The World Economic Forum's annual report on women's rights prompts Rzeczpospolita newspaper to advocate better protection for mothers: "Flying in the face of the majority of experts who for years have been trying to work out why it is that a woman earns less than a man in the same position, I propose the following bold hypothesis: it is because she doesn't drive as hard a bargain. ... And it's a mistake to blame employers: Why should they pay more if they don't have to? ... The question now is why women are willing [to do this], ... because they believe that even their self-confidence will not suffice in a situation in which the state is incapable of protecting young mothers against discrimination. Only the introduction of mechanisms that enable women to work without having to give up their social role of mothers will have the effect of putting women on an equal footing with men in the eyes of employers." (12/11/2008)

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All available articles from » Krzysztof Szwałek

Spanish and Italian trade unions estimate that in the next few months up to 500,000 Romanian workers could return to their home country. This could represent a great opportunity for Romania, writes the daily Gandul. "It's useless to seek work in other countries: the crisis has hit all of Europe. ... The only solution is to return home. ... If you live in the countryside you needn't fear having to go hungry; no matter how little land you own you'll always have a chicken, a potato or a tomato. ... And no matter how bad the crisis gets, there'll always be a couple of jobs. For a year now, since the labour shortages started, it's not the growing salaries or Romania losing good workers that entrepreneurs have been complaining about but the fact that they can't find any specialists or qualified workers. The pressure of those returning could have a positive effect: competition on the labour market will lead to higher productivity." (11/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Migration, » Integration, » Economic Policy, » Italy, » Spain, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Caterina Nicolae

Spanish Prime Minister Luis Rodríguez-Zapatero will be allowed to participate at the G20 world financial summit because France has given up one of its two seats to Spain. This is a big responsibilitiy, ABC newspaper writes. "It would have a very negative effect on Spanish interests if after exerting pressure on several governments to be allowed to take part in the summit, Zapatero were not up to the task in hand. Zapatero should make use of the talks that began yesterday with banks, unions and businesses and which will end with a meeting with [opposition leader] Mariano Rajoy to present appropriate and convincing suggestions to the G20 members." (11/11/2008)

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The state-run Estonian energy company Eesti Energia has launched a comprehensive investment programme that counts with government financial backing. The daily Postimees writes that this runs counter to the free market: "Within five years Estonia will have to open up its strictly regulated energy sector and prices will no longer be fixed by the Estonian authorities but by the power markets, like for example Nord Pool (the Nordic Power Exchange). And then there's the question of whether more energy providers will enter the Estonian market. Eesti Energia asked the state for help and got it. But why should the money go to this company, of all companies? There can certainly be no talk of free competition here in Estonia. And as long as we don't have competition Finland, for one, won't want to construct a power cable running along the seabed to Estonia." (10/11/2008)

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All available articles from » Andrus Karnau

The population is growing older and more healthy, the daily Göteborgs-Posten notes. In view of the fact that soon there will be only two working people for every pensioner - instead of four - the time for a new strategy has come, the paper concludes: "Of course such a ratio will never work. If average life expectancy rises and we become healthier and more dynamic in our old age, it is only natural to raise the retirement age as well. But certain problems will remain. Currently our jobs are tailored to 35-year olds with no children. As long as workers fit this model, all is well. But when that is no longer the case early retirement is the best solution. However statistics on actual retirement ages show that not every working person is 35. Currently the real retirement age is 61.9 years, which is in fact a welcome improvement. Just a few years ago the average was 59. No doubt it will not be long before people suggest raising the retirement age to 70. But that decision can wait until the real retirement age reaches 65. For that to be the case, working conditions need to be improved, and organisations must cease to assume that its employees are childless 35-year olds." (10/11/2008)

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All available articles from » Gert Gelotte

The International Monetary Fund has prognosed a worldwide recession with losses of 1,400 billion dollars. The Financial Times Deutschland writes that first and foremost the real economy must be aided with stimulus packages. "If ... the economies of the industrial countries are all shrinking for the first time since World War II, the situation is truly dramatic. Now at the very latest it must be clear to everyone that the crisis is no longer limited to the financial sector. And it is also no longer just a case of saving the banking system from collapse or stabilising it with new regulations. Now it is imperative to allow the real economy to touch down as softly as possible. In view of the accuracy of the IMF's latest findings, at least there is hope that this time policy makers will take its message seriously." (07/11/2008)

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The Danish daily Jyllands-Posten writes about the preparatory meeting of EU heads of state and government ahead of the global financial summit: "They must now try to reach a consensus on the changes in regulations for the global financial sector. This is indispensable for addressing the credit and financial crisis. ... There is not much optimism in the run-up to the summit, because the willingness to cooperate emerged only after it was clear that major consolidated banks threatened to bring down others with them uncontrollably. ... The Eurozone countries have the possibility of using their currency to beat the crisis. But this may not necessarily work to the advantage of the 12 EU countries that do not belong to the Eurozone." (07/11/2008)

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The liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza criticises the pension privileges of certain professional groups in Poland and backs the government's plans to reduce them: "The pension privileges conflict with Poland's principle of solidarity. ... Under the government's plans around 800,000 people will lose the right to go into early retirement. These privileges are relics of the times of the People's Republic. ... They conflict with the Polish solidarity of which the PiS [opposition party] and President Lech Kaczyński are so fond of talking. For years the strongest groups, which are represented by well-organised trade unions, have prevented the government from depriving them of these rights. In Poland public money usually goes to the strongest. This means there's often nothing left for the weakest." (07/11/2008)

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All available articles from » Agata Nowakowska

In view of the current crisis in the aviation industry, the Financial Times calls for the regulations governing the ownership of airlines to be relaxed: "At the moment, EU airlines cease to be considered 'European' if non-EU investors hold more than 49 per cent of the votes. And non-Americans can own no more than 25 per cent of the voting rights in US airlines. ... The EU has, rightly, been calling for these absurd ownership restrictions to be removed as part of the second round of the EU-US 'open skies' negotiations due to end in 2010, but the US is unwilling to concede on this issue. It is wrong to do so. There should be no tolerance for protectionism, whether it comes from state aid or regulation." (06/11/2008)

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Dan O'Brien of the Economic Intelligence Unit writes in The Irish Times that the Irish government has disregarded the EU regulations on budgetary discipline: "The commission's assessment of the Government's handling of its finances, contained in its 2007 report The Public Finances in EMU, placed Ireland last among the 18 countries it examined. ... Worse still, it found not a single measure in place to protect the public finances in the event of an economic shock (and this despite the warning lights that had been flashing about the property market since at least 2005). The other euro member states will not take this well. All governments have endured political pain in their efforts to respect the rules. Even now, under extraordinary circumstances, that is still the case. ... The expectation should be that they will demand that the Government make real efforts to restore order to the public finances. This should be welcomed." (06/11/2008)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Ireland, » Europe
All available articles from » Dan O'Brien