Under the constitutional reform the French president now has the right to deliver a kind of "state of the nation" speech before the two chambers of parliament. The liberal news magazine Polityka thinks this will strengthen the president to such an extent that the office of prime minister could become redundant. "The appearance of the president before the Congress is a great innovation. It raises his status and even gives him a royal privilege, for the president [is able] to state his views and ... leave the hall. The discussion then takes place in his absence. ... It may quickly become apparent that in a system of this kind the prime minister is superfluous if the president himself wishes to lead the work of government. For this reason these changes are a simple way of introducing a new political system in France. Following the constitutional changes the scales have tipped clearly in favour of the presidential powers. Gradually a transition to a VI Republic with a purely presidential system and without a prime minister is starting to look ever more likely. It is not for nothing that Nicolas Sarkozy calls the USA his model." (23/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Jacek Kubiak

According to the Berliner Zeitung the French constitutional reform puts more power in the hands of the people. "France ... is daring to reinforce parliamentary democracy - although it is only at second glance that it becomes apparent how daring this move really is. At first glance the changes to the Fifth Republic undertaken by the parliamentarians and the senators at President Nicolas Sarkozy's behest do not come across as particularly daring. The representatives of the people may have reformulated almost every second article in the constitution on Monday evening at Versailles ... but on the face of it the changes, some of which were the subject of fierce debate, are less than spectacular. ... They are just provisions like those to be found in the constitutions of many other European states. It is only when you look at them against the backdrop of French history that they take on the dimensions of a bold reform. ... Until now the country's constitution, penned by Charles de Gaulle, was marked by a deep distrust of the people and their representatives. In the eyes of not a few neo-Gaullists ... Sarkozy has [thus] precipitated a reversion to the unstable times of old." (23/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Axel Veiel

Four Socialist MPs criticise their party's rejection of the constitutional reform in the daily Le Monde: "The adoption of the constitutional reform makes the strategy of the Socialist Party questionable. For ultimately it was not in a position to prevent or amend this reform. ... In fact the reform is intended to increase the power of the parliament and give citizens new rights ... The Socialist Party must question its strategy as an opposition party. Its disqualification comes from its inability to free itself from a kind of Pavlovian anti-Sarkozy reflex that makes it reject any project proposed by the president as a matter of course. This attitude is dangerous. ... It alienates the party from the French people, who no longer want to listen to a party that has become a caricature of an opposition." (22/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Christophe Caresche, » Jean-Marie Le Guen, » Gaëtan Gorce, » Manuel Valls

The arrest of the purported war criminal Radovan Karadžić was, according to the conservative daily Lidové noviny, only the first hurdle on Serbia's road to the EU. A bigger problem is the recognition of Kosovo: "The question is what the Serbs are prepared to sacrifice [for the sake of EU membership]. ... Fears that Karadžić's arrest would cause unrest turned out to be unfounded. Not more than a couple of hundred people gathered in Belgrade. The greater hurdle - Kosovo - remains. How can you become a member of the EU if you refuse to recognise a state that the majority of the EU states have recognised? Almost impossible. And for many Serbs recognising Kosovo's independence will be much harder [to swallow] than the arrest of Karadžić. ... [Serbia is not just hearing] approving words from the EU but also calls to finish properly the task it has begun." (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Enlargement / Neighbourhood Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Europe, » Serbia, » Kosovo
All available articles from » Matyáš Zrno

According to a current report by the European Commission Bulgaria risks losing EU funding to the tune of several billion euros owing to the rampant corruption in the country. The daily To Ethnos criticises Germany's stance on the potential sanctions. "This German campaign against Bulgaria which it has launched through the EU Commission on the pretext of corruption is not very convincing. No doubt the allegations of corruption brought by the EU are true. ... The Germans were already aware of that when they decided for political reasons to integrate completely ill-equipped Bulgaria and Romania. ... Berlin deliberately changed the criteria for integration in the EU for the sake of its ambitious geopolitical goals. ... Why are the [Germans] making such a fuss now? Did they perhaps not win the construction contracts they wanted in Bulgaria?" (22/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Crime and Law, » Germany, » Europe, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Giorgos Delastik

Russia is considering deploying bombers to Cuba in response to the US missile defence shield in the Czech Republic and Poland. The liberal daily Sme denounces the plans as an imperialist gesture: "The plans for a radar station in the Czech Republic and the missiles in Poland are certainly a contentious issue, and it is debatable whether they are at all necessary. But common sense tells us that neither of the two is intended as an offensive weapon. The American system would be no match for a massive Russian missile attack. No one is more aware of this than Moscow. ... Russia's endeavour to engineer a return to Cuba goes back further than the Cold War. It is in keeping with imperialist thinking: no one can take something that once belonged to us - the former colonies the Czech Republic and Poland. And if we lost them we must do everything in our power to get them back." (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Poland, » Czech Republic, » Russia, » U.S.
All available articles from » Peter Morvay

The business newspaper Les Echos comments on the consequences of the restructuring of the French army: "France has still not understood that it is no longer a major power. ... The insecurity [of the military] is greater than the voluntaristic image created and maintained by Nicolas Sarkozy since his election campaign conveys, and which has no doubt kept the Bonapartistic dream of a strong and proud France alive. ... When the French said 'no' to the new European constitution in 2005, many of them were convinced they did not need Europe and that by putting up barriers at their borders they could protect themselves from a menacing world. ... If [France] wants to occupy a leading position once more it must combine its talents and strengths with those of other European nations. Europe is no longer an option, it is a necessity." (22/07/2008)

