Berlin Sprouts

Back on Track, Thanks to Goethe

2005-08-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

After a lengthy pause which I used to adapt to new professional challenges, it took a classic of German literature to write a new posting.
Inspired of my holiday reading of Melville's "Moby Dick," I ventured into reading more classical literature. So I found myself reading Johann Wolfgang von Goethe -- whom I've never adored -- last Sunday afternoon. Just before I dozed off, I stumbled over a sentence in "Die Leiden des jungen Werthers" that made me think, "Yes, Goethe, you are damn right."

"Und ich habe bei diesem kleinen Geschäfte gefunden: daß Mißverständnisse und Trägheit vielleicht mehr Irrungen in der Welt machen, als List und Bosheit nicht thun. Wenigstens sind die beiden letzteren gewiß seltner."

Yes, sir. I am too tired to translate it, but the bottomline of the sentence is: misunderstandings and lethargy do more harm than cunning and malice and that the latter are more seldom.

In modern terms -- lack of communication within large organisations will inevitably lead to fatal mistakes. Pre nine-eleven intelligence existed, but was not communicated.
The lack of communication can also affect innocents, as the London Times wrote today:

New claims over bungled shooting of Brazilian
By Mark Sellman, Time Online, and Daniel McGrory
The Brazilian electrician mistakenly killed by police in the aftermath of the second London bombings was being restrained by an officer before he was shot eight times as he was sitting on a Tube train, it emerged tonight.
Witness statements and photographs from an independent police investigation leaked to ITV News also show that Jean Charles de Menezes did not run away from police at Stockwell Tube station in South London and was wearing only a denim jacket before he was shot dead on July 22.

The evidence contradicts claims from the Metropolitan Police at the time that the Brazilian’s "clothing and his behaviour at the station added to their [officers’] suspicions", that he vaulted the ticket barrier and was wearing a heavy overcoat, which could have concealed a bomb.

It also emerged that one of the undercover team keeping Senhor de Menezes’s home under surveillance was relieving himself instead of filming the operation, so officers could not tell if they had tracked down one of the alleged bombers.

His advice was "it would be worth someone else having a look" to ensure they had the right man. No other officer apparently did take a picture of him even though he had to take a bus journey to the station.

Even so, Gold Command at the Yard which was running this operation, declared a "code red" and handed responsibility to CO19 - the firearms team. The armed team had been given photographs of the alleged bombers, yet no one realised that Senhor de Menezes bore no resemblance to any of those men.

The investigation report states that the firearms unit of the police had been told that "unusual tactics" may be required and if they "were deployed to intercept a subject and there was an opportunity to challenge, but if the subject was non compliant, a critical shot may be taken."

CCTV footage clearly shows that Senhor de Menezes was wearing a thin denim jacket so he could not be concealing a bomb and nor was he carrying any bag.

Far from running to avoid police who were tailing him, the electrician did not realise anyone was following him. He used his season ticket and did not vault the barrier. He only began to run when he saw a train pull into the station and as many commuters do he quickened his pace to catch it.

At this point a surveillance officer guided four armed police into the same carriage in which Senhor de Menezes took his seat.

A man sitting opposite him is quoted as saying: "Within a few seconds I saw a man coming into the double doors to my left. He was pointing a small black handgun towards a person sitting opposite me.

"He pointed the gun at the right hand side of the man's head. The gun was within 12 inches of the man's head when the first shot was fired."

The report also reveals for the first time that a member of the surveillance team, who sat nearby, got involved and grabbed Senhor de Menezes before he was shot: "I heard shouting which included the word ‘police’ and turned to face the male in the denim jacket.
"He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the CO19 officers …I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side.

"I then pushed him back onto the seat where he had been previously sitting … I then heard a gun shot very close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage."

Photographs showed how Senhor de Menezes was shot at virtually point blank range as he was still in his seat. A coroner said he was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder.

Mark Oaten, Home Affairs Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: "If true, these preliminary findings will create obvious concerns. It is in the best interests of the police and the community for the full report and any recommendations, to be published as quickly as possible."

Guest Bloggers Sought

2005-06-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Since I won't be able to keep up the previous amount of blogging due to new engagements, I wonder whether I should open up Berlin Sprouts for guest bloggers.
The first round of submissions is open now. Texts submitted should focus on the usual scope of this blog -- European politics, ideas, and culture. If there are good texts coming in, I will make this a permanent institution. If not, I scrap the idea and go on blogging on my own, albeit with a reduced coverage.
Update:
Thanks to Mr. G., who asked the way to submit articles.
Please send them as *.rtf file to ub@itinerarium.de.
And of course, there will be no remuneration for submitted articles and no guarantee that they will be published. So please go ahead, Mr. G.!

Listen, Governments!

2005-06-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Requiring that bloggers register their outlet is an excellent idea! Really -- what about other governments to follow the Chinese example? A source for additional revenues for the holes in the state budget!

The Chinese authorities have ordered all weblogs and websites in the country to register with the government or face closure in Beijing's latest attempt to control online dissent.
Commercial publishers and advertisers could be fined up to 1m yuan (£66,000) for failing to register, according to documents on the Chinese information industry ministry's website.

Private bloggers or websites must register the complete identity of the person responsible for the site, and the ministry - which has set a June 30 deadline for compliance - said 74% of all sites had already registered.

"The internet has profited many people, but it also has brought many problems, such as sex, violence, feudal superstitions and other harmful information that has seriously poisoned people's spirits," the ministry said in an explanation of the new rules.

Ah, we understood. Internet users are stupid and cannot take care of themselves, and are threatened with "harmful information that has seriously poisoned people's spirits" with ideas detrimental to absolute power!

No, nee, ne?

2005-06-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just came back from the eastern Balkans, or to be more concrete, Bulgaria, where people are really worried that the French and Dutch no to the constitutional charter might postpone their entry into the EU.
I don't know how many many times they asked me why the French said no, and how many times I tried to explain that the no does not necessarily mean no to Bulgarian or Romanian EU membership, but rather no to Chirac and no to the government.
And most of all no to the fact that neither Chirac nor his government could explain why Europe needs a constitution that is not a real basic law but a compilation of do's and don'ts.
But there are, of course, people who can explain this much better than I, for instance Juergen Habermas in today's Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Light Blogging to Continue...

2005-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I must tell you that the light blogging of the last days will continue for some time to come. Will see whether I'll put up something over the weekend, but this is not a promise.

And Here's Something Unflattering on Jacques Chirac

2005-05-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

In the Guardian's news blog. Very good!

The EU Budget and the German Elections

2005-05-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Reuters points to a connection with the possible early general elections in Germany and the negotiations about the EU budget.
This makes me wonder what kind of election campaign this will be -- dirty, hard, mudslinging. The Social Democrats being challenged from the left, possibly a leftist alliance of Socialists, splinter Social Democrats, all led by former SPD Chairman Oskar Lafontaine?
It is clear that the conservative Christian Democratic Union will win the elections, but at what price? What kind of shadow cabinet will Angela Merkel present? In my humble opinion, it will be a very weak government, and it will be controversial at that. In recent years, Merkel managed to survive at the top of the CDU only because she managed to sideline all major competitors, including a number of very able people -- as she had learned from her old mentor, former Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Some Links to the Early General Election Drive

2005-05-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here's what the public ARD TV had on Franz Muentefering's announcement that the governing Social Democrats will go for early general elections, and the public ZDF, too.

Surprise? Surprise!

2005-05-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Within one hour after the polling stations closed in Northrhine-Westphalia, the results become clear. The conservative Christian Democratic Union garnered about 45 percent, followed by the still-governing Social Democratic Pary (SPD) of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The smaller parties, namely the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens lost some support, garnering both about 6 percent.
Thus, it is clear that the CDU (together with the FDP) will take over the government from the SPD and the Greens. Not a surprise, since pollsters have predicted this result for weeks on end.
The real surprise also came within the first hour after the end of the elections:
Chancellor Schroeder and SPD Chairman Franz "Muente" Muentefering have agreed to go for early elections this fall. Muentefering argued that with the victory of the CDU in Northrhine-Westphalia, the constitutional institutions are deadlocked. The victory confirmed the already existing conservative majority in the upper house of the parliament, the Bundesrat, which represents the federal state governments. Muentefering said the voters should now be given the chance to decide whether they support the reform projects of Schroeder's cabinet, or whether CDU Chairwoman Angela Merkel was the better choice.
I didn't expect this move at all, and neither did most commentators in Berlin. But the SPD apparently had planned it well in advance.
I wonder what they really intend. My first thought was that the rats are now rapidly leaving the sinking ship of Captain Schroeder, and Schroeder was the first to jump into the cold waters. What do they expect of an early election? Get the worst results in their history of, say, less than 20 percent or so?
The other question quickly raised by commentators was how they want to achieve the early general elections. The German constitution does not provide for a dissolution of parliament only because the chancellor or the president want it. There is the institution of a constructive vote of no confidence, which means that the parliament must elect a new chancellor when it wants the old one to go. Only if this fails (because of a lack of majority) can the chancellor resign. And then there is still the president to say no to the whole scenario. We'll see how they do it. And whether they do it all -- because now it's up the SPD leadership to agree to Schroeder's and Muentefering's plan.
Later more on that.

Read This On One of Europe's Most Shameful Chapters in Recent History

2005-05-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

The Guardian reports on the forced sterilisation of Gypsy women in the Czech Republic -- a shameful example of the racist state politics towards a minority group.

Cuban Expulsions Must Backfire on Fidel

2005-05-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

Cuban authorities took a tough line on all foreign observers of a reunion of Cuban dissidents. Not only did they expel one German and one Czech member of parliament, but they also forced the correspondents of two major Italian dailies, Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, to leave the island.
I think it's time to press Cuba harder again. The EU's soft line apparently doesn't work. But what is important is to inform would-be tourists to Cuba's wonderful beaches to inform about the political, economic, and social situation in the country.
This is not a call to impose the equally counter-productive embargo policy of the United States, which has not yielded any positive results.
I really hope that the latest expulsions backfire on the regime in Havanna, which has long lost its credibility and legitimization.

