The liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza voices concern at the break-up of the governing coalition over the independence of democratic Ukraine: "Moscow is the only one to profit by the conflict between the politicians of the Orange Revolution. ... In the event that the democratic change which began four years ago ends in a catastrophe and a debacle for the victors of Maidan [Independence Square in Kiev], Russia will draw Ukraine back into its sphere of influence. And if that happens it will then replace them with a single person. What happened on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kiev only brings us closer to this catastrophe. ... Poland's government must shake up its partners in Kiev as quickly as possible and explain to them - if possible loudly and in not too many words - that what matters is not who will be president of Ukraine in 18 months. What is important is that Ukraine should be ruled by a democratically elected president and not a governor general." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, polski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Ukraina, » Rosja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Waclaw Radziwinowicz

Der Standard newspaper calls on the contesting parties to settle their differences and present a united front in view of Russia's power politics: "The new edition of the orange coalition ... has fallen victim to the old rivals' power struggles. ... The crisis in the Caucasus has sharpened the conflict, because relations with Russia have always been a sensitive issue in the country. ... But precisely because of the difficult situation in the region, the government crisis comes at the wrong time. Certainly, fears of Russian military action in Ukraine may be unfounded. But Moscow's flexing its muscles should also a warning to Kiev, which like Georgia aspires to join the Western alliances. Now is the time for unity, not election campaigning. The parties should think about that in the next ten days." (04/09/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Ukraina
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Julia Raabe

Postimees newspaper considers that the power struggle between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is endangering the entire country's development: "There were great hopes after the Orange Revolution that nothing could now stop Ukraine on its path to the West. But the inner tensions we are seeing could do just that, and many of the illusions from four years ago have already been dashed. And yet now is the time, after the Russian aggression against Georgia, for the country to be united, because Moscow will use every weakness to force Ukraine back into its sphere of influence and solve the Crimea question to its advantage. Kiev must now take wise domestic policy decisions, but it also needs the support of the West and clear signals regarding a possible NATO membership." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, estoński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Rozszerzenie UE, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Ukraina, » Rosja

For the daily Il Sole 24 ore, the new government crisis in Ukraine also poses a problem for the US government. "De facto the vote was against President Viktor Yushchenko, and opened the door wide for the government's resignation. The realistic perspective is a dissolution of the current parliament, the third since 2006. This is a staggering record and highlights the fragility of Ukraine's institutional and political structures. The country is marked by crises and permanent instability, which also have a devastating effect on the economy. Those who want Kiev to join NATO should think about this too. ... This serious crisis happened just before the arrival of US Vice President Dick Cheney, who represents the intervention wing of the Bush government and supports NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine. Cheney will find Yushchenko in the position of a 'lame duck', which means a plus point for Moscow in this international tug of war on post-Soviet turf." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, włoski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Ukraina, » USA, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Piero Sinatti

The European Court of Justice has ruled that there are insufficient grounds for sanctions against the organisation Al-Barakat, which is suspected of terrorism. The EU had enacted the sanctions, which included freezing the organisation's funds, at the suggestion of the United Nations. Sydsvenska Dagbladet applauds the ruling: "In Sweden there is a consensus that legal security must be ensured. Here even Säpo, the Swedish Security Service - which is involved to the highest degree in the fight against terror - has said that the lists of sanctions put out by the UN and the EU 'are foreign to the Swedish legal system'. It is easy to condone the demands of the Swedish bar association: suspects must be able to defend themselves, everyone has the right to an acceptable trial in a court of law, sanction lists must be updated every three months, and anyone wrongly affected must be compensated. The European Court of Justice does not rule out that there may be cause for imposing sanctions on Al-Barakat. So in fact the sanctions may apply for another three months. However the most important thing is the principle that law and legal security go hand in hand." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, szwedzki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Szwecja, » Europa

