European press review

European press review

A French paper debates the United Nations role in the reconstruction of Iraq. A Hungarian commentary accuses west Europeans of forgetting dictators past. And as Jacques Chirac becomes France's most popular president in almost 50 years, he is accused of defaulting on an electoral pledge.

UN role in Iraq

France's Liberation urges the anti-war camp led by France and Russia to "accept the fact of the invasion" of Iraq "and pass a resolution at the UN as soon as possible to launch the largest humanitarian operation in recent history".

"Moscow is tempted to reject such a move," the paper notes, and "Chirac has said that France would oppose any resolution legitimising the war".

We must wish Tony Blair good luck in his endeavours to convince Bush to leave his imperial isolation and entrust the UN with managing the aid as well as the administration and reconstruction of Iraq

Liberation

But, it continues, "it would be a mistake by France and the others to block UN involvement in Iraq".

"Likewise, it would be a grave error by the US to seek to sideline the UN in the post-Saddam era."

"So we must wish 'good luck' to Tony Blair", it says, in his endeavours to "convince Bush to leave his imperial isolation and entrust the UN with managing the aid as well as the administration and reconstruction of Iraq".

"This is the only way," the paper concludes, "to prevent the open wounds of Iraq and the Middle East from becoming even more dangerously infected."

Culture clash

Hungary's Magyar Hirlap sees clashes of mentalities across the Atlantic and between eastern and western Europe over the Iraq crisis.

"As the Europeans see it," it says, "their love of peace is standing up to America's aggressive behaviour."

In central and eastern Europe, images of the great leader waving his arms about at huge military parades are still fresh in people's memories

Magyar Hirlap

But the Americans "see their sense of reality contrasted with Europe's impotence".

"It is no coincidence," the paper adds, "that the countries of eastern and central Europe should be more willing to accept America's position."

In that part of the continent, it stresses, "images of the great leader waving his arms about at huge military parades are still fresh in people's memories".

But western Europeans, the paper adds, "no longer remember".

Spotlight on Chirac

On the day an opinion poll makes Mr Chirac, with 75% support, the most popular president of France's Fifth Republic, beating even General Charles de Gaulle into second place by one percentage point, Le Monde says Mr Chirac has defaulted on his main election pledge.

"A policy of cuts in taxes and social charges", it says, was "the cornerstone" of Mr Chirac's manifesto.

While his first seven years as president were overshadowed by scandals and the unhappy cohabitation with the Socialists, since last May Chirac has been preparing his entry into the history books

Sueddeutsche Zeitung

But now, it adds, "although he has not said it in so many words, (he) has just gone back on his main election pledge to cut income tax by one third".

When Mr Chirac said last Tuesday that tax cuts would come "only within the limits of our means", the paper argues, he "as good as recognised that... the economy's feeble growth rate has killed all chances of honouring his promise".

Mr Chirac, it adds, also said that the French economy "will return to sustained growth as soon as the international situation is stabilised".

"Economists, however, are much more pessimistic", it warns, "and the morale of company bosses is deteriorating as fast as their account books."

But Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung is impressed with the French president's recent performance.

"While his first seven years as president were overshadowed by scandals and the unhappy cohabitation with the Socialists," it says, "since last May Chirac has been preparing his entry into the history books."

Those who say 'no' to American domination must say 'yes' to more European responsibility and must also themselves face up to hard tasks

Der Tagesspiegel

The paper observes that France overwhelmingly backs its president's position on Iraq, pointing out that "even young people of North African origin living in drab estates", are "for the first time at one with the majority view".

The paper believes that Mr Chirac wants to follow in the footsteps of General De Gaulle.

"Although there will not be a Europe of nation-states as envisaged by the general," it says, "Chirac aims to assume a leadership role in the enlarged EU through a core Europe, and he knows that the Germans support him on this."

Germany's call to arms

The German Der Tagesspiegel applauds Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's announcement that Europe, and Germany, should increase their defence budgets.

It believes that many people are not aware of some "inconvenient consequences" of what it calls "Germany's hard 'no' to the Iraq war".

"Those who say 'no' to American domination must say 'yes' to more European responsibility and must also themselves face up to hard tasks."

And this, it adds, is not possible without better trained and better equipped armies.

Die Welt also welcomes the call but adds a word of caution.

It concedes that the government has long been talking about the need for a powerful and flexible German army, and for the development of Europe's defence capabilities.

"But it has not done much to achieve this because in the chancellor's short-sighted approach, talking is almost as good as doing."

"If in future the chancellor were not just to talk along these lines but also to take the corresponding decisions," the paper concludes, "then that would be a surprise - a nice surprise."

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