Germany: Elections in Key State

2005-05-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

Voters go to the polls today in Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. It is expected that the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) -- possibly together with the Liberals (FDP) -- will replace the Social Democrats (SPD) and their Green allies.
The SPD's only remaining hope to win the vote is to mobilize some 40 percent of undecided voters and to gain from the greater popularity of their top candidate, incumbent state premier Peer Steinbrueck. His opponent, CDU state leader Juergen Ruettgers -- a former federal minister in Chancellor Helmut Kohl's cabinet -- remained lackluster in the TV debates only days
Peter Glotz, who manages the SPD affairs on the federal level and is an influential thinker in the party, has already warned that a defeat of the Social Democrats in Northrhine-Westphalia could lead to a major rift within that party. The SPD's left, anti-capitalist wing could force a split in the parliamentary faction, thus undermining Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's parliamentary majority. This, in turn, could force Schroeder to resign, Glotz told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
It's not clear whether Glotz' argument is part of a scare tactic to unite the SPD again. But there are enough indicators that some influential leftits such as Otmar Schreiner could step up pressure on Schroeder to withdraw key elements of the far-fetching reforms of the welfare system known as Hartz IV.
The SPD-owned daily Frankfurter Rundschau and some other papers have their specials on the vote in Northrhine-Westphalia.

Eurozine -- Looks Interesting

2005-05-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just found this through an e-mail by the HSK network -- Eurozine. Have a look!

German Conservatives Seek Tougher Anti-Terror Laws

2005-05-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

In an interview with the "Frankfurter Rundschau," Wolfgang Bosbach, who is the opposition Christian Democratic Union's home affairs expert, said his party will seek tougher anti-terror legislation once it comes to power in 2006.
Bosbach also repeated an old conservative (and hardline Social Democrat) demand to merge all relevant databases, so that police and intelligence services can exchange information on terror suspects. At present, this is not possible due to a constitutional provision, which was designed to avert the convergence of police and secret services as it occurred in both Nazi Germany and the communist German Democratic Republic.
Bosbach denied that the union's position to introduce tougher laws somewhat contradicted the position of its would-be coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party (FDP). The FDP recently strengthened its position on civil liberties in an apparent effort to win back voters who turned their back on a party which seemingly saw its sole purpose in demanding economic liberalisation.

Spanish Parliament Gives Green Light for Peace Talks with Basque Separatists

2005-05-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Spanish parliament approved talks with the Basque separatists. Spanish Prime Minsiter Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero underscored, however, that there will be no concessions to the separatists.

A Must Read on German and U.S. Foreign Policy

2005-05-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hamburg's weekly "Die Zeit" has a harsh criticism (in English) of German foreign policy. It compares George W. Bush's priority for freedom in foreign policy with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's obsession with peace and stability:

After World War II realism was the dominant school of German foreign policy. There were good reasons for this preference. With integration into the family of western nations and with detente towards Eastern Europe, the young republic caught up with reality. Now a third, more cynical phase of Realpolitik seems to be in the making: since the administration is unable to make a dent in unemployment, the sample case has become the preferred tool of foreign policy. Dictators are customers, too. Some are very good customers. At the same time, the administration denies a fundamental fact: that the tender spring of democracy in the Middle East might have anything to do with American pressure. By denying the obvious, Schröder is missing an opening. He could concede that Bush's freedom strategy is based on sound analysis
whatever he thinks of the man or his other policies. It would make Schröder's critique of the war in Iraq look principled.

When Jürgen Kocka compares the role of liberty in German and American history he sees "dramatic differences, mostly before 1945, less so during the Cold War, a little bit more visible again lately." This quote dates from November 2003. At that point the de-westernization of German foreign policy had only started.

My question here is who was the driving force behing the de-westernisation described here. Was it indeed Schroeder? Or was it some think-tank close to the government and the German Foreign Office that formulated a new German foreign policy after 1989? Or German business interests? Or sheer populism?
This is the key question, and with the answer pending, we might wait for a renewed change in the foreign policy for quite some time, since I don't believe that any change in the German government (which is likely to happen next year) will dramatically affect the foreign policy. It may well be that ties with the United States will improve with a conservative government in power in Germany, but it is unlikely that such a government would instantly replace the obsession with stability by the obsession with freedom.

The Right Question at the Right Time

2005-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

This month's general elections in the UK made me think about the fairness of the British voting system. And not only me, it seems. According to a survey commissioned by the Independent, 62 percent of the respondents support the introduction of proportional representation.
Just imagine what a shake-up a change in the voting-system would mean for the political landscape in Britain! Coalition governments would be looming! Smaller parties possibly enter the parliament!

Sixty Years After, No Reconciliation in Sight...

2005-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

...between the organisation of Sudeten Germans and the Czech Republic. Millions of Germans, who had lived in the Czech lands, where forcefully expelled at the end of World War II in retaliation for the Nazi crimes comitted in that country.
Conservative Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber once again demanded that the so-called Benes decrees, which ordered the expulsion, be abolished by the Czech government. Whether the decrees are indeed an "open wound for Europe," as Stoiber put it melodramatically, is another question -- but maybe the EU should divide some of its precious time to help establish and improve the dialogue between the Sudeten Germans and the Czech Republic. The absence of any constructive talks continues to marr the otherwise good neighborly relations.

Holiday Strike in France, Discussion in Germany

2005-05-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Millions of French workers stayed home today to protest the abolition of a national holiday, Pentecoast Monday.
I wonder whether this will happen in Germany in the future as well. Employers organisations have repeatedly demanded that the government abolish this holiday in Germany, too.
Not a big deal, from my point of view. As a freelancer, I am used to working on holidays -- but what about the workers and the officials in the state administration? Would they agree to lose a holiday? From a European point of view, it would be great if all countries had the same holidays, but this will certainly remain an illusion.

Another "What If"

2005-05-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

What if the French reject the European Constitution?
Jacques Delors, the former president of the European Commission, admitted that the constitutional treaty could be rewritten:

French Eurosceptics seized gleefully on a statement by the former European Commission president Jacques Delors that a "no" vote in this month's referendum would force a rewriting of the proposed European constitution.
Leaders of the "yes" campaign have warned that rejection of the treaty would be a political train-wreck from which France - and the EU - would emerge permanently damaged.

M. Delors - although a vociferous supporter of the constitution - said that "a duty of truthfulness" forced him to admit that, if France voted no, there could be a "plan B" or renegotiation of the treaty.

But he went on to say that France would be "undoubtedly weakened" in the short term; that the EU would be plunged into confusion; and a rapid solution would be impossible. [more here]

More Europeans to Leave Iraq

2005-05-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Following the vote of the Bulgarian parliament to withdraw its 500 troops currently stationed in Iraq by the end of December, Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said Italy will get its troops back home in January or February 2006. Before the regional elections, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had tried to sooth the anti-Iraq mood in the population by saying the troops will return as soon as December.

Speed Beatification for John Paul II

2005-05-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he has initiated the procedure to beatify his predecessor, John Paul II, thus considerably speeding up the procedure by avoiding the minimum five-year period after the death of the person to be beatified.
Benedict's move is widely seen to the popular slogan "Santo subito!", or "Saint now!" emerging immediately after John Paul's II death.
Meanwhile, Benedict has also named his successor as head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. It's the Archbishop of San Francisco, William Joseph Levada:

Colleagues describe [Levada] as fair and broad-minded, a man who brings to the job a combination of scholarship, experience in the Vatican and years of pastoral work. He is also known as a theologian who has staunchly defended church teaching on many of the social issues now confronting the church, including abortion, women's role in the church, homosexuality and euthanasia.

First Visit to Berlin's New Holocaust Memorial

2005-05-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today, the new Holocaust Memorial in Berlin was open to the public for the first time. Originally, I planned to attend a conference on European-Russian relations organised by the Green Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung, but I left the place and went to the nearby memorial.
Judging from the people's reactions, it will be an attraction for tourists rather than a place to remember Europe's murdered Jews.
Kids were running through the maze of concrete blocks, joking and laughing. Others tried to be silent, in vain.
Personally, I was a bit disappointed that the alleys between the concrete blocks were so wide -- from the description I read beforehand I had expected them be much narrower, indeed provoking claustrophobia. I can imagine that the place can be quite depressing on a grey, overcast or rainy day. But today, it was definitely not a place for mourning.

Copyright U. Buechsenschuetz 2005
Instead, at least the fringes of the memorial, where the concrete blocks are quite low and invite to have a seat, will become a popular meeting place for the young and the tourists.
I didn't have the nerves to queue up to visit the information center underneath the memorial, but from what I experienced on the surface, this center is absolutely necessary if this place is to remind of Germany's most shameful history. If that center wasn't there, the place would turn into a fun maze very soon, with the visitors forgetting its original purpose.
Peter Eisenman -- who originally opposed the information center -- recently told the German public TV RBB that he thought the information center would reduce the psychological effect of the memorial, adding that with the center, Berlin would get only 85 percent of what he originally intended. After visiting the information center, Eisenman said Berlin had got 115 percent of what he intended, thus making it clear that he accepted the necessity of the information center.
Time will tell whether and how the memorial will work, whether and how it will impress the people. At present, I am not so sure whether it will be more than yet another tourist attraction in the long run.

Copyright U. Buechsenschuetz 2005

German Parliament to Ratify EU Constitution

2005-05-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

Today, the German parliament will most likely ratify the EU constitution with the required two-thirds majority. There are a number of legislators who will oppose the ratification, but not enough to pose a serious problem.
I am not saying that Germany should have held a referendum on the constitution, but I would have definitely preferred a public debate on the constitution itself and not on the question whether to hold a referendum or not.
In the meantime, a German "yes" is expected to convince the French voters to vote "oui."
Update: DJ Nozem has more on the constitution and the referendum in the Netherlands.

Berlin's New Attraction

2005-05-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

Berlin's Holocaust Memorial was officially opened today, and most German TV news opened with the event.
The BBC has some some interesting English-language links to the coverage on the memorial and the 17 years of controversial discussions. But there are also news in Italian, and certainly in other languages, too. Here's an audio-link to an interview with German parliamentary speaker Wolfgang Thierse on the memorial.
What I want to point out here is that former Israeli Ambassador to Germany Avi Primor said on Inforadio Berlin that the memorial is unique in that it does not remind of a nation's pride, but of Germany's shame.

Abstraction as Powerful Tool for Commemoration

2005-05-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

The NYT has an interesting article on Berlin's Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, which will be officially opened on 10 May.
Update:
The Frankfurter Rundschau has a very interesting dossier on the memorial. And here is what the FR's conservative competitor, the Frankfurter Allgemeine, writes.

V-Day, L-Day, Something Else?

