumunia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Marcel Gastón

According to Jaroslaw Gizinski, Russia will pose a major challenge to Germany's upcoming EU presidency. Moscow gives the big EU states preferential treatment while it tries to dictate its conditions to the smaller states. Gizinski calls on the EU not to allow Moscow to bring about a divide in the Union. "Moscow has repeatedly insisted on bilateral agreements on several issues or proposed the exclusion of new member states and singled out older members for preferential treatment. It is trying to find out who is willing to step out of line, so that it can make a deal with the stronger members and dictate its conditions to the others. There are many signs that the year 2007 will begin by putting solidarity within the EU to the test. This will be a test not just for the European Union as a whole but also for Germany as holder of the EU presidency and – as Vladimir Putin likes to put it – Russia's 'strategic' partner in the West." (18/12/2006)

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

"The agenda - set a few months ago to endow Kosovo with a new status and attempt to appease the region, currently the least stable in former Yugoslavia - is noticeably slipping into relative indifference", remarks Christophe Châtelot in an extensive analysis. "Belgrade has no more control over what goes on in this territory that is just a little bigger than Corsica. This has not prevented the new Serbian Constitution from proclaiming Kosovo 'an inalienable part of Serbia'. ... The UN administrator in Kosovo, the German Joachim Rücker, assures Albanians that they will dispose 'very soon of a new status'. Gerard Rücker specified this because more and more Albanians are in doubt. The agenda is running late. ... In the short term, the Kosovo question risks being buried. Unless, that is, the United States and Europe join forces in a common front, as yet inexistent, to impose a solution or propose incentive measures to Serbia (EU accession?) leading it to properly really negotiate." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Rozszerzenie UE, » Europa Południowo-Wschodnia, » Serbia

The Slovenian defence minister yesterday concluded a deal with the Finnish company Patria for the purchase of 135 tanks for the Slovenian army. Primoz Cirman speculates on how the estimated 280 million euros the tanks will cost could have been better spent. "That amount of money could have financed job schemes for Slovenia's unemployed for around four years, covered the costs of humanitarian organisations for 15 years, or been used to set up free child care facilities or hospitals... The tanks are intended for use in NATO operations abroad. Malicious tongues might now be tempted to remind politicians that before the referendum on NATO membership they promised that membership would not only boost the country's security but also bring financial rewards." (20/12/2006)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, Delo)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Słowenia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Primoz Cirman

The Czech nation is discussing whether Jiří Čunek, mayor of the town of Vsetín, was guilty of racial discrimination when he had a Roma family that had not paid the rent evicted to a Portakabin on the outskirts of the city. To add to the controversy, Čunek has now been nominated party leader of the Christian Democrats and hopes to be given a ministerial post in the future government. Author Petr Prihoda warns about false moralising: "'Political correctness', in the guise of a moral imperative, has taken hold in the Czech Republic. But will it help our Roma population if we talk about them in a way that is considered politically correct but continue to marginalise them socially.? No, 'political correctness' is just a euphemism for not knowing how to handle a situation." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, czeski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Integracja, » Mniejszości, » Czechy

A year after its major gas dispute with Ukraine, Russia has now announced plans to quadruple the price it charges Belarus for gas. According to the Estonian newspaper, this could be a major problem for Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has threatened to break off relations with Russia, but there could also be repercussions for the rest of Europe. "Lukashenko has lost his status as Moscow's darling. The dispute over Gazprom's plans to take control of Belarus' pipeline system has certainly contributed to this, but Lukashenko is also resisting plans for the union of his country with Russia. Moreover, Moscow wants to disassociate itself from Lukashenko who is increasingly regarded as a pariah in the West. Only 20 percent of Europe's gas goes through Belarus' pipeline, but if those supplies are cut off, Poland, Germany, France and the Netherlands will be affected. This once again underlines the need to forge a common European energy policy." (20/12/2006)

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

For Axel Brüggemann, the most scandalous thing about the reopening of the Mozart opera "Idomeneo" at Berlin's Deutsche Oper was the ensemble's poor performance. "The scandalous thing about it was that the cast was simply terrible: the singers ranged from mediocre to absolutely lousy. The scandalous thing about it was that composer Ralf Weikert's rendering of the opera could hardly have been more anachronistic or bone dry... This would have been a great opportunity for the opera's much criticised director Kirsten Harms to present her opera house as a pioneer in German opera and silence all the critics, but she hasn't even managed to capitalise on this rare moment of public interest in the opera by presenting a decent musical and theatrical performance." The commentator concludes that the performance was tantamount to a declaration of artistic bankruptcy." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Muzyka, » Scena, » Niemcy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Axel Brüggemann

Anna Cymer is pleased to see that a series of architectural projects led by the likes of Daniel Libeskind and Norman Foster are boosting Warsaw's international profile in architecture. "This is the product of major investments (a famous architect doesn't come cheap), but also a shift in the Polish mindset. Even here on the Vistula, people have realised that for a European city, modern, even daring architecture is a must... The famous architect Daniel Libeskind will construct a building that is to compete with the Cultural Palace, a 22-floor apartment building which resembles a sail or – as some say – an eagle's wing. The design was recently presented at an exclusive gala – as befits the project of an international architectural icon. This is an indication that Polish architecture is catching up with international trends in which architecture isn't just about beautiful buildings but about trade with stars and marketing, as in all other sectors." (20/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Architektura / Miasta, » Polska
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Anna Cymer

Guy Duplat presents the book, 'Anselm Kiefer and the poetry of Paul Celan', which has been given the 2006 Prix Artcurial award for contemporary art book. "The German philosopher Adorno said that to write a poem after Auschwitz was barbaric. And yet both Paul Celan and Anselm Kiefer have taken up the challenge and confronted the incomprehensible evil that struck Germany. ... Anselm Kiefer, 61 years old, is a major post-war artist in Germany. He was born in Donaueschingen, in 1945, as Nazi Germany was in its death throes. As an artist, he immediately refused to give in to the denial of the past, to the debarring of German culture violated by Nazi ideology. Artists at the time preferred to turn towards American culture. As for him, he dared to take on this hidden past, presenting allegories of German culture led astray in order to better face up to them. He dared to ask himself how one could possibly be an artist after Auschwitz. ... Over 25 years, the art of Kiefer was nourished by the poetry of Celan and Ingeborg Bachmann, a German Poetess haunted by the same questions and who was Celan's companion for some time". (20/12/2006)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Sztuki piękne, » Historia, » Niemcy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Guy Duplat

"The government [of Malta] has just announced a scheme whereby cultural donations of no less than 1,000 Maltese lira (2,330 euro) to cultural organisations and donations of at least Maltese lira 5,000 (11,456 euro) in cash for restoration works would be tax exempt", notes the Maltese daily. "In other European countries, tax exemptions connected to art, heritage and culture have been in place for decades. Here too, no doubt, the incentive should prove successful and opportunities do exist ... Although we have come a long way in the last 30 years there is still a great deal to be done to ensure that future generations will be handed down a heritage that is in pristine condition. We live in what Andrè Malraux could describe as a Museum Without Walls and our responsibility towards the patrimony left to us by our forefathers is a huge responsibility that we must all strive to shoulder in some way." (19/12/2006)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Architektura / Miasta, » Wystawy / Muzea, » Malta