A rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon in the Irish referendum "would precipitate a major European crisis", writes John Palmer. "The main beneficiaries are likely to be the far right xenophobes, racists and euro-sceptics - Irish and European. ... There is no plan C on a desk in Brussels designed to avert a truly serious crisis in the entire European project. ... It is not entirely clear that a No vote would - in the longer run - leave Ireland's EU membership itself unaffected. ... An Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty would give a massive boost to the euro-sceptic British Conservative party - which seems increasingly likely to form the government in London. An Irish No will strengthen the Tory determination to renegotiate some key aspects of Britain's EU membership." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Konstytucja UE, » Wielka Brytania, » Irlandia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » John Palmer

For Franco Venturini, the EU's main problem is that Eastern Enlargement took place before institutional reform: "The EU had two years to recover from the defeat [of the European constitution] in 2005. In 2007 the Treaty of Lisbon was created, which is even weaker and more imprecise than its predecessor. ... Now fears are growing that the referendum will torpedo the European vessel. ... The No side and the large group of non-voters are moved by irrational fears. ... The absurdity of putting an immeasurable enlargement before institutional reform - instead of the reverse, which would have been only logical - threatens to put Europe right back in the Fallen State it was in in 2004. A No from Dublin would have the immediate effect of calling into question the parliamentary ratifications in England and Poland. Europe would be menaced with shipwreck. But would a Yes from Ireland really change things? Can Europe go on if it is afraid of the votes of its citizens?" (09/06/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, włoski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Konstytucja UE, » Irlandia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Franco Venturini

Green Member of the European Parliament Daniel Cohn-Bendit sees the reasons for the threatened rejection of the the EU Reform Treaty in the egoism of individual states. "We live in societies that are driven by a logic of egoism. ... The Irish have got everything from Europe yet they are not aware of it. ... It seems we Europeans are not able to explain to other people what we are doing. ... If the Irish No wins out, [the EU] will have to once more address the question of how Europe is to function, and whether one state should be able to veto the Union's political decisions." (07/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Rozszerzenie UE, » Polityka UE, » Konstytucja UE, » Irlandia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Daniel Cohn-Bendit

Facing the prospect of rejection of the EU Treaty the daily argues in favour of a two-speed Europe: "If the Irish do not want the Treaty, no one can force it on them. ... The question is whether the Irish can force the rest of Europe to reject a treaty it really does want. Unanimity ... is not only unacceptable from a democratic point of view, it also comes at a huge price because it renders the EU incapable of developing and adjusting to the future in that it requires 27 ratifications every time a detail in the treaty needs amending. What is the alternative? That the treaty enters force in those countries that want it, provided they account for more than two-thirds or three-quarters of the states and of the EU's population." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Konstytucja UE, » Irlandia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » José Ignacio Torreblanca

The Polish daily speaks out in favour of the right to hold referendums in all EU states: "From the perspective of the EU as a whole, it is unfair that a small nation of four million will decide the future of almost half a billion people. ... The only instrument for exerting direct influence on Europe is the referendum, regardless of the risks it entails. Sadly, only few have been granted the right to use this medium to express their will on key issues for the EU. This must be changed; people must be offered the possibility of direct involvement in decisions on those issues which are most important to them. Referendums are still risky. Had they been held in the past, no doubt there would be no euro and no EU enlargement. But in the 21st century we must recognise that the old method of doing things 'under the table', behind the backs of citizens, is no longer acceptable. ... The inability to convince people of the correctness of their decisions is one of the great weaknesses of Europe's elites." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka UE, » Konstytucja UE, » Irlandia, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Jacek Pawlicki