2005-05-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Today Europe marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Throughout the continent, ceremonies remember the millions of victims of the war and the Nazi regime.
However, the anniversary also highlighted the difficult historical heritage -- what meant 8 May 1945 for Germans, for the people in the Baltics, the Soviet Union, Europe's Jews?
In the old Federal Republic of Germany, or western Germany, the anniversary was not commemorated with high profile, mainly because of its ambiguity (55 million people dead because of Nazi Germany).
It took 40 years for a (west-) German president to call 8 May a day of liberation. In his historic speech in the Bundestag in 1985 -- which some call the most important speech ever made in Germany on that occasion, Richard von Weizsaecker said for Germans, 8 May is not a day to celebrate. Describing the destroyed illusions of the Germans, their feeling of having been defeated and deceived, expelled from their homes in Poland and Czechoslovakia, Weizsaecker nevertheless concluded that the 8 May was a day of liberation in that it has freed Germany and Europe from the Nazi regime. I doubt that incumbent President Horst Koehler's speech made today will ever gain any such importance.
It took about 15 years after the reunification of both German states to mark the anniversary in a big commemoration. I can't remember that the 50th anniversary was commemorated this way. However, the wall dividing the two states still divides people's memory of 8 May 1945. Whereas western Germans had indeed reasons to be grateful for their liberation and never called it this way, Soviet-occupied Eastern Germans had to under the ritual celebration of "liberation" that was none. Liberated indeed from Nazi dictatorship, they -- together with other people in central and eastern Europe -- soon fell under a new totalitarian rule. Thus, in hindsight, many eastern Germans had difficulties remembring 8 May as day of liberation, because liberty in the Soviet zone of occupation was soon restricted very much.
Remarkably, Germany's Neo-Nazi movement is exploiting the ambiguity of this date. Today, the National Democratic Party (NPD) staged a meeting under the motto "60 years of liberation lie -- stop the cult of guilt". The Nazis' original planning was to march through Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and pass by the new Holocaust Memorial. The parliament thwarted this plan by amending the legislation protecting historical and sensitive sites from such demonstrations. In addition, parties and organisations organised a "Day for Democracy" at Brandenburg Gate. The Nazi march itself was called of f because several thousand opponents of the march blocked the route.

German Conservative Leadership Worried About EU Constitution

2005-05-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

The leadership of Germany's conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fears that a Euro-skeptical group within its parliamentary faction might not support the ratification of the EU Constitution.
Therefore, CDU Chairwoman Angela Merkel and some others are stepping up pressure on the faction to support the constitution.

More on Business "Locusts"

2005-05-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here is good summary of the German Social Democrats' attempt to spark a debate on capitalism and business ethics by the Independent:

The German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's ruling Social Democrats have turned up the heat in an extraordinary political campaign against big business interests, claiming "locust" firms which sack employees en masse are undermining democracy.

Wolfgang Thierse, the Social Democrat parliamentary president, accused foreign and domestic companies which dismissed staff while simultaneously reaping large profits of arousing feelings of "helpless anger" among thousands of Germans.

The SPD's most frequently cited "locust" is Deutsche Bank, which is committed to axing 6,400 of its 64,000-plus employees despite accruing profits of 25 per cent.

Other cases include KKR's buyout of the German telecommunications firm, Telenovis, resulting in the axing of nearly half the company's 8,000 workforce despite agreement on a 12.5 per cent wage reduction.

Last week, it emerged the Social Democrats had even compiled a secret "locust list" of investment companies considered guilty of antisocial business practices. The list, leaked to the German media, includes the names of several American investment firms such as Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts and Company, Blackstone and Goldmann Sachs.

"The anger results in aggressive criticism of the political system," Mr Thierse said, adding that companies which enforced mass redundancies were guilty of "Social irresponsibility which endangers democracy and social cohesion."

Mr Thierse's remarks were the latest in a barrage of criticism delivered by the Social Democrats against foreign and domestic firms deemed to pursue casual hire-and-fire business practices. (...)

Blair Wins But Loses

2005-05-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has most likely won a third term in office. But his comfortable majority was slashed by protest voters who opposed Blair's policy on Iraq.
Today's Independent writes:

Mr Blair suffered a double squeeze as the Liberal Democrats reaped the benefit of anti-war protest votes. Among their wins were Cardiff Central, Taunton, Dunbartonshire East, Ceredigion, Bristol West and Manchester Withington, where they achieved a huge 17 per cent swing.

Defeated Labour candidates were quick to blame Mr Blair's unpopularity and the war for their demise. Bob Marshall-Andrews, conceding defeat in Medway, Kent, said: "It is impossible not to draw the conclusion that the war and the Prime Minister have caused a serious haemorrhage in Labour votes." He called for a change of leadership "sooner rather than later".

After regaining his Sedgefield seat, Mr Blair said: "I know Iraq has been a divisive issue in this country, but I hope now we can unite again and look to the future."

He added: "The British people wanted the return of a Labour Government with a reduced majority. We have to respond to that sensibly and wisely and responsibly. To be re-elected for a third time is very special. Let's make sure we use it."

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, acknowledged that Labour had suffered a protest vote. He said: "I promise that we will listen and learn so that we can serve our country and our community even better in the years to come."

Although Mr Blair set to enter the history books, the sharp drop in his majority will raise a question-mark over whether he can remain in Downing Street for anything like the "full term" he wishes to serve before standing down. He will face calls from within the party for an early handover of power to Mr Brown, whose allies believe Labour would have suffered bigger losses if the Chancellor had not played a pivotal role in the campaign.

His smaller majority will also provoke doubts over whether Mr Blair could secure the passage through Parliament of radical public service reforms in the face of opposition from about 40 left-wing Labour MPs.

Meanwhile, the Guardian's Polly Toynbee says Blair is to Blame:

Tony Blair tried to persuade himself that the Iraq war was a chattering class obsession, but it was everywhere, even among those who usually pay scant attention to foreign policy. It became the symbol and the icon for any disappointment or grievance with the government over the last eight years. It all came down on Tony Blair's head.
At door after door, the voters said: "No, not Tony Blair". Those who never followed the minute details of "who said what when" came to believe the war was wrong, the country was cheated and had been wrongly dragged against its will to fight George Bush's war on a false prospectus. This was a khaki election.
The man who once was the great architect of Labour's rescue from 18 wilderness years is today the man who alone takes the blame for so many lost seats. He cannot long survive this, for he alone dragged his reluctant party to places they did not want to go - above all to Iraq.

However, this remains a social democratic country, just. This severe loss of Labour seats comes despite no great popular swing to the right. Smiling Tory victors glibly boasting of a turn in the political tide overstate the case. Many of the Tory wins come through accident of Britain's disgraceful electoral system. Or at least at 2 am, the story is of the popular vote holding up pretty well for the two left of centre parties.

But alas, as predicted and forewarned, protesters abandoning Labour for the Lib Dems over Iraq, reckless of what damage it might do, have delivered a swathe of Tory seats often without extra Tory votes. That wasteful old tribal split in the left between Labour and Lib Dem has delivered more seats for the Conservatives than they deserve.

Nonetheless, this is still Labour's third great win with a majority that would have seemed handsome enough to previous Labour governments. When the votes are combined with the Lib Dems' strongest showing since its alliance with the SDP in 1983, there is no major rightward shift. So that social democratic wind of change in 1997 was no temporary symptom of momentary Tory failure. It was still a rejection of conservatism, of the privatising, small state, anti-welfare individualism of the right and that remains the story.

For the conservative Times, Blair Limps Back to No 10 with A Bloody Nose over Iraq, asking:

With at least 50 Labour MPs facing the loss of their seats, there was immediate speculation about how long Mr Blair could last as Prime Minister in what he has already stated will be his final term in office.

Meanwhile in Munich

2005-05-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Michael Wolffsohn, a professor for history at the German army's university in Munich, has slammend Social Democratic Party (SPD) Chairman Franz Muentefering for his criticism of capitalism. Wolffsohn said Muentefering used Nazi-rhetorics for his criticism when he compared capitalists with animals. Muentefering had compared some investors with "locusts."

Grass Crass Again

2005-05-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Guenter Grass, the German noble prize laureate, has jumped the anti-capitalist train in Germany.
In an article for the weekly "Die Zeit," Grass discusses the question whether Germany was liberated in 1945 and whether the democratic institutions in the united Germany are "free" in their decision-making.
Grass says they are not.
Instead they are restricted, bought, and influenced by "a ring of lobbyists." Thus, Grass continues, the parliament has lost its sovereignty. "It is dependent on powerful economic associations, the banks and companies, which are not controlled democratically," Grass wrote. "Thus, the parliament becomes a branch of the stock exchange."
And, of course, he also slams the market economy:
"However, the euphemistic term -- which has become a fetish -- hardly conceals the anti-social behaviour of the banks, the industry associations, and the stock exchange speculators."
And so on.
You can actually listen to Grass reading his article. Whether it's becoming more convincing this way is another question.

European Refuses to Interfere in Italian Justice Row

2005-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

The European Court of Justice has ruled that it cannot interfere in Italian legislation, thus frustrating the hopes of Italian magistrates that it would rule that Prime Minister Berlusconi's attempts to design laws for his own needs are unacceptable.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi won a victory on Tuesday when the European Union's top court said EU law could not overrule an Italian law partially decriminalising false accounting.
The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) also ruled that an EU directive could not increase penalties provided for in the Italian law, which critics of Berlusconi say was tailor-made to shield him from prosecution.

Berlusconi's ruling coalition introduced the legislation shortly after taking power in 2001, cutting the statute of limitations for prosecutions and forcing a Milan court to halt a corporate corruption trial which involved the Italian leader.

The Milan prosecutors challenged the law and asked the EU's top court in 2002 to examine whether it was compatible with an EU directive on company law. But the ECJ effectively rejected that appeal.

"A (EU) directive cannot -- by itself and independently of national legislation adopted by a member state for purposes of its application -- have the effect of determining or increasing the criminal liability of an accused person," the court said in a press release.

German commentators say this is not the end to the prosecutors' attempts to have the controversial legislation abolished. They may now appeal to the Constitutional Court in Rome, which has ruled other Berlusconi-style legislation unconstitutional.

German Conservative Leader Demands Renegotiations...

2005-05-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

...over the EU accession treaties for Bulgaria and Romania. Angela Merkel, who is the chairwoman of the conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), says the German government led the negotiations for the EU enlargement in an improper way and failed to include provisions in the accession treaties which would protect the German labour market from "labour dumping" from the new EU member states. That is why such clauses should be included in the treaties for Bulgaria and Romania.
If this is how the CDU intends to go to the polls in 2006, it will be one of the ugliest election campaigns of post-war Germany. The CDU campaigning on a populist, anti-EU-enlargement, anti-Turkey's-EU-membership, anti-immigration policy, while the governing Social Democrats will try to profit on wide-spread anti-capitalist and anti-globalization sentiments, at the same time trying to justify its reform of the labour market.
What a bleak outlook.

