EU tackles refugee crisis
The EU will step up its help for the refugees in Syria's neighbouring countries. It plans to set up hotspots in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria to make registration easier, and Frontex is to receive extra funding. At last the EU is showing that it is still capable of action, some commentators applaud. Others criticise Europe, saying it is outsourcing the management of the crisis.
EU hasn't forgotten how to dialogue
The EU has demonstrated over the last few days that it is capable of governing, writes the centre-left daily Der Standard: "Even the politicians of the four outvoted countries have said they can live with the decision. 'We did our best to fight against the decision in Brussels but we were in the minority': This is a message the governments in Budapest and Prague can sell in their home countries. And that raises the chances of their accepting being outvoted in the months to come in the refugee crisis so that the process loses its aura of unusualness. Despite the dispute over the distribution plan, the EU leaders have shown that they can stay in dialogue. This is important. Because whether they like it or not, no matter how provocatively the likes of Viktor Orbán behave in the refugee crisis, they have to work together with him."
Europe letting others do the dirty work
The EU's decision to step up its financial assistance to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to help Syrian refugees in these countries is tantamount to outsourcing the problem, blogger Szilárd István Pap writes on the blog portal Kettős Mérce: "The heads of state and government have pledged to uphold 'Fortress Europe'. They were all in agreement that the people who are fleeing war and hopelessness and want to begin a new life on our continent should stay outside the EU's borders. The innovative solution consists in exporting the dirty work, or in other words shifting it to outside the EUs. Keyword: 'outsourcing'. The continent's decision makers therefore agree with Viktor Orbán that the migrants should be kept out."
Global perspectives: EU refugee policy pure chaos
Germany has brought in border controls, many Europeans are incensed at Hungary's border fence and Paris and Berlin have to force their EU partners to distribute refugees in their territory: Europe's refugee policy is anything but well coordinated, the Moroccan weekly magazine Le Reporter observes: "All of that gives the unpleasant impression of a lack of preparation, improvisation and contradictions. The image of the dead boy already seems very distant. And while the widespread mobilisation in favour of the refugees on the part of European civil society is real, the governments are faced with problems of how to deal with the massive number of arrivals, as well as political repercussions that get more complicated by the day."
Romania sees Europe only as cash cow
Romania has disgraced itself with its negative stance in the dispute over refugee quotas, the weekly magazine Dilema Veche writes in dismay: "With its menacing tone, Romania has lost every last modicum of credibility and made a complete fool of itself into the bargain. ... The message to our partners was clear: not even Romania's political elites have managed to get over the utilitarian view of Europe as a sort of Santa Claus who comes bearing gifts. Whether as a destination for Romanian migrants looking for a better life or as a cash dispenser - in so far as we've actually managed to access funds - we continue to see Europe as a cash cow. We couldn't care less about European values. We think EU membership only brings rights while the very idea of shouldering any responsibility makes us cringe."