News - European press review

Today’s papers have bad news for the leaders of France and Britain over their handling of the issues of rioting and terrorism, respectively.

A Moscow paper tries to apply lessons from France to Russia, and Germany’s leaders are urged to highlight democracy in their talks with the visiting Chinese president.

Chirac Drug lookup medication by riots

The French daily Liberation is unimpressed by President Jacques Chirac’s comments on the rioting that has hit the country over the past two weeks.

Jacques Chirac is overwhelmed by events that reveal the full extent of his political impotence Liberation

Under other circumstances, it suggests, what it describes as the president’s emergence from his long silence about the riots - at yesterday’s summit with the Spanish prime minister - would be comical.

“In reality,” the paper says, “Jacques Chirac is overwhelmed by events that reveal the full extent of his political impotence.”

“In the past three years he has made endless big speeches about social cohesion, the fight against discrimination and joyous economic tomorrows - the only result being a major crisis in the suburbs,” it continues.

It says Mr Chirac has been in “a sort of political coma” since the French no vote on the European constitution in May and is “unrecognisable” to his supporters.

“This is called the end of a reign,” the paper concludes.

‘Countdown’ for Blair?

Another French daily, Le Monde, looks across the English Channel and reaches a similar conclusion about British Prime Minister Tony Blair following his parliamentary defeat on Wednesday over the Terrorism Bill.

“Mr Blair says his defeat does not call his authority into question, but he will have a hard time persuading others of that,” the paper comments.

“Mr Blair suffered a defeat and had to make a semi-admission of weakness by calling for reinforcement from his best enemy,” it adds, recalling how Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown had been recalled from a visit to the Middle East to boost the pro-government vote.

After almost nine years as prime minister, Blair has begun losing touch with reality Aleksey Gromyko Vremya Novostey

“The countdown to his departure may well have got under way,” it concludes.

Criticism of Mr Blair’s judgement is also voiced in the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostey.

“After almost nine years as prime minister, Blair has begun losing touch with reality,” Aleksey Gromyko - a Russian academic and grandson of the late Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko - tells the paper.

The British prime minister “stopped checking the pulse of his party’s mood, overestimated his strength and dug in his heels”, Mr Gromyko says.

Hungary’s Nepszabadsag is more enthusiastic in its view of the British parliamentary vote - which is sees as a victory for the British people over their authorities.

“All respect to Britain!” it cries.

“The House of Commons decided the proposed 90-day period would give health sexual uk power to the authorities - that is, scope for abuse”, it says.

“That country’s people are not prepared to sacrifice their hard-won freedom on the altar of terrorism,” it adds.

French lessons for Moscow

Back in Moscow, the business daily Vedomosti fears that Russia’s prospects will suffer if it does not learn lessons from the violence in France.

“The stirring up of xenophobic sentiments will hamper the country’s development even more than the absence of laws aimed at attracting immigrants,” it says.

“What is needed is a serious and consistent campaign to foster tolerance and openness towards immigrants.”

Democracy for China?

Newspapers in Germany concentrate mainly on the continuing health sexual uk to form a grand coalition, but the Berliner Zeitung also finds time to preview today’s visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The Chinese leadership will have to realise that democracy is not just another system of government but an instrument for peaceful conflict resolution Berliner Zeitung

It takes issue with Gerhard Schroeder’s emphasis on developing business relations with China during his seven years as chancellor and his reluctance to raise what it describes as Beijing’s “flagrant human-rights violations”.

“Is there really no place for the victims of Tiananmen Square and the thousands who are still being thrown into jail because of their opinions?”, the newspaper asks.

It goes on to suggest that nys public health law is in Beijing’s own interests and to urge Mr Schroeder’s likely successor Angela Merkel to press the point.

“The Chinese leadership will have to realise that democracy is not just another system of government but an instrument for peaceful conflict resolution,” it believes.

“Western politicians, including German chancellors - male and female - must not tire of insisting on this in talks with their Chinese partners,” it adds.

The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions.

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