Terror: nerves on edge in run-up to Euro 2016

Three weeks before the start of the Euro 2016 football championship the French intelligence service has warned of potential terrorist attacks. In the light of the disappearance of an EgyptAir plane on its way from Paris to Cairo, journalists see France in the crosshairs of terrorism. Can the country put on a safe event?

Open/close all quotes
Pravda (SK) /

France can't feel safe anymore

Even if there is no proof everything points to the Egyptian jet being the target of a terrorist attack, writes Pravda:

“According to the statistics passenger planes flying at the normal height rarely make sudden plunges. The plane travelling from Paris to Cairo was flying at a height of over ten kilometres and the crew didn't send any distress signals. There are similarities with what happened to the Russian Airbus jet over the Sinai peninsula. … If it is confirmed that terrorists managed to smuggle a bomb on board this will be another major blow for France. The country is in a state of emergency and tight security measures have been announced for the Uefa Euro football championship. But any sense of security has been lost irretrievably since the Charlie Hebdo attack. There is nothing for it but to learn to live with insecurity.”

Le Figaro (FR) /

Government should ban fan fests

Fan fests are planned for many French cities during the European Championship. That is irresponsible in view of the terrorist threat and will put the police under too much strain on the police, Le Figaro believes:

“The government would do well to renounce this dangerous initiative. All the more so because it can't even stop the vandalism in the country. ... With more tasks and a lack of clear instructions from above, the police have good reason to protest - and to worry. One wonders what the state of emergency, which was prolonged on Thursday for the third time, is for. Not only is the chaos widespread - some downtown areas look like battlefields - but the government is adding fuel to the fire by exposing thousands of people to the threat of terrorist attacks. If leads pointing to a terrorism being behind the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight are confirmed, it should serve as a reminder to the government that France's enemies will take advantage of even the slightest opportunity.”

Deutsche Welle (RO) /

Security more important than human rights

The Romanian service of Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle calls for drastic security measures:

“Extremist, totalitarian, authoritarian movements and regimes despise freedoms because they are a human right. Repealing them in the West for a time so that, for example, a Muslim with ties to extremists can no longer work in sensitive areas such as airports or nuclear plants raises important moral, political and legal problems. ... From a legal standpoint human rights can be repealed from time to time, during a state of emergency or when there are pressing reasons such as preserving peace and security. It seems that - with the exception of the state of emergency in France - the open society is not making sufficient use of this option. ... It's high time it did.”