Architecture of Power in Berlin

2005-05-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today's pick: The Marie-Elisabeth-Lueders-Haus of the German Bundestag. Located on the northern bank of the river Spree (right across the river from the Reichstag and the parliament's Paul-Loebe-Haus, where the parliamentary committees meet and lawmakers have their offices), the Marie-Elisabeth-Lueders-Haus is home to the parliament's archives and library. That is why it is regarded as the "Bundestag's memory." Stefan Braunfels designed both the Lueders and the Loebe houses.
If you have a look at the architecture, you may wonder what links the building with the parliament's other locations. It's two small bridges for pedestrians, which span the river.
What a fragile link between memory and decision-making!

The Marie-Elisabeth-Lueders-Haus of the German Bundestag. Copyright U. Buechsenschuetz 2005

May Day Music Nostalgia

2005-04-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

May Day.
Minor clashes between youths and police in Berlin-Kreuzberg, the radio says.
Reminds me of a poem (just click 1. Mai in the Neuzeit category) by Eric Boerner, an old friend from student days. Back then, the riots were more violent. Whether the May Day riots in Kreuzberg, which started in 1987, had a political background or whether they were just the valve for the frustrations of the young is worth a lengthy discussion.
No, I don't want the riots back. Nor do most people in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, I added a couple of new CDs to my music collection, reflecting my nostalgic music taste:
1. "Ege Bamyasi" by Can.
Originally recorded in 1972, this was one of Can's masterpieces. Those who don't know the band might have a look at the excellent homepage of Spoon Records. I personally prefer Can's "Tago Mago" album from 1971, but "Ege Bamyasi" is equally innovative (well, there are certainly better words to describe the music of Can, but I'm not a music critic, so I'll leave that to them).
2. "The Modern Lovers" by The Modern Lovers.
A compilation of early songs from 1971-73 by Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, including the unbelievable "Pablo Picasso" and "I'm Straight." Even more than 30 years after their recording, the songs sound fresh and modern.
3. "The Trinity Session" by the Cowboy Junkies.
When I saw the CD in the record shop, it immediately brought back the feeling I got when I first heard it in the late 1980s. Margo Timmins' wonderful voice, and above all the crystal clear sound of this record - which was recorded live with a single microphone in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto church in 1987 - makes it worth every single Euro I paid for it.
As a matter of fact, I had all three records on tape before. But they didn't survive being kept in the car for too long.

What New Labour and Germany's Social Democrats Have in Common

2005-04-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

...is the lack of credibility they are suffering from.
Tony Blair's credibility has suffered a lot over the past months because of his Iraq policy.
Would a prime minister Gordon Brown make a difference?
And the German Social Democrats, the SPD? SPD Chairman Franz Muentefering recently rattled the German companies and entrepreneurs when he said that some investors behave like "locusts" and don't give a damn about the fate of the workers. Muentefering's criticism of a cold capitalism that is only interested in increasing profits -- which by the way was shared by some senior conservative politicians, too -- fell on fertile ground with the voters, according to a recent poll commissioned by the public ZDF TV.
But the new ideology of the SPD, which had presented itself as a pragmatic party during much of Chancellor Schroeder's tenure, does not translate in increased support for the party. On the contrary. The SPD continues losing support.
If general elections were held today, the SPD would suffer a major defeat, while the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) could form the next government with a comfortable majority.
Many people regard the SPD's pragmatic approach (which was in part formed on the model of New Labour) as serving the interests of the entrepreneurs and the industry only. One might recall Schroeder's close relations with some industrial leaders, which made the media call him the "chancellor of the bosses." The government's attempt to reform the welfare system (generally summed up with the formula Hartz IV), which was also supported by all major political parties, is blamed on the SPD solely.
Thus, it may seem that Muentefering criticises his own party's policy, without really attempting to change it. And that is why voters simply do not believe him.
Whereas Tony Blair may be punished by the voters for what they regard as lies but still remain in power, Muentefering may actually turn out to be one of the gravediggers for Schroeder's government.

United States, Italy Agree to Disagree

2005-04-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

The joint investigation into the death of Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari, who was shot dead by U.S. troops in Iraq, has not led to shared final conclusions acceptable for both the Italian government and the U.S. administration.
On the contrary, the U.S. State Department and the Italian Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement underscoring the different perception of the incident:

The investigators did not arrive at shared final conclusions even though, after examining jointly the evidence, they did agree on facts, findings and recommendations on numerous issues. The investigators are reporting to their respective national authorities in accordance with national regulations and procedures.
Italy and United States are strong allies and enjoy a close and vibrant friendship, based on shared values and ideals. These values compel us to stand side-by-side with the Iraqi people, at the request of the sovereign Iraqi Government and under the mandate of the United Nations to help build a strong, democratic and secure Iraq.

The Great French Undead

2005-04-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

The Guardian has an interesting piece on Jean-Luc Godard, the grand old revolutionary of cinema.
Godard takes stock of some recent developments, but has also lost much of his illusions about his own oeuvre:

Living in Switzerland, he rarely sees movies, unless he is preparing a documentary like Histoire du Cinéma. He claims he spends his spare time watching sport and reading old Jack London novels. He doesn't keep in touch with many of the old colleagues with whom he worked in the Nouvelle Vague era. "It's like with any family. You see your relatives and then you don't. All of a sudden, they disappear and you don't know what has become of them. Ten years ago, I felt nostalgic about that period, but not any more."

No, he hasn't seen Bertolucci's The Dreamers, which re-creates the heady days in Paris in 1968 and features its own homage to his film, Band à Part. Isn't he curious about a film so close to his own experiences? "It's a past life," is all he says. He likewise parries questions about future projects, joking that all he now has in mind is "to try to play some tennis and see my analyst".

The Flat Tax Temptation

2005-04-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

Following the relatively successful introduction of flat tax rates in some east and central European countries, other governments are likely to follow the examples of Slovakia or the Baltic States.
Will this change the taxation policy in the EU?
We'll see. German politicians talk for decades about a review of the taxation policy, to make the tax rate system more transparent and more simple. Thus far, very little steps forward (often accompanied by some backward) have been made.
It's always easier to blame those countries with a flat tax rate and a stable economic growth for "social dumping" than take the blame for one's own inability to take the risk and radically reform the outdated taxation system. The counter-argument has always been that it cannot be counter-financed, thus leading to an increase in the state debts.
Every time I have to deal with the Finanzamt, the German tax agency, I get grey hair, although the officials are quite nice in most cases (possibly because they know that they are administering far too much red tape).
Time for a change. Whatever it will be, either flat tax or another simple form of taxation with less exemption and extra regulations, will be better than the current one.

Berlusconi Back in the Saddle

2005-04-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

So, the Italian Senate -- the upper house of the parliament -- also confirmed the reshaped government of Silvio Berlusconi, called Berlusconi-bis.
And Berlusconi's new deputy, Giulio Tremonti, had the first ideas how to overcome the old differences in the economic development between the rich Italian north and the poor south. In an interview, Tremonti called for a large-scale program to revive Tourism in southern Italy. At the same time, Tremonti lauded the newly formed ministry dedicated to the improvement of the so-called Mezzogiorno as the "right idea".
But not all of Tremonti's ideas to improve the situation in the south fell on fertile ground. In response to Tremonti's plan to sell the beaches to private companies, Interior Minsiter Giuseppe Pisanu said that finally the problem was resolved.
However, it should be kept in mind that nearly all previous governments have tried to raise the economic and social standards in southern Italy by state programs. The differences remained.
And there is still the question as to whether and how Berlusconi's coalition will look like in the future.

And Off the Whale Flies!

2005-04-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, the Airbus A 380 had its maiden flight.
It is supposed to be another big success in the huge-airplane market sector, possibly replacing the old jumbo jet Boeing 747. But while Airbus may have an impact in this sector, it is likely that it will loose a considerable market share to Boeing again. In recent days, Boeing struck to major deals with Canadian and Indian airlines.

Rain, Finally Rain!

2005-04-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

After weeks without any rain in Berlin, it finally started raining this morning.
Why I specially note this?
Because my whole family suffers from pollen allergies, and the lack of rain only increased the pollen count (especially from the birch trees) by the day.
So I hope the rain will not be a short shower, but will continue for at least one day.
The rain will also make Berlin much nicer and greener. The drought has considerably slowed down the city's vegetation.
Update:
For those with similar problems, check out this link:
http://www.wetter.net/pollen.html

German Foreign Minister Testifies

2005-04-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer appeared in the parliament's commission of inquiry investigating the widespread abuse of visa regulations in the German embassy in the Ukraine.
Fischer took the blame for the problems, but also embarked on a strategy of denial -- which led some commentators to state that Fischer simply lied on a number of occasions.
The reactions to Fischer's appearance range from demands that he resign to approval of his action.
The whole inquiry is an attempt to damage Fischer's reputation. Although it might have been necessary to bring back Fischer down to earth again, the inquiry has also strained the German-Ukrainian relations, because some opposition politicians have created the notion that most Ukrainians who have applied for German visa had criminal intentions.

German Backbencher Challenges EU Constitution

2005-04-26T01:22:00.000-07:00

Peter Gauweiler, a backbencher for the conservative opposition Christian Social Union (CSU), has challenged the German way to ratify the EU constitutional treaty before the Constitutional Court.
Gauweiler wants to have the constitution ratified in a referendum rather than by parliament. Gauweiler's legal council argues that the constitutional treaty is imcompatible with the German constitution, too.
Some people might remember Gauweiler as hardline official of the Munich city administration.

New U.S.-Italian Irritations

2005-04-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

The U.S. report on the shooting of Italian secret agent Nicola Calipari by U.S. forces in Iraq is likely to further strain the American-Italian relations. The report clears the U.S. soldiers of any wrongdoing. Calipari had protected Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena when U.S. soldiers opened fire on their car on the way to Baghdad airport. Sgrena was released by her Islamist kidnappers earlier.

Bulgaria, Romania Sign Accession Treaty

2005-04-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

Bulgaria and Romania signed the EU Accession Treaty in Luxemburg on Monday. In Germany, this was not met with unanimous applaus. Instead, some politicians demanded that the accession treaty be renegotiated or the signing procedure postponed. They argued that neither Bulgaria nor Romania meet the Copenhagen criteria. Others simply fear an additional influx of cheap labor force in the ailing German labor market.
Such calls were rejected immediately by Elmar Brok, who heads the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. Brok said that there are safeguards in the accession treaties for Bulgaria and Romania, which provide for a postponement of the accession if they fail to meet the criteria.

