"The train drivers' strike has yet to begin and already it is considered one of the most bizarre collective action struggles in post-war history. A tiny group of workers is dividing an entire workforce for an astounding 31-percent pay raise. As economists are already predicting that the costs could run into the triple-digit millions of euros, the German government is turning to the negotiating partners. They however are not negotiating at all, because the chance of success is low", writes Michael Bauchmüller commenting on yesterday's ruling by a labor court in Nuremberg outlawing the strike: "What's at stake here are the fundaments of the German economic order. If the freedom of association [the right to form collective industrial organizations and participate in collective action] were no longer a basic right, when would it be applicable? What could workers then ask for, which means could they resort to, how many would have to join forces to be permitted to strike in Germany?" (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Infrastruktura / Komunikacja, » Niemcy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Michael Bauchmueller

On August 2nd, French Parliament voted for the organisation of minimum service in public transport in the event of a strike. Professor of law, Jacques Le Goff, interviewed by Nathalie Funès, sees no infringement of the right to strike. "This is less a breach, than an adaptation [of the law] to a more peaceful and complex society. No right can be considered absolute these days. ... In France, conflict has always been deeply anchored in our social conscience. Strikes are considered a means of asserting identity in a balance of power that is not guaranteed by trade unions. This is contrary to other countries where trade unions don't need to resort to such intimidation. Hence France's particularity: we start by stopping work, which is equivalent to slamming your fist down on the table, and only then do we start negotiating, whereas striking is the result of a blockage between bosses and unions in the United Kingdom or in Germany. Foreseeing strikes is part of the new law's logic. This is moving us closer to our neighbours." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Infrastruktura / Komunikacja, » Ruchy społeczne, » Niemcy, » Francja, » Wielka Brytania
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Jacques Le Goff, » Nathalie Funès

The daily is in favour of increased restrictions on industrial action in the public service sector. "The right to strike is indeed a social conquest which is an integral part of democratic countries. It does not however always provide solutions to problems and sometimes even gets embroiled in strategies that have nothing to do with defending workers' rights. A tendency to call strikes in the public sector amid large scale events in order to attract more attention has ended up perverting the initial aim of this right, rendering strikes unpopular and even antisocial. The decisions ruled by the Nuremburg court and French law [on a minimum service] are pointed in the right direction and Spain would do well to take note." (09/08/2007)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, La Vanguardia)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Infrastruktura / Komunikacja, » Ruchy społeczne, » Niemcy, » Francja

Daragh McDowell specialises in post-Soviet politics at Oxford University. He argues that "Vladimir Putin is no dewy-eyed liberal, but neither is he the crypto-soviet ogre many of his critics in the West portray him as. ... It is time to put to bed the rose-tinted vision of the Yeltsin years that has taken root in popular opinion. ... While none of this is to say that Putin is all smiles and sunshine, he is an immeasurable improvement upon his predecessor, which is why ordinary Russians are deeply suspicious of western pronouncements on the themes of 'democracy' and 'human' rights. In Russia these terms have been intimately linked with the Yeltsin era and thus thoroughly discredited. ... Putin has brought stability to their lives and raised their standard of living, as well as restoring their sense of national pride. By beating the democracy drum we get the worst of all worlds - irritating the Kremlin without any hope of exercising influence on Russian public opinion." (09/08/2007)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Rosja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Daragh McDowell

To understand Putin's regime, the dissident Garry Kasparov recommends having a look at Mario Puzo as opposed to the classic readings of political science: "If you are in a real hurry [...] you may prefer the DVD section, where you can find Mr. Puzo's works on film. 'The Godfather' trilogy is a good place to start," writes Kasparov in an article reprinted in 'The Wall Street Journal'. "A historian looks at the Kremlin today and sees elements of Mussolini's 'corporate state,' Latin American juntas and Mexico's pseudo-democratic PRI machine. A Puzo fan sees the Putin government more accurately: the strict hierarchy, the extortion, the intimidation, the code of secrecy and, above all, the mandate to keep the revenue flowing. In other words, a mafia. If a member of the inner circle goes against the Capo, his life is forfeit." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Rosja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Garry Kasparov

The Swedish writer Henning Mankell was the son in law of the film-maker Ingmar Bergman, who passed away on July 30th, aged 89. He pays homage to him in an article published by several papers. "Ingmar found the meaning of life in creativity. If he did have a God, then that was it: the creative force that gave purpose to an otherwise highly troubled life. When he, around a year ago, noticed that his creative capability had started to wane, I could see that he was already leaving us. Without that power to create, there was nothing left. ... When he died, he had completed a tremendous body of work. One of the hardest working men in art, he handed down innumerable films, screenplays, theatrical productions, plays and books. He is one of the few who will survive from last century's Swedish/Nordic/European/global cultural life into the future. Precisely how, we can't say. Only that it will happen." (09/08/2007)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Film, » Literatura, » Szwecja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Henning Mankell