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The historian Tristram Hunt uses the by-election in Glasgow East as a peg to comment in The Guardian on the future of the United Kingdom: "Rather than stopping nationalism dead in its tracks, the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly have only intensified cross-party calls for the Balkanisation of Britain. ... Here's the nightmare scenario: a Scottish National party administration holds on to Holyrood and seeks to move towards a referendum on independence. Meanwhile, a Tory government in Westminster, elected into office without a single Scottish seat, sees no reason why it should fight to preserve a system that delivers 39 Scottish Labour MPs to the House of Commons. Post-2010, the two governing parties in Edinburgh and London look to their own electoral interests and signal the evisceration of the union. ... It has been left to Gordon Brown to re-weld the union with his lofty talk of liberty, the rule of law, and the British way of life.The awful truth is that the tide of history is flowing in the other direction. From Slovakia to Kosovo to the nation formerly known as Belgium, the trend is for smaller, ethnically codified national entities at the expense of broader civic federations." (23/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Tristram Hunt

Argentinean sociologist Juan Gabriel Tokatlian fears relations between Latin America and Europe could deteriorate: "The European Union has become a worrying labyrinth for Latin America. ... The goal of a common constitution has been put on ice while the Right is continuing to gain ground. The limits of European unity and the decline of progressive forces are having a negative impact on relations between the EU and Latin America. ... Aside from the Cuba issue (the EU has just lifted its sanctions against the island) there is little difference between the signals coming from Washington and those from Brussels. Many of the stances in Europe seem to be guided by election dynamics and the attempt to forge links with Washington rather than a policy based on principles and a coherent strategy. On the other hand Europe claims it wants to expand economic relations, but refuses to make any important concessions that would pave the way, for example, for an agreement between the EU and Mercosur." (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Economic Policy, » Europe, » Latin Amerika
All available articles from » Juan Gabriel Tokatlian

The daily Der Tagesspiegel has published an essay by the Republican candidate for the US presidency John McCain in which he criticises the attitude of his Democratic opponent Barack Obama to the Iraq war. The New York Times decided not to publish the commentary. "Today ... violence has fallen by up to 80% to the lowest levels in four years; ... Progress has been due primarily to an increase in the number of troops and a change in their strategy. ...The success of the surge has not changed Senator Obama's determination to pull out all of our combat troops. ... No one favors a permanent U.S. presence, as Senator Obama charges. Any draw-downs must be based on a realistic assessment of conditions on the ground, not on an artificial timetable crafted for domestic political reasons. This is the crux of my disagreement with Senator Obama. ... The danger is that extremists supported by Al Qaeda and Iran could stage a comeback, as they have in the past when we've had too few troops in Iraq. ... I find it ironic that he is emulating the worst mistake of the Bush administration by waving the "Mission Accomplished" banner prematurely. But if we don't win the war, our enemies will." (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » U.S., » Iraq

Thanks to a high rate of economic growth, but also to the fact that many people have left the country, Lithuania currently has near full employment. However, according to the online news portal Balsas this could soon change: "An increasing number of workers are being made redundant because of investments in new machinery. For a long time we were a low-wage country but those times are over now. Nowadays you can produce cheaply in Vietnam, perhaps, but not in Lithuania. We are investing in more efficient work processes rather than creating new jobs. But we should not be concerned that investments in cutting-edge technology are the reason for job losses, for this is just a reaction to the increasing wages. Moreover, such investments show that companies are planning to stay active in Lithuania in the long term." (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Labour market / Services, » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Lithuania
All available articles from » Remigijus Simasius

The daily Corriere della Sera criticises the massive cost-cutting measures undertaken by Silvio Berlusconi's government in the areas of culture and education. "The preservation of our archaeological and natural treasures, our assets, historical legacy and artists has its price. Cultural and educational policy entails careful management of funding and efforts to work in a way that covers all the costs. France and Germany invest three times as much as we do in culture. We are among the countries that spend least on culture although we have more treasures than all the other countries put together. The future looks ominous for publishing, music and theatre, dance and the fine arts. The abolition of the property tax has forced local authorities to make drastic cuts in their cultural programmes. Culture is not a matter of strategic interest for the right-wingers in the government." (23/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Vincenzo Cerami

The daily Le Monde comments on the choice of venue for tomorrow's speech by US presidential candidate Barack Obama in Berlin: "Here you cannot get away from the past. Obama wanted to hold his speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of the German capital and of the division of the city, Germany, Europe and the world into two opposing blocs during the Cold War. ... But now Obama is to speak at the foot of the Siegessäule, the column that glorifies the victory of Prussia over Denmark, ... Austria ... and France. ... These dates are less glorious for Europe. And this victory column, which originally stood in front of the Reichstag, was moved to the middle of the Tiergarten by the Nazis. ... There are no neutral places in Berlin. ... Among other things because the Germans have decided not to forget." (22/07/2008)

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All available articles from » Daniel Vernet

The products on sale in Swedish pharmacies now include a range of sex toys. The Danish daily Information welcomes this innovation by its neighbour: "The premise is a simple one and correct too. If sex toys lead to more sex, then this also leads to more health, which in turn helps to increase life expectancy and better equips the nation to compete with other countries. ... A population that has more sex is [accordingly] a more productive population that costs the health service less money. ... But not everything in the Swedish paradise is glowing with health. A recent study by the magazine Glamour shows that Swedish women prefer to have sex on the beach and in the sea. If you consider the unstable climate and the many mosquitos and ticks you may worry about whether it really is healthy to have sex outdoors. The safest things in this case are probably a bicycle helmet and knee pads, so you don't end up with counter-productive damage to health and people being written out sick!" (23/07/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health and Medicine, » Consumers, » Sweden