Bulgarian Illusionists

2005-04-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which is likely to become the strongest political forces in this summer's general elections, once again tried to gain political ground by announcing that once in power, it will renegotiate Bulgaria's accession treaty with the EU.
The BSP says the treaty is detrimental to Bulgarian national interests in that the EU has forced Bulgaria to close down parts of its controversial nuclear-power plant in Kozloduy on the Danube. Ever since the deal between Bulgaria and EU over Kozloduy was reached, the BSP continues to say that it can change it. But the question whether this is possible at all, is highly controversial between the Bulgarian government, the EU, and the BSP. Most people say the BSP is simply lying to the people if it wants to make the public believe that the power plant's controversial parts can somehow be saved from being shut down.
Last week, BSP Deputy Chairman Rumen Ovcharov -- a former energy minister -- told Radio Nova Evropa that the party will reopen the talks with the EU on the issue.
Such kind of poltical propaganda is hair-raising not only for all supporters of Bulgaria's EU accession, but also for the BSP's partners in western and central Europe. Berlin's Social Democrats (SPD) fear that the BSP is simply unfit to lead the country into the EU in 2007. And Austria's Socialist Party Chairman Alfred Gusenbauer apparently told BSP Chairman Sergey Stanishev some important things. Following Gusenbauer's visit in Sofia, Stanishev publicly backpedaled on Kozloduy. Stanishev said the BSP will not question the country's EU accession on 1 January 2007. Thus, it appears that the BSP leadership is listening to advice, even on contentious issues such as Kozloduy.
But will it remain open to criticism even after its possible accession to power this summer?

Italy Faces New Round of Berlusconi Rule

2005-04-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

Italy has a new government, again headed by Silvio Berlusconi, the media tycoon. Only a minor reshuffle was necessary to bring the old allies back into the boad. As I said earlier, it remains to be seen whether Berlusconi will turn out to be a lame duck facing general elections in 2006.

Armenians Mark Beginning of Genocide

2005-04-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Armenians throughout the world mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the mass deportations and killings their people have suffered in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. More than 1.5 million people are said to have been killed after 1915.
There is a good blog dedicated to the issue: Reseaunate.90.
In Germany, Bishop Wolfgang Huber -- the head of the Evangelical Church in Germany -- said in Berlin on 23 April that Germany should not forget its responsibility for the genocide, since, as ally of Turkey during World War I, the German government failed to prevent the mass murder. Huber also called on Turkey to face the historical truth.
Last week, the German parliament adopted a resolution on the genocide.
A number of international commentaries, including this one in the Guardian, remind of recent attacks on Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, who dared mentioning the genocide without calling it that way, therefore being branded an "enemy of the nation" by Turkish media.

Germany's New TV Event

2005-04-21T03:19:00.000-07:00

Germany's latest TV invention has been dubbed by the media "Visa TV" -- it's the live broadcast of the parliamentary commission of inquiry investigating the liberal visa issuing practice in the German embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kiyv.
What is a usual practice in the United States is a novelty in Germany. Today, one of the key figures testifies -- former secretary of state in the German Foreign Office, Ludger Volmer. He is said to have issued an order, according to which the embassies must not review visa applications if the applicants have a special document. This document later turned out be fake in many cases.
The opposition Christian Democrats are successfully using the issue to damage Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer ahead of next year's general elections.
Fischer will testify soon -- and it is expected to be be great success for Visa TV.

Why Hardliners Are Wrong

2005-04-21T02:12:00.000-07:00

In his latest column, this time commenting on the outlook for the coming papacy of Benedict XVI, Timothy Garton Ash made a very interesting point, which -- at least in my view -- applies to all fields of politics and society.
The point is that if you have a conservative pope like Benedict XVI, the Roman Catholic Church will shy away more and more liberal, secularized Europeans. So Benedict XVI will not only not achieve his aim to re-unite the church, but will also be responsible for a decrease in believers, Timothy Garton Ash says.
There are enough examples that hardline politics is counterproductive in most cases. Most of these examples pertain to believes and identity -- in other words, the people's last ressorts.
If you try to make radical believers (of any given fate) more moderate by applying pressure on them, you will achieve the opposite. If you try to change a person's national or ethnic identity by forcing her or him to change the name (as has been repeatedly tried in Bulgaria), you will fail.
That is not to deny that there may be cases where only a policy of zero tolerance may be successful, but these cases have nothing to do with identity or belief. These are cases of misbehaviour, some form of delinquency.

Barroso Under Fire

2005-04-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

A commentary in today's Sueddeutsche Zeitung suggests that Barroso either pay for his holiday trip to the Aegean Sea or otherwise face a credibility problem. I agree.
Barroso's trip was sponsored by a friend of his, a wealthy Greek businessman, Spiros Latsis. Barroso stubbornly claims his trip had nothing to do with his function as president of the European Commission.
When do politicians learn that such things undermine their credibility? When does Barroso develop the sensitivity necessary for his job (I am not talking about his Buttiglione disaster)? How will he explain to politicians from, say, Bulgaria, Romania, or Croatia, not to accept bribes or other favors because this could undermine their countries' chances for EU membership?
Of course, Barroso's case is only the tip of a huge iceberg. But Barroso is the top representative of an institution, which claims that integrity are the fight against graft must be a top priority in Europe. Therefore, he has a special responsibility and must either accept that he made a mistake or go.

Row Over Terror Suspect Data Collection Erupts in Germany

2005-04-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

The recent days saw a war of words between hardline German Interior Minister Otto Schily and Peter Schaar, the federal data protection commissione r.
Schaar had demanded that the government freeze its plans to introduce biometrical data into the passports. He also demanded that the government review its anti-terror legislation.
In reaction to these demands, Schily -- who supports both efforts -- bashed Schaar's statement as "unwarranted," saying Schaar has no right to make such statements.
However, Schily's plans are controversial in his own party, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Members of the SPD's parliamentary group said Schily chose the wrong tone, adding that his criticism was wrong, too.
The SPD's junior coalition partner, the Greens, who are also skeptical about the anti-terror legislation and Schily's efforts to establish tighter security measures, said Schily went too far. "He clearly fails to see the limits of his powers," said Katrin Goering-Eckardt, who heads the Greens' parliamentary group.
One of the problems of Schily's anti-terror legislation is that it was intended to be a temporary measure, which should have been reviewed after a test phase, but Schily clearly wants to establish the legislation as a permanent solution, possibly reinforced with additional measures.
The opposition is divided over Schily's plans. While many Liberals, especially their internal affairs spokesman Max Stadler, are very critical of Schily's measures, the conservative Christian Democrats largely support him.

Skeptical Italian View of New Pope

2005-04-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

"And if I make a mistake, don't dare correcting me!"

This is an allusion to the first speech of Benedict's XVI predecessor, John Paul II, who asked the Italian audience to correct him if he makes mistakes when speaking Italian.

Berlusconi Steps Down...

2005-04-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

...just to form a new government -- something which in other countries is called a government reshuffle. Thus, there will be no early elections. For the opposition alliance led by former EU Commission President Romano Prodi, Berlusconi's move is a farce. The opposition says its better to call early elections.
Berlusconi came into trouble when his junior coalition partner, the Christian Democratic Union (Udc) left his government.
Even if Berlusconi manages to bring the Udc and his other coalition partners again back into the boat, it is doubtful whether his new government will be more effective than the previous one, given that the elections are only a year away and the coalition partners will certainly demand more concessions than before. Therefore, it is likely that Berlusconi II will be a lame duck.
If this is the case, Prodi and the other opposition leaders just have to wait for the elections. The big question here, however, is whether they are able and willing to cooperate for such a long period, or whether the parties in the center-left opposition coalition -- which won the recent regional elections -- decide to go it alone again.

A Necessary Ingredient of European Foreign Policy?

2005-04-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke today made his point that there is no alternative but independence for Kosovo.
Holbrooke accused both Washington and Brussels of inactivity and delay tactics over the issue:

"Under Security Council Resolution 1244, passed in 1999, the final status of Kosovo was supposed to be worked out through negotiations that would result in either independence, partition or a return by Kosovo to its former status as part of a country once known as Yugoslavia, now "Serbia and Montenegro." But instead of starting this process years ago, Washington and the European Union fashioned a delaying policy they called "standards before status," a phrase that disguised bureaucratic inaction inside diplomatic mumbo-jumbo. As a result, there have been no serious discussions on the future of Kosovo for the past four years, even as windows of opportunity closed and Albanian-Serb tensions rose."

What's his conclusion?

"Although no one is talking on the record in Washington or in Europe, I find it hard to see any ultimate outcome for Kosovo other than independence, perhaps on a staged basis over the next several years. But such an outcome requires strong guarantees for the endangered Serb minority that remains in Kosovo -- between 100,000 and 200,000 people. The protection of Kosovo's Serbs will require some sort of continued international security presence. In addition, the deeply divided Kosovar Albanians, whose last prime minister is now facing war crimes charges in The Hague, must achieve a much higher level of political maturity."

But what really struck me was his remark that

"Under American pressure -- always the necessary ingredient in dealing with the sluggish, process-driven European Union -- a new Contact Group policy has begun to emerge."

Is this the way Washington thinks? Is the EU indeed so sluggish and lame that it doesn't move without pressure?
I am afraid that Holbrooke is right.

Benedict's Birthplace

2005-04-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has some great photos on Marktl, Pope Benedict's XVI birthplace. I am not sure whether I would like to try the Ratzinger cake...

Habemus Papam

2005-04-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Not really a surprise, the conclave elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the new pope. Ratzinger chose Benedict XVI as his papal name.
I personally would have preferred someone more liberal, but we'll see what his papacy will be like. However, there will certainly no movement on any of the important issues such as contraception, the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS etc.
It'll be interesting to see what the German cardinals -- who have often been at odds with both John Paul II and Ratzinger -- will say about the election.

Turkey and the Armenian Genocide

2005-04-18T23:43:00.000-07:00

Elmar Brok, who heads the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told Inforadio Berlin Brandenburg today that Turkey must face its own history and accept that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1918 was a genocide.
Brok underscored that Turkey must at least morally rehabilitate the Armenian victims.

"I think they must simply know that this is the precondition for [EU] membership at the end of the day."

