European press review

Tony Blair's visit to Tripoli for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi attracts comment in many European newspapers on Friday.

In Portugal a writer criticises a former president for "thoughtlessly" suggesting negotiations with al-Qaeda.

In Germany, papers defend Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's reform programme. And a new kind of holiday experience is on offer in Russia, according to a Moscow daily.

Loitering within tent

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to Libya for talks with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is the subject of many editorials on Friday.

Germany's Berliner Zeitung detects political as well as economic considerations behind the visit.

The paper argues Mr Blair's meeting with Colonel Gaddafi can be seen in the context of continued efforts to justify the intervention in Iraq.

"Libya seems to prove that the Iraq war did have positive consequences, after all," it says.

Libya, which used to mastermind terrorism, may become an important ally in the fight against al-Qaeda Die Welt

But it suggests that the deeper reason for the change of attitude is that US and British companies have long been keen to resume business in Libya, where "a fair bit of money can be made".

"Paris and Berlin will soon have to abandon their restraint if they want to catch up," it observes.

An editorial in Der Tagesspiegel opens on a sceptical note.

"Did Tony Blair really have to shake hands with a man who has so much blood on his hands, including the blood of British citizens and police officers...?" it asks.

But it adds that the prime minister's visit could be justified as part of an attempt to make the Libyan leader break ranks with "the Islamic anti-Western front".

"This is a risky business, but it was high time the risk was taken," the paper says.

Die Welt agrees.

The paper describes the changes in Libya's policies as "one of the most astonishing political metamorphoses of the present time".

"Libya, which used to mastermind terrorism, may become a particularly important ally in the fight against al-Qaeda," it believes.

In the fight against international terrorism every new ally must be welcome Der Standard

"Shaking hands with the colonel... in his Bedouin tent, was as far as things went," the Swiss Le Temps says, noting that Mr Blair drew the line at holding a joint press conference with the "unpredictable" Libyan leader.

"And yet," it adds, "such prudence is combined with the 'real hope' of building a lasting confidence-based relationship with this new Libya, so keen for respectability after 30 years of opprobrium."

"This would be a great success for London," the paper argues, because "besides gaining an ally in the fight against terrorism and showing the world the advantages of befriending the Anglo-American camp, it would open up an oil-rich market hungry for trade and western technology."

In Austria, Der Standard is in two minds about the visit.

On the one hand the paper fears that it confirms a common prejudice about politics, namely that when business interests are at stake "morality becomes a luxury which Western politicians don't think they can afford".

But it adds that those in favour of the meeting have good arguments, too, as "in the fight against international terrorism every new ally must be welcome".

Between Al-Qaeda and George Bush

Also on the subject of the war against terrorism, one of Portugal's most prominent elder statesmen, former President Mario Soares, is taken to task by an editorial in Lisbon's Expresso for "advancing the thoughtless and unacceptable suggestion of negotiating with the terrorists of al-Qaeda".

Our former president demonises the American president more than he does the terrorists of al-Qaeda Expresso

Admittedly, the paper concedes, Dr Soares subsequently "regained his senses" in another interview and "took a few backwards steps", saying that "to engage in dialogue, in conversation, in mutual exploration, in negotiation does not mean to capitulate".

"The fact is that Soares was unable to conceal his obsession against George W. Bush", and this obsession, it argues, "is the true reason... for his unthinkable proposal of negotiating".

"Our former president demonises the American president more than he does the terrorists of al-Qaeda".

To the chancellor's defence

In Germany Sueddeutsche Zeitung says Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was right to defend his social and economic reform programme in a government statement on Thursday.

Mr Schroeder "did exactly what he should have done a year ago: he explained why he wants to change the country, and why it must change".

But the paper warns that the speech came "late, much too late" for a chancellor who in the past merely talked descriptively and in a "cool and distant" manner about his plans.

Another German daily, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, is also impressed by the chancellor's assurance that he intends to stick to his policies.

"In view of the difficult situation he is in, it would be wrong to think little of this," the paper says.

But it adds that Mr Schroeder's authority would have suffered had he made an about-turn on his reform plans.

A different kind of holiday

"A new type of tourism could appear in Russia for the first time next year," an article in Moscow's Izvestiya says. "Voluntary imprisonment in a remand centre for anyone who wants to try it out."

Our project is called Commercial Prisoner Igor Mudrov, quoted in Izvestiya

"And it is no joke," the paper reassures the possibly incredulous reader, "but a real commercial project thought up by the leadership of the Yaroslavl Region prison service."

The prison service, it continues, "plans to re-equip one of the oldest buildings of the Yaroslavl remand centre, Korovniki, to hold commercial 'inmates'".

"Our project is called Commercial Prisoner and will provide an extra source of extra-budgetary funding," the chief of the Yaroslavl Region prison service, Igor Mudrov, is quoted as saying.

However, the paper does not say how many prospective holidaymakers have expressed an interest in being imprisoned during their holidays.

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