European press review

The leader columns of the European papers view US President George Bush's speech on the Middle East, land reform in Zimbabwe and Russian President Vladimir Putin's marathon news conference.

Choose life

The Swedish Sydsvenska Dagbladet welcomes the American president's speech on the Middle East.

"Bush urged Israelis and Palestinians to choose peace and life rather than death and fear," it says.

There is a screaming deficit of constructive proposals in the region

Sydsvenska Dagbladet

"It is difficult to blame Israel for attempting to protect its citizens. Every government has a duty to defend its population, with force if necessary."

However Israel's methods of targeting terrorist groups must be questioned, it notes, and says criticism of Israel is unlikely to lessen if the relatives of Palestinian suicide bombers are indeed deported in future.

"There is a screaming deficit of constructive proposals and visions of peace" in the region, the paper adds.

Land reforms under fire

The German newspapers are united in their condemnation of new land acquisition laws by the Zimbabwean Government, which oblige the country's white farmers to stop working their farms.

Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung says President Robert Mugabe is ruining Zimbabwe with his policies.

The African presidents' club still does not hold democracy in high enough regard to defend it when it is under threat

Die Tageszeitung

"The state-sanctioned land theft will initially hit the white farmers, of course," the paper says, "but it is the black Zimbabweans who will end up suffering the most."

Berlin's Die Tageszeitung says Zimbabwe's Government is sending the wrong signal to the G8 states just as they are about to meet in Canada to discuss a plan of action for Africa.

However the paper also criticises heavyweight African leaders, who, it says, have failed to condemn Mr Mugabe and his government.

"The club of African presidents evidently still does not hold democracy in high enough regard to defend it when it is under threat," it says.

"That is not a good starting point for the discussions in Canada."

London's The Independent also feels the decision by Zimbabwe's "despotic" government would destroy what it calls the most efficient and productive sector of the country's agriculture.

It would also present Western governments - particularly the British Government - with "a devil's choice" as to whether or not to provide aid.

The paper says there can be "no question" of Western governments standing by as Zimbabwe starves, but says aid should be channelled through voluntary bodies to bypass the Zimbabwe Government and corrupt local officials.

Financial gloom

The French Le Figaro leads on Monday's "telecoms crash", in which the shares of France Telecom and French media giant Vivendi Universal were, as the paper puts it, "massacred".

The paper asks whether or not the state - a majority shareholder of France Telecom - can "continue to refrain from reacting, faced with the vicious circle the company is caught up in".

Only a strong political initiative can restart the engine

Le Temps

The front page of Belgium's Le Soir is also dominated by stock market gloom and the "wobbly" dollar.

The paper argues that the market has been gripped by "a wave of mistrust", not least in Belgium, while an editorial in Switzerland's Le Temps notes an "unprecedented crisis of trust" in the world economy.

"In this context, only a strong political initiative can restart the engine," it says, adding that "this means that there will be great interest in statements made by George Bush at this week's G8 summit".

As one door opens...

The Swedish Dagens Nyheter says it is ironic that Denmark "will open the door to the EU presidency on the same day that it closes the door to those who have had the misfortune to be born outside the closed circle of the EU".

Restrictions on Danes marrying foreigners will lead to Denmark being drained of the immigrants it needs to ensure fresh economic growth, it says.

Mixed-race couples will also end up moving to Sweden, where the paper says they will be treated better.

Seville summit

The Hungarian dailies are divided over the outcome of the Seville EU summit.

Magyar Nemzet dismisses statements of "significant progress" in enlargement issues as "mere window-dressing".

Candidate states not wanting to miss the first round will be basically forced to accept the EU's financial offer

Magyar Hirlap

It says EU leaders were "unbelievably irresponsible" in failing to respond to most questions raised by the admission of 10 new members.

"Sooner or later, this will backfire not only on the new member states but on the organisation as a whole", the paper says.

However, Magyar Hirlap, is more positive, saying that the EU "ruled out another delay by further specifying the accession timetable".

But it says candidate states who do not want to miss the first round will be "basically forced to accept the EU's financial offer" because there is only "minimum scope for negotiations".

Could do better?

The Russian newspapers concentrate on President Vladimir Putin's wide-ranging news conference to 700 journalists yesterday in the Kremlin in which he tackled a number of domestic and foreign policy issues.

In a session lasting over two hours, Putin renewed support for the US-led anti-terror campaign, vowed to press on with joining the World Trade Organisation and said he did not believe Nato's expansion to include the Baltic states would help security.

The government Rossiyskaya Gazeta says he came up with "truly new ideas" but the outspoken Novyye Izvestiya calls his answers "disappointing".

The liberal financial daily Vedomosti describes his replies as "dangerous musings".

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