Brok's statement comes amid reports about growing nationalism in Turkey.
Those able to read German should also have a look at Niels Kadritzke's excellent essay on the genocide in this month's German edition of Le Monde Diplomatique, which is, however, available only in the print version. Niels is one of Germany's best analysts of Turkish and Greek affairs.
Update:
The NYT has a piece on the Turkish view that more than 500,000 people were killed by Armenians between 1910 and 1922.

Vivid Imaginations

2005-04-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Just a snapshot I made out the car window while waiting at a traffic light the other day.
The words on the shop windows say "Vivid Imaginations." It fitted well to the flower shop it previously housed. In one-to-one translation, it would read something like "flourishing fantasies."
It somehow contradicted the German flag on the balcony above.

Copyright Ulrich Buechsenschuetz 2005.

Berlusconi Stays -- For the Time Being

2005-04-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

...and averts early elections, saying he will try to continue ruling. But for how long? And how?

German Greens Swallow Missiles

2005-04-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

While the governing Social Democrats are engaging in a funny criticism of capitalism, they force their junior coalition partner, the Greens, to swallow a new joint U.S.-European missile defense system, MEADS. Leading Greens had criticized the MEADS systems as useless and expensive. They now argue that it was a "concession" to the SPD, thus avoiding that they suffered a bad defeat in one of the Greens' core political issues -- peaceful security politics.

Germany's Social Democrats Turn Populist

2005-04-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Franz Muentefering, the leader of Germany's governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) surprised the public last weekend with an unexpectedly harsh criticism of investors and capitalism as a whole.
However, Muentefering's criticism is calculated from the very beginning. Just have a look at the election calendar, and you know that the SPD fears that it will lose its power base in Northrhine-Westphalia to the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU). For much of the post-war period, that state in western Germany was the heartland of Social Democracy. But now the polls suggest that the SPD will lose the elections, and the pollsters also predict that the SPD will lose the general elections due in 2006.
So why look at Europe, care about possible implications of the French referendum on the EU constitution? Why look at the world economy, where the markets are dramatically shifting? If it is so easy to bash some capitalist "locusts"?
Thus, Muentefering puts the SPD on a track that could prove more bumpy than he may have expected? How will the party explain the painful reforms, the cut in the welfare system, while it condemns capitalism? Will it argue that super-evil capitalism has forced the SPD leadership to engage in its painful reforms?
But there is also another very irritating factor. Michael Mueller, an SPD legislator usually in charge of environmental issues, told the public ZDF TV on 17 April that one has to choose between Wall Street and a European welfare model, thus giving the new anti-capitalist voices an additional anti-American touch.
I wonder what the next weeks will bring. In 2002, Chancellor Schroeder profited from widespread anti-American feelings ahead of the Iraq war and won the re-elections not least because of his opposition to U.S. President George Bush's plans.
But will the new rhetoric work in 2005 and 2006? And who is the master-mind behind the new criticism?

Berlusconi's Government to Fall Soon?

2005-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of speculation whether Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government will survive the exit of his junior coalition partner, the Christian Democrats of the Udc. There are certainly a lot of people throughout Europe who would prefer Romano Prodi to lead Italy. The question is -- do the Italians prefer Prodi, il professore, too?

Bulgaria and Romania Get Green Light

2005-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

The European Parliament gave the green light for the further accession procedures for Bulgaria and Romania today.
Yesterday, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn made it clear in his address to the parliament that the two countries must not stop working now or face delay in the accession:

In the remaining 21 months, Bulgaria and Romania must deliver on key reforms and fully meet the commitments made in the negotiations. The clock is ticking. Every day, every week, every month counts.
Both countries are the subject of very close monitoring by the Commission, Member States and the Parliament. They will remain so until the night of accession.
I want to reassure you that if the Commission judges, on the basis of its monitoring, that either Bulgaria or Romania are manifestly unprepared for membership, I will not hesitate to recommend the use of the remedial tools, including the clause allowing us to postpone accession by one year until 2008.

I wonder what would have happened if some members of the conservative European People's Party faction, who had demanded a delay in the accession of the two countries, had had its way.

Berlusconi Gives Up Majority Stake in Media Giant

2005-04-13T00:06:00.000-07:00

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will sel l 16.88 percent of the shares of the Mediaset consortium, thus substantially reducing his stake. Currently, Berlusconi holds a 50.99 percent stake.
The move is widely seen as a preparation for the 2006 elections. It will deprive the opposition of their eternal claim that Berlusconi controls directly and indirectly a majority of the electronic media in Italy.
Update:
The package now being sold is worth some 2.2 billion Euros, according to the FAZ.

Poem Time

2005-04-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's time for another of my favorite poems.
Today's poem was written by Jakob van Hoddis. His real name was Hans Davidsohn. Born in Berlin in 1887, he died in the concentration camp of Sobibor in May or June 1942.

Weltende

Dem Bürger fliegt vom spitzen Kopf der Hut,
in allen Lüften hallt es wie Geschrei,
Dachdecker stürzen ab und gehn entzwei
und an Küsten -- liest man -- steigt die Flut

Der Sturm ist da, die wilden Meere hupfen
an Land, um dicke Dämme zu zerdrücken.
Die meisten Menschen haben einen Schnupfen.
Die Eisenbahnen fallen von den Brücken.

World's End

The hat flies off the burgher's pointed head.
There's an echo of screams and shouts in the air.
Roofers are crashing and breaking in two.
Along the coast, the papers say, the flood is rising.

The storm is here, wild oceans are hopping
ashore to crush big fat embankments.
Most people have a runny nose and sniffle,
and trains are falling off the bridges.

Those interested can find van Hoddis' biography at the German Historical Museum's homepage. The German and English versions can be found here, together with some other poems of van Hoddis here.

Italian Industry Boss Eyes Early Elections

2005-04-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

Luca de Montezemolo -- the head of Fiat and the powerful industry association Confindustria -- said he preferred early elections if the government fails to address the problems in Italy.
"We must address the real and concrete problems, outside party and political tactics," said Montezemolo, making it perfectly clear that his patience with Berlusconi's government has its limits. Montezemolo added that he does not prefer another leadershiop. "I say this...because our country should be governed, with the economy and the enterprises at the center of interest."
It's always the same -- the entrepreneurs say they know what must be done to bring the country's economy back on track.
But that does not necessarily mean that they know how to govern a country. After all, an enterprise is -- in most cases -- far from being a democracy. Berlusconi -- himself a successful entrepreneur -- has shown on a number of occassions that he is willing to revamp the legal system according to his needs, which do not always coincide with the needs of Europe or the Italian citizens.

Rapprochement of Giants

2005-04-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

The latest Chinese-Indian rapprochement and the plan of these giants to build a strategic partnership should make EU politicians and economists and citizens ask themselves where the priorities of the old continent lie.
While everyone seems to agree that Europe's national economies need to be more competitive, I am not so sure whether the citizens have already seen the real challenges lying ahead.
Update:
Here is an article from the Asia Times with more details on the future Chinese-Indian cooperation.

Aaargghhh, Blogger Sucks!

2005-04-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

I've lost another draft post due to Blogger's server problems. I'll give Blogger a last chance before I swap it with another provider.

The Pope Files

2005-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here is some interesting background on the pope's role in strengthening the Polish Solidarnosc movement from the late 1970s onwards. Based on CIA documents, it also shows the interest of the spoofs in the Vatican's political activities.

German Orthography Pains Continue

2005-04-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

Only few years after a commission of experts from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) adopted a reform of the orthography of the German language, that same commission now withdraws some of the most controversial parts of the reform.
Thus, did students at present learn that composite verbs such as "zusammen leben" (to live together) must be written in two words, they now will have to learn that the pre-reform form "zusammenleben" will be correct.
In other words, the so-called reform of the century will be scrapped, not least due to the reluctance of older generations to adopt to the new rules. As many people of my generation, I never made efforts to learn the new orthography (and it turned out that I was right in not doing so). If I had worked, however, as an editor for German-language publications, I would have needed to learn the reform orthography.
But it was not only the man and woman in the street who refused the reform orthography. Some major dailies such as the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung never introduced it.
As so often, the victims of these ins and outs are the students who have to learn the rules.
All the others, I believe, will do as they always did -- write as they learnt it at school.
One of the main problems with the first reform was that it was a "reform" only on paper. If the commission would have had the guts for a radical reform, abandoning all inconsistencies and removing all contradictions in the German grammar and orthography, then, possibly, all people had to learn it, thus making it a more democratic effort, too. But being what some people called "minor adjustments," it never gained popularity.
And frankly, there are other countries in Europe, which also struggle with orthography, and which -- at least as far as I know, never even thought about a far-fetching reform. Think of Greece, where students struggle with five (if I correctly remember) spellings of the sound "i" and two for for the sound "o". And, of course, take the English language with all its inconsistencies. A reform according to the 19th century Serbian thinker Vuk Karadzic's dogma "Speak as you write and write as you speak" could help overcome those problems.
But history also shows that languages are not something static that can be administered by virtue of laws. They are democratic, dynamic systems of communications, which steadily develop according to the needs of the speakers (and writers).
Language conventions are necessary, but they should not be seen and used as straightjackets but rather as frameworks for the future development of the languages. In a way, the failed reform of the German orthography paid tribute to the changed habits of parts of the German speakers and writers. But that was apparently not enough to convince the vast majority to follow these new habits.