The right-wing Belgian party Vlaams Belang (VB) wants to form a block with other right-wing parties along the lines of the Italian model. The right-wing nationalist List Dedecker, the VB's major rival, has rejected the idea. Walter Pauli compares the Right in Belgium and Italy: "The VB seems to have lost its momentum. Doubts are overtaking its own ranks, and it must now form alliances to avert ... the threatened punishment from voters. Does this mean the end of Forza-Flanders? ... The Forza-Flanders model will not die, because intellectually and politically it is just as attractive as a progressive popular front. ... Let's follow the Italian model one step further: in the most recent elections there was no longer a Forza Italia or Alleanza Nazionale. Both had joined forces to form 'Il Populo della Libertá'." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niderlandzki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Włochy, » Belgia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Walter Pauli

Following a bomb attack on the printing facilities of the Basque regional newspaper El Correo, all Spain's newspapers have published commentaries expressing solidarity. In an article for El Correo, which appeared despite the attack, writer José Luis Zubizarreta addresses the publisher's employees: "One thing is clear: ETA does not like what you do and it does not like the company you do it for. This is why the printers - not for the first time - became the target of an attack aimed at preventing the publishing of the product of your daily work. This is an attack on journalistic freedom. ... But it is also a concrete attack against your specific way of exercising this profession. Since you made the decision to call murderers murderers, terrorists terrorists and fanatics fanatics without trying to conceal the bitterness with false names you have become the organisation's target of choice. This is of course frightening, but it should also fill you with pride." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Wydawnictwa, » Media drukowane, » Mniejszości, » Hiszpania
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » José Luis Zubizarreta

Nicolae Filipescu comments on the consequences of the Nato summit which took place in April in Bucharest: "The French-German intransigence forced NATO to withdraw its support for the candidacy of Ukraine and Georgia. This decision has aroused profound resentment in Eastern Europe. [Former Russian president] Putin was delighted at the 'success' of the NATO summit, insinuating that NATO could not take any important decisions without first considering Russia's interests. ... At the start of the summit the USA strongly supported the candidacy of both countries. ... But America did not use its influence in NATO to counter the French-German opposition. Central and Eastern European EU and NATO states must improve coordination of their political activities. ... Otherwise the 'Old Europe' led primarily by Germany and France will be tempted to negotiate separate arrangements with non-EU 'partners' behind closed doors. Such agreements would have a negative effect on the democracies of the 'new Europe'." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, rumuński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Polityka UE, » Rosja, » Europa, » USA, » Rumunia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Nicolae Filipescu

Viktoria Mohacsi, the Hungarian MEP for the Alliance of Free Democrats, writes in French daily Le Monde about the Roma camps in Naples: "What is happening in Italy is simply terrible. ... If they [the Roma] are not granted Italian citizenship, the 100,000 ex-Yugoslavians will have to return to Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo. But they were fleeing the Balkan Wars. The question of integration does not arise for a people that no longer has any land in the state in which they were born. ... I do not know who first said it was in their blood to live as nomads. The Roma are not nomads. ... They settle, even if it is only in hut camps. The Roma want to be legalised. They do not see Serbia or Croatia as their home countries. ... A few years ago I believed the question of integrating the Roma was a matter of national responsibility because in each of the 27 member states the situation is different. ... But today, following my experiences in the Hungarian government up to 2004, I know that what is needed is double responsibility [at a national and European level]." (07/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Integracja, » Mniejszości, » Włochy, » Europa, » Chorwacja, » Kosowo
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Anne Rodier

Leonidas Donskis bemoans the lack of an intellectual class in Eastern Europe. "Intellectuals are not particularly well-liked in Lithuania and other post-Soviet countries. The word alone has a negative ring to it. We prefer to use the Russian term 'intelligentsia' or even 'educated class'. But in so doing we have failed to build up an intellectual elite, and the heroes of 1988-1992 have sunk into oblivion. Why? ... One reason is that publicly active intellectuals have practically no means of influencing people in areas where no one has any visions any more. When they use theoretical terminology to fight for moral or political ideals, they strike us as a sort of anachronism. That is why unless they work in television, intellectuals today can hardly have any influence at all. This is doubly true in a country like Lithuania where the visual media play such a key role." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, litewski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Styl życia, » Media audiowizualne, » Ruchy społeczne, » Historia, » Filozofia, » Litwa, » Europa Wschodnia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Leonidas Donskis