On Monday, August 6 th,Heathrow Airport's operator failed to impede an environmental protest when the High Court ruled in favour of the protester's rights. This coincided with peace protester Brian Haw's victory in an appeal to the High Court over the legality of police conditions restricting his protest. Columnist Katy Guest is pleased. "Happily, Monday's court rulings - in favour of the anti-war protester Brian Haw and the group Camp for Climate Action (CCA) - imply a return to the good old days of protesting. ... Our new Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw ... became famous for betraying his militant past. ... Or is there a hint of mischief still in Radical Jack? Let's hope this week's rulings mean a new era of peaceful protest, with tax exemptions for bongos and free George Bush face masks for all. I bet there are several members of the Cabinet just itching to dust off their patchouli." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Wielka Brytania
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Katy Guest

Yesterday's sacking of Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek has further deepened the government crisis in Poland. New elections will likely take place earlier than scheduled. In a guest commentary, Jacek Zakowski of the Polish magazine 'Polityka' laments that the upcoming election campaign will not be about shaping good plans for the future, but rather the ills plaguing the current administration. "This attitude towards politics specific to Poland causes us to vote against reality in every election. ... We vote for a break from what we don't like, yet we don't ever have the chance to make a positive choice. The political parties concentrate all their efforts on putting their opponents in a bad light, at the same time formulating their own platforms vaguely and committing to nothing." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polska
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Jacek Zakowski

The National Council for Research on the Archives of the Securitate (CNSAS) has been entrusted with the task of examining the past of the 25 candidates who hope to succeed the recently deceased Teoctist as patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. According to the CNSAS, in some cases there is strong evidence of collaboration with the Securitate. Corina Dragotescu comments: "The discussions about the collaboration of clerics with the Securitate are not new. There have been several attempts to throw more light on the problem but there were always setbacks, whether owing to the investigating commission or postponement of the issue. This time there must be clarity, not least because it's important to underscore the Christian dictum of an 'unsullied life'. No doubt other discussions will arise. Can regret about having collaborated with the Securitate mitigate the condemnation which former involvement entails? How can one measure good and evil? These are questions that will have to be answered if it turns out that one of the candidates was indeed a former Securitate agent." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, rumuński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Religia, » Światopogląd, » Rumunia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Corina Dragotescu

On August 8th, an American company launched a search engine called Spock.com that specialises in personal data gathering. This is 'the first mainstream version of a search engine that until now was reserved for economic intelligence", notes Bernard Benhamou, a political science lecturer. "Gathering information on individuals has increased considerably since Internet users have themselves been adding  to the circulation of this information, which is one of the paradoxes of what is being referred to as web 2.0 ; information voluntarily divulged by Internet users through blogs, or 'social networks' like MySpace ... could end up leading to massive, widespread distrust. ... The reign of total transparency predicted by many might soon be taking on a form quite different from that imagined by science fiction authors." (08/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Media internetowe, » USA, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Bernard Benhamou

For days Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has come under fire from journalists accusing Labor Minister Viera Tomanová of corruption. More than a dozen editors of the public television station have resigned over political pressure to provide pro-government programming. Fico has gone too far, criticizes commentator Dag Danis. "Anyone who still remembers the Meciar era knows that the world of the prime minister back then was simply black and white. Anyone who criticized the HZDS [Meciar's party] was publicly branded a traitor working for the Czechs, Hungarians or Jews. And even Robert Fico's world lacks colour. Anyone who criticizes his Smer party or the actions of his Labour Minister is publicly denounced as a traitor to the working people, an 'agent of the capitalists.' The Prime Minister is making use of a hard, callous and arrogant demagogy." (09/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, słowacki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka medialna, » Słowacja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Dag Danis

Paul Jandl went to see the "landmark" exhibition on the history of the traditional Viennese pub in the Wien Museum. "None of the basic elements of the Viennese pub have changed for at least 150 years. The furnishings still consist of a wooden bar with highly polished taps, which the Viennese like to call the 'Budl'. Then there's the wall decorations, the red and white chequered table cloths, an assembly of seasonings on the tables and last but not least, the landlord himself... The Wien Museum manages to present the simple act of eating in such a way that its essence shimmers through. It also explores the transcendental nature of the menu: goulash, schnitzel and roast pork restore the self-confidence of the Viennese pub-goer, and the soothing, constant values of Viennese cuisine are balm to his every worry." (08/08/2007)

» Strona www (Link zewnętrzny, Neue Zürcher Zeitung)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Styl życia, » Austria
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Paul Jandl

The Spanish slug, also known as the "killer slug," was brought to Scandinavia several years ago and is devastating gardens across Denmark. The animals have hardly any natural enemies and now Danish politicians are vying for their version of an "extermination plan" to put a stop to the slugs and save the environment. The newspaper comments: "If the head of the Socialist People's Party, Villy Sövndal, were to mobilize the civil defense troops and the conservative Stig Elling were to call up an army of unemployed people, it would be just as outlandish as the proposal put forward by [Environment Minister] Connie Hedegaard calling for garden owners to hunt the slugs themselves. This all fits in with the 'liberal' government's desire for laws and regulations of all kinds. This can kill off a lot, but it can hardly stand up to the slugs." (08/08/2007)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, duński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Środowisko, » Dania