Secular EU Constitution, or Reference to Religious Roots

2005-04-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Germany's deputy parliamentary speaker, Antje Vollmer of the Green party, recently raised the question whether the great interest in the pope's death and funeral should be regarded as a sign for the growing interest in religion in Europe. In this context, she also asked whether the EU member states should consider adding a reference to the Christian-Jewish tradition of Europe to the EU constitutional charter.
Such a reference lacks in the constitution, for good reasons. Not only because some European countries like France are desperately trying to defend the secular nature of the state and the strict separation of state and religious communities. A good example for this was the lively and controversial discussion over in France as to whether state institutions should fly flags should be flown half-mast to mourn John Paul II.
Vollmer's proposal coincides with the current discussion in Germany as to whether and how schools should offer religious instruction and how this could be regulated by law.
This weekend, there was a demonstration against the Berlin state government's plans to introduce compulsory instruction of ethics in state schools. The idea behind this plan of the Social Democratic and Socialist coalition in Berlin is that students of all faiths and confessions need to be taught a common canon of values. At present, students can voluntarily attend courses provided the Catholic and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and by one muslim organisation.
The background for the government proposal is quite complex. But is clear that it especially aims at curbing the influence of radical Islam among the future generations.
Fears are widespread that a) the muslim religious instruction provided by this organisation does not comply with the standards set by the state government. And b) those students who do not attend any of the courses offered at the schools may fall victim to radical agitation by Islamist preachers.
The value-teaching program also aims at another problem. Although being a nominally overwhelmingly Christian protestant city, many people are not baptized. This is not only due to the disinterest in Church matters. Many people also leave the church because they disagree that the state can collect taxes on behalf of the churches. Others don't baptize their children because they live in mixed confessional partnership and simply can't agree as to whether the young one should be baptized in the mother's or the father's religion. In other words, attendance of religious instruction is declining.
Thus, the Socialists and the Social Democrats in Berlin say better to teach the children ethics without any religious connotation than let them grow up without values. Of course, the Christian Democratic Union disagrees. And Vollmer, who is an evangelical theologist by education, also has some critical remarks on the Berlin state government's plan, arguing that it would do no good if religion is kept out of the ethics instruction altogether.
But, to return to the beginning:
What does the EU need a reference on the religious traditions in the EU for? I don't think there should be any such reference in the constitution, and the EU is well advised to stay away from any interference in the religious affairs of its citizens.

A Great Link for Photo Fans

2005-04-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Anyone interested in intelligent thoughts on photography should see Karen Nakamura's Photoethnography site. She also has a good photo-related (but not photo-based) blog. It's interesting to see what a cultural anthropologist that she is makes of Europe...

Italy Ratifies EU Constitution, But What Next?

2005-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Italy has ratified the EU Constitution. A broad majority supported the constitution, with only the usual suspects (Rifandazione Communista and nationalist Lega Nord) voting against it.
But what next? What about France, the Czech Republic, Britain, who will hold a referendum on the constitution? I am afraid, some will trash the constitution. For the simple reason, that the EU itself has failed to draw more attention to it and to spark a real public debate among the citizens on the constitution. It's always the same.

UK Election Blog

2005-04-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the one from the Guardian. Looks very promising.

Pneumatic What?

2005-04-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is from last Friday's Economist, in a curtain raiser on Italy's regional elections. The author describes Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, as a major challenge not to Berlusconi's center-right coalition, but to the center-left. The opposition coalition led by Romano Prodi may be courting and even tacitely supporting Mussolini's inroads into Berlusconi's camps. But that could backfire on the left, which would lose its credibility and innocence, the Economist warns.
But there is also a very graphic description of Il Duce's granddaughter:

"Ms. Mussolini is pressing ahead with a campaign that may yet have potentially far-reaching effects. A former B-movie starlet with improbably pneumatic lips and blonde hair, the Duce's grand-daughter is a formidable communicator whose cause has now been boosted by a massive dose of publicity...."

I wonder what this author would have written about Ilona Staller (better known as Cicciolina), the Hungarian-born former porno star and member of the Italian parliament.

While Everyone Looks to Rome, Italians Bash Berlusconi's Coalition

2005-04-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

While everyone looks to Rome, where millions of people, possibly even his assassin gather for the pope's funeral, Italians went to the polls to elect the parliaments of 13 regions.
Berluscon's center-right coalition won in only two -- a clear indication for the growing disapproval of the government. Berlusconi, of course, saw this coming. The center-left coalition led by former European Commission President Romano Prodi won in 11 regions. And La Repubblica has an excellent coverage of the results.

Back in the Saddle

2005-04-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

After a week in Sofia and a weekend in bed, I'm back in the saddle with Berlin Sprouts.
Bulgaria was very interesting. I went back to Sofia after an interruption of three years, and my first impression was that it did not change much, neither for the better nor for the worse. However, springtime is always interesting in Bulgaria, since it is an indication of how people came over the winter, whether the winter was hard for them or not. Many faces in downtown Sofia told me it was indeed a hard winter. Many people looked tired, worn out.
This may be an indication that the pollsters are correct when they assume that there will be a change of government in this summer's general elections. The opposition Socialist Party (BSP) leads the polls, but the National Movement Simeon II (NDSV) of Prime Minister Simeon Saxecoburggotski made good some ground recently. It may well be that the Socialists fall short of an absolute majority and must look for a coalition partner.
That is why some politicians like Lyutvi Mestan of the junior coalition Movement for Rights and Freedoms predicted in a commentary for the weekly "Kapital" that there will be a strange election campaign. Since all party do want more or less the same -- to bring Bulgaria in the EU without major problems in 2007 -- there will be no ideological campaign.
The other reason why the upcoming election campaign will be different this time is the fact that Bulgaria will be governed by a coalition in the future, too. The question is, however, which parties will ultimately form a coalition. Will there be a socialist-liberal coalition between the NDSV and the BSP? Or will the NDSV form a broad coalition including Mestan's DPS and possibly one of the conservative opposition parties to keep the Socialists out of government?
Mestan believes the question remains open until election eve. And this will result in a campaign where no party wants to hurt the other. Which is actually quite an improvement over the past mud-slinging campaigns.
But will Bulgaria be prepared for the EU? Is it enough for the government to provide the country with the positive image of a promising EU candidate or must there be more improvements?
I'd say, Bulgaria will become EU member in 2007. But it will be an EU member like Greece was in its early days of EU membership, with still a lot of problems to resolve. These problems range from an ineffective judiciary to tax evasion and grey economy to environmental and minority problems.

Note to the Readers

2005-03-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Posting could be thin over the next ten days or so. After that, I hope to be back with more inspiration...

What Europeans Really Wants...

2005-03-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

according to Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of Luxembourg:

“What do the citizens of Europe want?” Competitiveness? Yes. Higher growth? Yes. Higher productivity? Yes. But these terms do not speak to their hearts. They do not understand how the everyday life of the peoples of Europe can be affected by these three concepts. What Europeans really want, in fact, is work."

I agree. And well paid work at that.

Now Central Asia

2005-03-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

After some turbulent days, the president of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akaev, has not only resigned, but also left his country.
So, Russia's unstable southern neighbors remain prone to political change. I wonder whether this "wind of change" will blow further north (did it come from Afghanistan)? What about Kyrgyzstan's neighbors? What about China?
The change came faster than expected, and it came less dramatic than expected.
Will this have any repercussions on Europe? Let's see.

Tory Racism vs. Independent Hypocrisy 1:1

2005-03-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

The British election campaign seems to get ugly. The Independent features a story that the Tories indulge in racism in a paid campaign ad published in the same issue of the Independent.
Didn't the Independent have the possibility to say no to the ad?
European Roma and Travellers Forum, please take over!

From the Eastern Fringe of Europe

2005-03-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

Today, Romania's President Traian Basescu delivered a speech at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin, in which he outlined his country's political priorities -- both at home and on the international scene.
For me, it was interesting to hear that Basescu basically reiterated what he said many times in recent weeks. That Romania must be a stabilising factor in the Black Sea area. Basescu identified four frozen conflicts -- Transdniester in neighboring Moldova, South Ossetia and Abkhasia in Georgia, and Nagorno Karabakh. For Basescu, it is in the national interest of Romania as well in the interest of the EU and NATO that these conflicts be resolved sooner rather than later. In his view, the changes of government in Georgia in late 2003 and in Ukraine in 2004 have opened a window of opportunity to resolve defuse these conflicts.

Romanian President Traian Basescu. Copyright Ulrich Buechsenschuetz 2005.

But Russia remains the big unknown. Since Russia at least tacitly supports the separatist regimes in Transdniester, South Ossetia, and Abkhasia, it will not remain quiet about any attempt by the west to mediate in the conflicts.
What could the EU offer Russia in return for its consent to conflict resolution? Frankly, I don't see anything what it doesn't have even without making any concessions to the west.
Last week's summit in Paris was a point in case. Mssrs Chirac, Schroeder, and Zapatero met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to calm Russia's anger at the western interference in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. As Gernot Erler, the German Social Democrat's deputy caucus leader told Inforadio Berlin after the Paris meeting, Chirac, Schroeder and Zapatero used the summit to reassure Russia that the EU does not pursue a policy of influence following the motto: "the closer we get to Russia's neighbors, the weaker gets Russia."
Erler also said that Europe is interested in maintaining good relations with Russia, which, however, is not so easy at the moment -- because there were some things in Russia that were criticized in Europe, and there were things that increased Russia's distrust in Europe.
So the Paris summit was the EU's foreign policy carrot for Russia.
But where's the stick? Does Europe, does the EU have one at all?

And the Winner for this Weekend's Best Headline Is...

2005-03-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Germany's Netzeitung, an internet news site.
Why? Because it ran the headline:
"Mussolini legt Berufung ein" (Mussolini Challenges Verdict)
Which makes one wonder whether Il Duce was ever convicted. Possibly by history?
But no, it's about the Duce's granddaughter, Allessandra Mussolini, who was banned from running in the elections in the Italian region of Lazio due to irregularities in the registration process (fake signatures of supporters).
When I read the headline, I asked myself what would people think about a headline like "Hitler Challenges Verdict".

Eurostat vs. Italy 1:0

2005-03-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

Once again, the European statistics agency Eurostat criticized Italy (and Greece, of course) over the budget deficit, arguing that Rome failed to meet the 3-percent deficit limit laid down in the Maastricht agreement. Berlusconi reacted sourly, saying "We disagree, we are tired of the Eurobureaucracy..."
The problem is that Eurostat does not recognize the calculations of the Italian and Greek budgets. Germany also fails to meet the 3-percent limit, but at least Eurostat does not criticize the calculations.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder pressed for a more flexible application of the Maastricht criteria. It seems that Joaquin Almunia, the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs has agreed to Schroeder's proposals.

Dangerous Naples

2005-03-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

Seems I will reconsider my plans to go to Naples later this year. Not because of the ongoing problems with the mafia, but because of Soviet nuclear warheads in bay of Naples.

Looking North in Germany

2005-03-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Heide Simonis was not re-elected by the state parliament in four rounds of voting due to a defector from the governing coalition's ranks. Today, she resigned, saying she would no longer be interested in any political office.
Now, the state heads to forming a grand coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the conservative Christian Democratic Union. Such coalitions do exist in other states, and in some cases, they even do a good job. But they are unsatisfying for voters, since they deprive them of real alternatives (if they don't tend towards the fringes of the political spectrum) in the next elections.

Bilingual Primary School, Big Stuff...