New talks have begun in Nikosia on the reunification of Cyprus, at which Dimitris Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and the North Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met in a UN controlled zone. In view of the potential for conflict speed is of the essence, writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Both sides want to negotiate a federal settlement of the conflict under the aegis of the United Nations. Unfortunately, although the two leaders have good contacts and agree in principle, they have been increasingly overshadowed by their respective predecessors. Former president Papadopoulos hints at a 'sell out' of everything he understands by the term 'Hellenism' (the predominance of Greeks on the island), while Rauf Denktash, the long-time leader of the Turkish Cypriots, persists in an outmoded way of thinking and relies strongly on nationalistic circles close to the Turkish military in Ankara. Time is pressing, and it must be put to good use." (04/09/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, niemiecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Grecja, » Cypr, » Turcja

Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány could be facing the end of his time in office. The head of government has made his political future conditional on the support of liberal ex-coalition partner the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) for a controversial package of tax relief measures. The liberal daily Sme analyses Gyurcsány's politics. "His efforts to reform the country and his party have been thwarted by his own weakness and the weakness of the Socialists. They have reacted to any serious opposition from society with intrigues and a return to the kind of corruption of the people with social benefits which was used by [the chairman of the former Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party] János Kádár, and for which the country did not have the necessary economic power. Whether Gyurcsány will indeed have to step down is not yet clear. So far he has shown incredible staying power." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, słowacki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka finansowa, » Węgry
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Peter Morvay

The daily Latvijas Avīze fears Georgia will not be the sole victim of Moscow's policy: "The Republic of Moldova could face a similar scenario. The breakaway republic of Transnistria could terrorise the rest of the country if the government in Chisinau dares to move closer to Romania and the West. ... Meanwhile, what is decided by the foreign ministers at the NATO summit in December is growing increasingly important for Georgia's future, particularly as by then we will know who is to be the next US president. And Europe must show that it is in a position to integrate further former Soviet Republics and resolve the old conflicts with diplomacy. On this matter we could make ourselves more clearly heard, even if our comments are not welcome to all." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, łotewski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Rozszerzenie UE, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Rosja, » Europa, » Rumunia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Uldis Šmits

Writing in The Guardian, historian Timothy Garton Ash accuses Russian militias of ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia, and reflects on the attitude Europe should adopt toward Russia. "What we need is a twin-track approach, combining elements of muscular deterrence and skilful engagement - if you will, of cold war and detente. ... Our new working assumption, however, must be that it will for the foreseeable future remain Putin's Russia: a ruthless great power, determined to roll back the influence of the west and establish its own 19th-century style sphere of influence in the post-Soviet space. ... Europe must do what it can for Georgia, including a visible presence on the ground. But strategically even more important is to do what it can for Ukraine, ... The EU should now give Ukraine a clear perspective of membership. ... Our response should be realistic in assessing not just Russia, but our strengths and weaknesses. Russia does tanks. Europe is not good at doing stuff with tanks. But we do a thousand other things, each smaller, softer and slower than a tank, which, given time and the perspective of eventual membership, can be a force more powerful. This European model is now on trial." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, angielski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Rosja, » Europa
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Timothy Garton Ash

The daily El País examines current international policy in the context of the past few centuries and advises Europe to develop its own independent foreign policy: "The real question [after the Cold War ended] and now is: does the unilateral dominance of the US guarantee world peace or must world peace be based on a multilateral order that ... puts the common good before individual interests. The US made the grave mistake of relying on the unilateral defence of its absolute hegemony. ... The events in Georgia and Russia's actions, which were preceded by similar actions by the West in the case of Kosovo, as well as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's attempt to gain Chinese support for his actions make it clear which direction international policy is taking: the forging of alliances based on common interests with the goal of defending one's own interests and defining those of others. In this context Europe must ask itself a few questions: must it always play the role of the US's sidekick within NATO? Could Europe not adopt its own stance on Russia, one that takes account of its energy dependency as well as the problems that will arise between Russia and China regarding Siberia? Is it not likely that the US will soon focus on developing a special relationship with China ... and downgrade its relations with Europe?" (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, hiszpański)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Polityka UE, » Rosja, » Europa, » USA, » Chiny
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Juan-José López Burniol

