European press review
Two papers on Friday praise newly-elected
European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso for a good first
impression, but still have reservations.
Elsewhere, the acquittal of six German executives
in a corruption trial, the shortcomings of the former Spanish premier and the
new French climate plan are under scrutiny.
But in Russia, diplomatic incidents are in the
news.
New broom
Several papers consider Thursday's election of
former Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the new president
of the European Commission.
"The Portuguese know how to surprise people,
and... Jose Manuel Durao Barroso is a good example of that," Slovakia's Pravda
remarks.
The judge has pronounced a moral verdict about the behaviour of the defendants which could hardly have been any clearer
The judge has pronounced a moral verdict about the behaviour of the defendants which could hardly have been any clearer
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
Although the paper notes that leading 24 European
commissioners will not be easy, it stresses that "from the very outset he made
clear his intention of being 'a playing captain'."
Austria's Der Standard says Mr Barroso made a
good impression during his presentation in the European Parliament.
But it adds that he needs political priorities in
order to become a strong president.
"Apart from vague signals in all directions and
his defence of the Iraq war, Barroso failed to offer anything of substance," it
remarks.
"His strong performance in the European
Parliament was a beginning, but no more."
Pyrrhic victory?
Several German papers focus on the acquittal of
all six defendants yesterday in a high-profile corruption case centred on the
legality of bonuses paid to Mannesmann executives after Vodafone bought the
company in 2000.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung says the trial has
fulfilled its purpose despite the acquittal of the head of Germany's largest
bank, Joseph Ackermann, and all his co-defendants.
"The judge has pronounced a moral verdict about
the behaviour of the defendants which could hardly have been any
clearer."
The defendants may have scored a judicial vistory - morally they are seen as losers because of greed and abetment
The defendants may have scored a judicial vistory - morally they are seen as losers because of greed and abetment
Frankfurter Rundschau
According to the judge, awarding the bonuses was
not in the interest of Mannesmann and illegal under German stock law, although
it did not amount to a criminal offence.
The paper believes the fact that the head of
Deutsche Bank was found to have violated German stock law is
"explosive".
"The trial will change the behaviour of top
executives at German companies," it predicts.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says the
acquittals "can reassure nobody".
"The defendants will have to live with the stigma
that the court has reproached them with serious violations of stock
law."
It adds that the trial has given the public what
it calls "alarming insights" into the management structures of German companies
as well as the work of "supposedly objective prosecutors".
The Frankfurter Rundschau agrees that the
reputation of the defendants has suffered.
"The defendants may have scored a judicial
victory - morally they are seen as losers because of greed and
abetment."
It argues that in order to prevent similar cases
in the future, the law may have to be changed to ensure complete transparency
with regard to corporate pay.
"Then the public can and should arrive at its own
verdict."
The climate legacy
The French daily Liberation casts a sceptical eye
over the government's climate plan.
It observes that scientists from around the world
have "sounded the alarm in vain, predicting... flooding in the north, water
shortages in the south and millions of displaced people", because, it says,
"nobody is listening".
This episode shows that Aznar has confused himself, his post and the state
This episode shows that Aznar has confused himself, his post and the state
El Pais
The paper sees the government's "recanting" over
the climate plan as typical of the avoidance policy practised by politicians in
the developed world.
Although Environment Minister Serge Lepeltier
originally "looked credible... after a gestation period... of months and months,
his plan announced yesterday boils down to just a few symbolic little
measures".
The paper condemns the indefinite postponement of
"the only real measure initially planned" - the pollution tax on dirty vehicles
- as "spinelessness".
Going, going, gong
Madrid's El Pais reports that former Prime
Minister Jose Maria Aznar paid a lobbyist $2m of Spanish public money to secure
him a medal from the US Congress.
"This episode shows that Aznar has confused
himself, his post and the state," the paper says, also recalling his daughter's
earlier wedding in a palace and his alleged removal of secret
documents.
The Barcelona daily El Periodico
agrees.
"This new episode... reflects the egoism that
pervades him and his known tendency to monopolize the state."
Fly in the ointment
Russia's Izvestiya reports a diplomatic spat
yesterday over the upgrading of a Russian military aircraft by a British
firm.
The usually amiable and peaceable British bobby for some reason decided that the Russian senator looked suspicious
The usually amiable and peaceable British bobby for some reason decided that the Russian senator looked suspicious
Trud
"The third day of the Farnborough-2004 air show
was marked by scandal."
"The row broke out over a Mi-24 attack
helicopter" which was exhibited at Britain's BAE Systems pavilion even though
the Moscow helicopter plant had not authorized the UK to refit the aircraft, it
says.
But according to Russia's Defence Ministry
newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, there was more to the matter than that.
It says the Russian state arms trading company
Rosoboroneksport had signed agreements with French and British companies to
carry out joint projects on options for upgrading Mi helicopters.
"So it emerges that the right hand doesn't know
what the left is doing," the paper comments.
Mistaken identity
The Rossiyskaya Gazeta informs its readers of
another faux pas; the "frisking" of Russian senator, Mikheil Margelov, by London
police.
"This almost diplomatic row will evidently not
cause the London police any problems. Margelov is not planning to complain or
cause a fuss."
Trud says the incident occurred in Whitehall,
"literally 100 metres from the British prime minister's residence."
"The usually amiable and peaceable British bobby
for some reason decided that the Russian senator looked
suspicious."
But, the paper wonders at the criteria for being
stopped by the police.
"The British counterterrorism law for some reason
does not extend to the representative of Chechen extremists, Akhmed Zakayev," it
remarks.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta is inclined to
agree.
"London apologizes to Margelov. The Federation
Council's main international politician, who was searched like a terrorist, has
once again seen for himself the unpredictability of western democracy"
The European press review is compiled by BBC
Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early
printed editions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3919079.stm
Friday's papers cover a Portuguese surprise, German and Spanish scandals, how Brits upset Russians again!