2005-03-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

Frankly, I couldn't believe and I still don't believe that only recently the first bilingual primary school opened in England. What's so new about teaching two languages at primary schools?
In Berlin, there are the so-called Europa-Schulen, where German and one other European language is taught from the first grade on. So we have a German-French Europa-Schule, a German-English one, a German-Italian one etc.
All in all, this is a good start for the children attending such schools.
However, that the Berlin system has several flaws.
First, it favors children from bilingual families by assigning a special quota for them; and it favors children of diplomats, again with a quota. If applicants exceed the quota, a lottery system is applied.
The rest of the places in the classes are distributed among applicants from non-bilingual families. I dare say that in most cases, better-educated and better-off parents send their children to these schools, for the plain and simple reason that they want to avoid that their children attend public schools in their neighborhood, where they would have to mix with children from uneducated, welfare-dependent children or with a majority of children from immigrant families. This, in turn leads to a further deterioration of the reputation of the public primary schools.
The system of quota and lotteries is also flawed because it is extremely untransparent and thus prone to corruption, since it is up to the administration of the Europa-Schule to decide who will get a place and who not -- despite them being public schools, too.

New Europe's Withdrawal Plans

2005-03-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Does Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi plan to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq or not? Did the U.S. press him to reconsider his announcement? While Berlusconi considers, one of ministers, Reform Minister Roberto Calderoli of the nationalist Lega Nord, resigned, citing "lack of the respect" for the reforms proposed by his party (if I remember correctly, it was Calderoli who once proposed to fire at refugee boats from northern Africa instead of rescuing the people on board and bring them to mainland Europe, or Lampedusa, that is).
Back to Iraq, no. Bulgarian troops back to Bulgaria, says Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Svinarov. Could be a welcome move by Prime Minister Simeon Saxecoburggotski, who faces general elections in June.

Tough Thursday

2005-03-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Once again, I have to apologize for not blogging every day -- have a lot of work at the moment.

But I'm not the only one who had a tough Thursday, it seems. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held a programmatic speech in the parliament this morning, outlining how he and his government want to bring the economy back on track. Business circles, it seems, liked his speech
Later in the day, Schroeder met with the opposition leaders, Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union and Edmund Stoiber of the Christian Social Union to discuss ways out of the job crisis (just to remind you: 5.2 million unemployed).
It's still too early to make an assessment of all that was discussed today; but I have the ugly feeling that all the measures that are now on the table from both the government and the opposition will not change much for the better.

Oh, and yes, before I forget. Germany's northernmost state, Schleswig-Holstein, faces a massive constitutional crisis after parliament failed today to elect a prime minister. It is almost sure that the Social Democrat's Heide Simonis will give up her job after one defector from her coalition voted for the opposition's Peter Harry Carstensen.

Otto Strikes Again!

2005-03-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

The only hardliner in the German government, Interior Minister Otto Schily of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has come forward with new proposals for additional anti-terror measures. Schily demands that internet and telephone companies store details of telephone calls and internet connections of their clients for one year.
It may well be that the latest proposal was one step too far in the wrong direction. With the proposal, Schily contradicts a parliamentary vote which explicitely prohibits the additional data storage.

What Future for the Greenback?

2005-03-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

In today's globalized economy, the interdependence of national economies and currencies becomes ever more apparent.
The ongoing devaluation of the dollar against the Euro and the Yen, for instance, is one such example.
But what exactly is the greenback's problem? Does the United States have a problem with its currency at all? Or is it enough for Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve to go on with the motto "The dollar is our currency, but your problem"?
As it is my problem, too, since I am selling much of my work to the dollar-zone, I am concerned about the development of the exchange rate. I am really concerned.
I must admit, however, that I am confused by some of the latest publications, especially when it comes to the role of the Asian central banks and economies for the future development of the dollar's exchange rates. The first publication, the Asia Times argues that Asian central banks try to get rid of the dollar in the long run, thus possibly causing further decline in the exchange rate. At the same time, Newsweek tries to calm down fears of further devaluation of the U.S. currency.

Film and History

2005-03-14T02:51:00.001-08:00

As if movie-makers claim historical accuracy, at least not in this particular case.
Russian generals protested reportedly against a Russian block-buster movie called Turkish Gambit, according to the Guardian:

Released last month, Turkish Gambit has broken Russian box office records as thousands pour into cinemas to see the swashbuckling tale of romance and adventure, set during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78.

The film is one of a new series of high budget, patriotic movies funded by state television.
But officers in Moscow have reacted furiously to it, saying that a character based on General Mikhail Skobelev is depicted as a "great braggart" who enjoys hobnobbing with women and journalists.
"Instead of a real historical hero - a hero in the full sense of the word, of real professional military matters - we see some kind of fop," thundered an editorial in the defence ministry's official newspaper, Red Star.

Incidentally, I've read the book of the same title, which served as the basis for this movie. It's, well, what we in Germany sometimes refer to as Kolportage-Roman. My dictionary translates Kolportage-Literatur as "trashy literature." No more, no less. An easy read for a day on the beach, nothing to think about.
By the way, the author of the book goes under the pseudonym Boris Akunin, a clear allusion to 19th century Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin.
What would you expect from an author with this name? To speak favorably of the Russian army?
But all this doesn't affect the success of the movie:

Turkish Gambit, which has grossed $13m (£6.7m) in its first 17 days, is the story of a detective, Erast Fandorin, who plunges into the war with the Ottomans in an attempt to root out a spy within the Russian ranks.

In other cases, such as in the case of the Rwandan genocide, film can help people understand history, though, as Eric Gordy of East Ethnia has recently argued.

Some Links to Today's Local Elections in Macedonia

2005-03-13T00:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some useful links to today's local elections in Macedonia. The elections are the first to take place after the government redrew the municipal boundaries, cut the number of municipalities, and granted them greater rights. It is an important test for the governing coalition of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), and some smaller parties representing ethnic minorities such as the Serbs or the Roma.
It is widely expected that the governing coalition will lose some ground, but also that the deeply divided ethnic Macedonian opposition parties (especially the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation -- Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity, VMRO-DPMNE, and it offshoot, the VMRO - National Party of former Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski) cannot gain much ground. The two major ethnic Albanian opposition parties, for their part -- the Democratic Party of the Albanians, or PDSH, and the Party for Democratic Prosperity (PPD), have joined forces ahead of the local elections.

State Election Commission (http://www.dik.mk)
State Information Agency (http://www.sinf.gov.mk)
Macedonian Information Agency (http://www.mia.com.mk)
Makfax News Agency (http://www.makfax.com.mk)
Press Online (http://www.pressonline.com.mk), a trilingual website of the Albanian-language weekly "Lobi". Usually works much better with MS Internet Explorer.
Utrinski vesnik (http://www.utrinskivesnik.com.mk), only in Macedonian, the latest issue of the daily available every day after 12.00 CET.
A 1 TV (http://www.a1.com.mk), a private TV station with a good news site, usually among the first to break important news.

A last question.

Are those elections important for Europe?

Well, yes and no. In the short term, they will show whether Macedonia has stabilized after the 2001 interethnic conflict or whether it remains a trouble spot. In the long term, the elections are also an important indicator for Macedonia's readiness to start membership talks with the EU. If all goes to the government's plans, Macedonia could join the EU together with Croatia at some point after 2008, if the EU says next week that the start of the negotiations with Zagreb must be postponed because Croatia does not fully cooperate with the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

German Courts Hand Down Important Sentences for Neo-Nazis

2005-03-11T23:44:00.000-08:00

In two separate but equally important rulings, German courts recently convicted a group of Neo-Nazis from the state of Brandenburg and the members of Nazi-Rock band for forming a terrorist organisation and forming a criminal organisation, respectively.
Both cases are important in that they clearly show the resolve of German courts to not let Nazis get away easily with their crimes.
On the other hand, the German parliament struggled with new legislation to restrict the freedom to gather peacefully -- a measure particularly aimed a thwarting plans of the Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) to stage a demonstration on 8 May at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, close to the new Holocaust Memorial. With the new laws, such sites as the Holocaust Memorial will be protected. At the same time, the parliament also plans to amend the penal code so that the public denial or minimization of Nazi politics can be punished with up to three years in prison.
Of course, the major parties stress that the new legal measures are not enough to reign in the new Nazi tendencies in German society. I'm afraid, however, that the issue will be swept under the carpet once again as soon as the new laws come into effect. We will not see Nazis at the Brandenburg gate, but we are likely to see them in the eastern German state parliaments.

A Giant Steps Down from the Chess Scene, to Enter Politics?

2005-03-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

Chess World Champion Garry Gasparov (well, one of two competing world champions, the other being Vladimir Kramnik), announced yesterday that he will end his career as professional chess player. Gasparov said he will continue to play chess tournaments such as speed chess or knock-out games.
Now the Guardian, among others, reports that Gasparov will step up his engagement in politics, as a member of Coalition 2008, Free Choice, a liberal anti-Putin alliance.
We'll see whether this is good idea. As a chess champion, Gasparov has certainly the intelligence and endurance to defeat his opponents in close combat. But is Gasparov also a team player? Does he have the emotional and social competence so necessary in politics?
Not that Putin has those qualities either...

The Case for Learning Chinese

2005-03-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

What (foreign) languages should our children learn? Most native English speakers grow up with a language that is dominating the internet and hence the global communication.
But is it enough? And what about us continental Europeans whose mother tongue is lesser used? Although there are roughly 90-100 million German speakers in the EU, this language isn't used outside Europe. The same goes for a language like Italian. Not to speak of the Baltic languages or the lesser spoken Slavic languages such as Slovenian, Macedonian, or Sorbian. And not to speak the languages spoken by small minorities in the Alpes or the Balkans.
Therefore, most Europeans are simply forced to learn foreign languages (in the plural, because I am not talking about English, which has become obligatory almost everywhere) if they want to communicate with the outside world. English may be enough for the most of them, but in the future, there will always be the need to learn other languages, too.
So, the Independent makes the case for Chinese, or better, Mandarin or Cantonese, because China is to become one of the world's leading economies.
So, while learning Chinese may be a good idea for the future, societies in Europe face the sad truth that many of their children don't even learn the dominating languages of those countries properly -- and this is not per se a problem of immigrants, but of the parents' attitude to education, as many studies such as PISA have shown.
This, in turn, has a devastating effect not only for the future of the children, but for the societies and economies as a whole, as the German case shows. Many employers complain that they cannot find qualified personnel or apprentices, arguing that candidates often lack the basics of reading, writing and calculating.
In order to make our children fit for future challenges, they must learn to learn languages properly -- both their mother tongue(s) and foreign languages such as Mandarin or Cantonese.