The daily Les Echos analyses the devaluation of the euro in recent weeks: "It is the breakdown of the summer. A breakdown that shows how much the economic and financial world has changed within a few weeks. ... The euro has declined. Yesterday it reached its lowest exchange rate against the dollar since the beginning of the year. ... Before the holidays it looked like America was sinking into a crisis while Europe kept its head above water. We now know that there was a marked upsurge in economic activity in the United States this spring, while in Europe it declined. ... Given the developments in America, divided Europe will try to orchestrate ... a concerted recovery programme. Should this project ever come to life it will only be noticeable once the activity has picked up again. Several countries are now resorting to complicated measures to maintain economic activity, like ... the building of flats for the socially disadvantaged in Spain. ... On the one side is America, which has political, technological and demographic springs at its disposal. ... On the other is a divided, inhibited, burnt-out Europe. The strength of a currency is not necessarily proof of the dynamism of an economy, but its weakness is seldom a sign of a promising economy." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka gospodarcza, » Rynki finansowe, » Europa, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Jean-Marc Vittori

The French senator Simon Loueckhote has condemned a caricature by cartoonist Zak on the death of French soldiers in Afghanistan which was published in the daily De Morgen and has called on President Sarkozy to sue the newspaper. De Morgen defends itself pointing to its right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press: "Even if it had been Zak's intention to ridicule the soldiers in question - which is not the case - he still has the right to do so, particularly in the midst of the debate that has broken out about the point or pointlessness of military intervention in Afghanistan. This right falls under the simple principles of freedom of the press and freedom of expression - terms that not only have a long and rich tradition in France but which were actually born in that country. By guaranteeing the freedom of expression of others we guarantee that the opinions of the majority are not threatened. True freedom of expression exists only when not just our own opinions but above all the opinions of others are protected." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niderlandzki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Media drukowane, » Francja, » Belgia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Yves Desmet

In the Dutch daily De Volkskrant, columnist Michael Zeeman sharply criticises the state broadcaster NPS's coverage of the Democrats' convention in Denver. "Is this the state we're in when we leave school? A combination of memory loss and undiscriminating admiration? ... I'm not too keen on perfectly orchestrated and filmed party conferences held in stadiums - and anyway, semantically speaking there is not such a great difference between 'yes, we can' and the 'Triumph of the Will'. If you ask me, the organisers of the convention have been watching a bit too much Leni Riefenstahl. The same cannot, however, be said of the two panting psychopaths NPS sent as 'reporters' to cover the event. They were 'in favour of it' and made this abundantly clear. Is it any wonder that trust in the established media is diminishing?" (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, niderlandzki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Media audiowizualne, » Holandia, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Michaël Zeeman

The well-established Czech literary magazine Literární noviny is for sale. Founded in 1927, the publication was particularly popular at the end of the 1960s during Prague Spring. After the fall of communism it became the literary supplement of the conservative newspaper Lidové noviny, which has no illusions about the upcoming sale: "After 1990 the magazine depended too much on its legend and lost contact with the present. It became boring. Editor in chief Jakub Patočka wanted to situate it somewhere between culture and politics. But people read it for the literature and soon grew weary, and no new readers came to take their place. Today the significance of the magazine has dropped to around zero. And so it pays the price. But perhaps someone will turn up who is willing to put his money into this venerable publication a give it a good dusting off." (04/09/2008)

» Dalsze informacje (Link zewnętrzny, czeski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Literatura, » Media drukowane, » Czechy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Ondřej Horák

Because Bulgaria's state budget currently has a large surplus, the ruling socialists have come up with plans to send 5,000 pensioners on holidays for free. Journalist Martin Dimitrov comments ironically in the daily Dnevnik on how the lucky 5,000 could be selected from among 100,000 pensioners: "I will take the liberty of proposing two different approaches: one could go through the entire photographic archive of the communist and the socialist parties and select the most active participants. In my opinion participation in at least three demonstrations should be the minimum requirement. A national lottery could be held to determine the other half of the winners. But that leaves the problem of deciding which hotels are to accommodate the holidaymakers. Therefore I will make another suggestion to the government: the hotels should be owned by businessmen who are already on the blacklist for misappropriating EU funding - this would be a kind of compensation for the funding they can no longer receive." (04/09/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, bułgarski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Bułgaria
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Martin Dimitrov