European press review

Italy's newspapers are dominated by a political row sparked by European Commission President Romano Prodi.

The controversy over a German MP accused of making anti-Semitic remarks rumbles on, and the Spanish press considers moves by Morocco to stop illegal immigration across the Mediterranean.

Elsewhere, French and Swiss papers consider the role of the European Social Forum taking place in Paris, and the Pope urges Poland's Solidarity to return to its roots.

Prodi's 'challenge'

The controversy that has erupted over a political manifesto issued by European Commission President Romano Prodi on Monday is the lead story in most Italian dailies.

The manifesto called on Italy's centre-left parties to run joint candidates in next year's European Parliament vote, and Mr Prodi was swiftly accused by the centre-right government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of undue interference in Italian domestic affairs.

It undoubtedly represents a first political manifesto with a view to the European, and then the Italian, elections Corriere Della Sera

A front-page commentary in leading centre-left daily La Repubblica leaps to the defence of Mr Prodi, an old political rival of Mr Berlusconi.

"All of his predecessors, from Jenkins to Delors to Santer, have actively participated in the political life of their respective countries of origin, without being subjected to derision," it says.

The paper sees Mr Prodi's manifesto as a challenge to the Eurosceptic vision of Europe, a vision which it believes Italy's government has come to embrace.

For Corriere Della Sera, the document sends a clear signal that Mr Prodi is planning a return to the Italian political scene, big-time.

It "expresses not only... an idea of Europe, but undoubtedly represents a first political manifesto with a view to the European, and then the Italian, elections," the paper says.

Left-leaning L'Unita also defends Mr Prodi, and reckons that the political storm set off demonstrates clearly that, in the words of its front page headline, "Berlusconi fears Prodi".

German anti-Semitism row

Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung says public pressure has forced Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel to urge the expulsion of an MP at the centre of an anti-Semitism row.

The CDU did not execute the separation from Hohmann as a result of a deeper inner realisation but because it was driven to it Sueddeutsche Zeitung

The paper suggests this is why CDU leaders are finding it difficult to explain why they have only now come out against Martin Hohmann's continued membership in the party.

"The leadership from Merkel downwards is stuttering its way through tortuous explanations because it lacks the courage to tell the simple truth that it did not execute the separation from Hohmann as a result of a deeper inner realisation but because it was driven to it," it says.

But the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung rejects any suggestion that the CDU leadership failed to realise the gravity of Mr Hohmann's remarks.

The paper points out that Angela Merkel called the MP's speech which gave rise to the row "completely unacceptable" and "intolerable" as soon as she found out about it.

Spain and Morocco

As the Spanish authorities investigate the tragedy of yet another group of would-be migrants drowning on the illegal sea crossing from North Africa, Madrid's El Mundo reports that Moroccan Interior Minister Mustafa Sahel will travel to Spain next week to brief the authorities on King Mohammed VI's decision to get tough on people traffickers.

Minister Sahel's visit, the paper says, is also viewed in Madrid as "an important preparatory step" for the talks between the two countries' prime ministers scheduled for 8 and 9 December in Rabat.

Spanish daily ABC says that Morocco's announcement should be greeted with "equal doses of optimism and caution".

"It might be naive," the paper warns, "to expect satisfactory results from this vague statement of political intent made in the heat of the emotional jolt" caused by "the sight of 36 corpses lined up on the sand".

European Social Forum

The front page of France's Le Figaro describes political parties across the spectrum "jostling" to make overtures towards what is known in France as "the alternative globalisation movement", as the second European Social Forum (ESF) gets under way in Paris.

The European Social Forum seeks another Europe, ruled by the rights of citizens and not by the market Le Figaro

With the movement's arguments finding "resonance... in public opinion", the event has been preceded by much political debate and comment, the paper observes.

"This year's meeting will grapple with the discussions on the future of the European Union concerning its enlargement and constitution," it says.

As they seek what it terms "another Europe, ruled by the rights of citizens and not by the market", the paper notes that the European Social Forum's activists at this year's gathering want to denounce the liberal "imprint" on the European Constitution project.

Switzerland's Le Temps says that the European Union's economic policy and "restrictive policies" towards immigration and security will also top the agenda at the European Social Forum.

The paper contrasts the "governing parties forced to negotiate within institutional frameworks and which continue to defend national interests" with the forum's espousal of "forms of participation" which parallel the parliamentary process and which do not allow for "realpolitik", "compromises", or "practical decisions".

"But", it adds, "the alternative globalisation movement is not condemned to having to react to normal politics and to diluting dreams."

The paper argues that the movement has played a concrete role internationally in opening up access to medicinal drugs, in debt reduction and in imposing taxes for the poorest countries.

"It is therefore," it says, "an arena for the possible, and sometimes for the impossible."

Pope and Solidarity

Pope John Paul II on Tuesday urged his compatriots in the Polish organisation Solidarity - which, like the pontiff himself, played a key role in the downfall of communism in eastern Europe - to return to their trade union roots and ideals.

According to the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano, the Pope told a visiting delegation - which included the founder of Solidarity and later President of Poland, Lech Walesa - that "by involving itself directly in politics at a certain stage and assuming responsibility for the governance of the country", Solidarity "apparently" found itself "compelled to renounce the defence of the workers' interests".

"May I be permitted to say," the paper quotes the Pope as remarking, "that if Solidarity really wants to serve the nation it should return to its roots, to the ideals that made it shine as a trade union."

"Power passes from hand to hand," the pontiff added, "but the workers... regardless of whose hand holds it, are waiting for help in the defence of their just rights."

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