European press review

Europe's newspapers express relief that hardline immigration proposals failed to gain support at the EU's summit in Seville.

A wave of ETA bombs and Franco-German friction overshadowed what many papers say was an otherwise bland and fruitless meeting. And a French paper reports on the growing problem of absentee school pupils.

Fortress Europe

Vienna's Die Presse is relieved that despite the rise of right-wing populist parties across Europe, EU leaders meeting in Seville nevertheless adopted what it calls a reasoned approach to the subject of immigration.

It however warns that "the tightrope walk that was just barely achieved between populism and sensible immigration restrictions, will only buy the EU a small amount of grace".

The summit ended in moderate success

Nepszava
Hungary

Britain's The Independent criticises UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for "strengthening Fortress Europe rather than welcoming limited and fair economic migration.

"What is clear... is that, in trying to set himself up for a triumph of rhetoric, Mr Blair misjudged the mood of Europe and hit the ball too far to the right," it argues.

"Things have come to something when high principle and common sense in the EU have to be defended by that cynical old showman, Jacques Chirac," the paper concludes.

Modest fruits

Spain's El Pais feels the Seville summit was "a rather fruitless" one.

The paper says the meeting did not resolve "any of the major problems facing the EU such as enlargement and institutional reform".

The Hungarian daily Nepszava says the summit ended in "moderate success". On enlargement, neither those who expected a "magic compromise" over agricultural subsidies for new members, nor those who predicted "a summit of further delay" proved right, the paper observes.

It says the alternative offered by the Seville summit for countries seeking EU membership is "either admission in 2004 with conditions worse then expected and possible, or the postponement of admission".

The Viennese daily, Der Standard, is simply pleased that the EU heads of state and government did not fall for the temptation to postpone the timetable for enlargement.

"From Seville came the not insignificant signal that enlargement will come to pass in 2004 as planned," it says.

Squabbles

Germany's newspapers focus on the ongoing disagreements between German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac over EU agricultural subsidies and the cost of enlargement.

ETA used the media showcase of Seville to mark its presence

El Pais
Spain

"Although the German-French quarrels did not break into the open in Seville," says Hamburg's Die Welt, "they nevertheless overshadowed the two-day summit."

The Berliner Zeitung says one reason why reform of the European Union has faltered is because neither Mr Chirac nor Mr Schroeder are particularly interested in it.

The paper adds that that Chancellor Schroeder's room to manoeuvre is limited by the fact that he is waging an election campaign.

"This could have been the last European summit for this chancellor," it notes.

Making a mark

Spain's El Pais recalls how the Basque separatist group ETA sought to use what it calls the "media showcase" of Seville to mark its presence with five bomb attacks around Spain in two days.

"What the terrorist organisation achieved was an expression of the Fifteen's solidarity with Spain," it says.

Another Spanish daily, ABC, says Basque nationalists have traditionally sought confirmation abroad of what it calls their "cockeyed" view of the conflict.

But such attacks, it says, have shown EU leaders "that this is a conflict empty of political content, which is limited to the indiscriminate spread of terror from north to south".

ETA's bombing campaign represents a setback for nationalist hopes in Europe, the paper adds.

The Basque nationalist daily Gara on the other hand feels that the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his Popular Party left their own mark on the six-month EU presidency.

In its Sunday edition, the paper describes that mark as "an authoritarian one, which has been condemned on more than one occasion by representatives of other countries".

"Aided by phenomena like the mood following 11 September and the threat from the extreme right which he and his allies have managed to stir up so skilfully, he has succeeded in imposing on the EU agenda his two great obsessions: immigration and security," it adds.

Attendance deficit

The French daily Le Figaro reports on increasing absenteeism in France's schools.

The problem "is taking on worrying proportions in France," says Le Figaro.

"Despite the lack of national statistics, academic inspection reports in fact bear witness to the breadth of the phenomenon," it goes on.

According to the paper there are reports that truancy now affects nearly all schools, with levels reaching 50% in extreme cases.

"What is striking is its increasing acceptance as the norm and the fact that it involves younger and younger pupils", the paper comments.

In a bid to come up with solutions, ministers have launched a vast research project whose findings will be published in the autumn.

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