In a commentary for the Helsingin Sanomat, Shlomo Avineri, a professor of political sciences at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, writes about the US's position in the Middle East: "If you look at the role the US has played in the Middle East over the past 60 years you see that it has only managed to achieve consensus between parties under two conditions. If these conditions are not fulfilled this great power is ultimately powerless. ... The first condition is peace. ... In such circumstances the US can act resolutely to put an end to the bloodshed and bring about a ceasefire and perhaps even peace. ... The second condition will be fulfilled when Israel and the Palestinians begin peace talks. ... In situations other than those described, US initiatives are stillborn. The US is basically powerless when the parties involved lack the political will for a sustained peace process. ... In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as in any conflict between nations, the key to resolving the problem is ultimately at the site of the conflict. Despite good intentions the international community has never been able to resolve national conflicts." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, fiński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » USA, » Bliski i Środkowy Wschód
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Shlomo Avineri

The business paper Figyelő writes about the plans of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's liberal-conservative government to set comprehensive reforms in motion in a bid to sustain the economic growth rate of the past few years: "The dynamic growth rate of the past few years could slow down owing to changes on the international financial markets. Although a growth rate of five percent of the gross domestic product is forecast for this year, it is expected to slow down in 2009. Therefore the government must act now. However, the introduction of a flat tax rate is a measure that demands great caution. After all, in 2007 it was only with great difficulty that the Polish budgetary deficit was kept under the three percent of GDP limit [a prerequisite for introduction of the euro]. Poland wants to convert to the euro as quickly as possible after Slovakia [in 2009]. With this goal in mind Warsaw plans to introduce fiscal and budget reforms." (09/06/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, węgierski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka gospodarcza, » Polska, » Słowacja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Anna Wisniewski

The newspaper reviews possible culprits of the skyrocketing price of crude oil: "It is easy ... to put the blame on China and India. Their growth in demand has been partly responsible for the rise in oil prices. But when share prices rise by 13 percent on the Nymex commodity futures exchange in just 48 hours, as happened on Thursday and Friday, the fault cannot lie with China and India alone. Such a rise ... has not occured in the last 25 years. Genuine demand is being used as a pretext for triggering a new wave of speculation. Stocks for crude oil are being traded on the Nymex at a billion barrels a day, many times more than actual production. ... Some suspect American banks of using the speculation bubble to get over their crisis." (09/06/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Handel, » Rynki finansowe, » Azja, » USA, » Cały świat

On the very first day Slovakia's controversial new press law entered force, Vladimir Meciar's nationalist and populist party, which forms part of the governing coalition, lodged a complaint about a newspaper article. The conservative daily expresses its disappointment that Brussels has not protested against the law: "The law is nothing less than an attempt to get away with curbing democratic freedoms in an EU country." The paper draws a parallel with Russia, where freedom of the press is also compromised: "If they could act exactly as Putin does, the majority of Western politicians would." (09/06/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, czeski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka medialna, » Czechy, » Słowacja, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Luboš Palata

In response to the proposal put forward by French MP Patrice Debray to lift the ban on smoking in French bars that sell tobacco products, known as 'bars-tabac', the daily writes: "This bill ... reflects a double social problem: the drop in sales bar owners have experienced since the total ban on smoking in public places entered force and the decline of social ties in deeply rural areas. ... In a provincial departement like his, Patrice Debray faces 'the risk of closing down the only bar in the village'. ... He, as the defender of 'rural areas', wants to avoid 'country villages turning into country wildernesses'. ... Whether his colleagues will support his efforts remains uncertain. Equally uncertain is whether his proposal will ever become a bill. He must be well aware that it would lead to a type of discrimination between rural and urban areas." (09/06/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Styl życia, » Rynek konsumencki, » Francja