European press review

The lack of a common European position on the Iraq crisis is the reason for the common European story in today's papers.

As eight European leaders have signed a statement supporting the US, Paris and Berlin are not best pleased.

Collateral damage

"Bush and his eight mercenaries", shouts France's Liberation, for whom "the first collateral damage in the offensive against Saddam has been sustained by Europe".

It describes the statement as a "smart missile" aimed at what it calls "France's pretension to lead a revolt at the United Nations to deflect, or even counter, Bush's desire to finish off Saddam Hussein".

"The leaders in Washington," it adds, "dream of preventing the emergence of a strong Europe capable of challenging" America.

The notion of a European 'common front' has vanished into thin air.

Le Figaro

Liberation, however, blames France for "brandishing... its right of veto" at the Security Council and "falling in behind Germany's pacifism".

Le Figaro thinks the statement "has caused diplomatic pandemonium in Europe".

"The notion of a European 'common front'," it believes, "has vanished into thin air".

"Gang of eight"

Le Monde says that "many European leaders" view this initiative by what the paper calls "the gang of eight" as "raising grave problems for the European Union".

What "left the rest of the EU flabbergasted", it explains, "was not the substance of the statement... but rather its form and timing".

Germany's Die Welt says the statement has "sounded the death knell" for a common European foreign and security policy "even before it has become a reality".

The signatories to the statement, it says, "have driven a wedge into the EU".

But a commentary in the same daily thinks the statement was "a desperate attempt to counter the polarisation pursued by Germany".

"When push comes to shove," it adds, "Chirac, Schroeder's supposed kindred spirit, will stand side by side with America".

Widening gulf

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is also worried about the consequences for European unity.

It perceives a gulf "as wide as an ocean" between London and Madrid on the one hand, and Berlin on the other.

"This is a bitter setback for all those to whom the European project still has some meaning," it adds.

The paper warns that Europe might become the victim of what it calls the "collateral damage" of the initiative.

Sueddeutsche Zeitung takes little comfort from the fact that the statement's substance, as it puts it, "is not particularly exciting".

"Europe's disgrace," it says, "lies in the symbolism of the gesture itself".

The paper believes that it will now be easier for the United States to ignore European opposition to a war against Iraq.

The view from the neutrals

In neutral Austria, Die Presse says Europe is presenting a "bloodcurdling image of (friends) falling out".

It believes the eight signatories "have let it be unmistakably understood that Washington can count on them even when it embarks on dubious adventures".

The paper sees those not behind America as "perhaps the mouthpiece for a new and more self-confident Europe".

Der Standard sees the statement as a sign of "the strength of the USA and the weakness of the EU".

The pain in Spain

Despite Spain's prominence in the list of signatories to the statement, its newspapers reflect the split dividing Europe.

El Mundo cites the opinion polls as showing that "Spain is the EU country with the largest public opposition" to a war against Iraq.

El Pais carries the headline "European disunion".

La Razon, however, says that "facing the reality, no matter how harsh, is a more realistic option" than what it calls "the comfortable and demagogic attitude of those who speak only of peace and deny the existence of any danger".

El Periodico urges that Spain, "must not help Bush to discredit the United Nations and weaken the EU".

Czech mate

The statement was signed by seven prime ministers and one president. The odd man out was outgoing Czech President Vaclav Havel.

Prague's Lidove Noviny complains that if Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla did not sign out of fear of "harming relations" with "the strong French-German duo whose support is so decisive for our joining the EU", he "should have said as much".

In the event, President Havel saved the day.

"Thanks to his signature", the paper says, "the whole thing turned out well for Prague".

If the German chancellor is "upset" with "someone breaking up the illusion of a common European policy", it adds, "it will be mainly with the seven prime ministers".

"And Havel is leaving anyway," the paper concludes.

The view from Russia

Government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta publishes the statement with the heading "Eight hands reach out to Bush - US president splits Europe".

As far as Russia is concerned, it is important to find oneself in the company of the victors.

Krasnaya Zvezda

Heavyweight broadsheet Nezavisimaya Gazeta makes a similar point.

Novyye Izvestiya believes "this collective manifesto is an expression of a schism in Europe and a rebuke to France and Germany."

Defence Ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda is rather blunt.

"As far as Russia is concerned", it says, "it is important to find oneself in the company of the victors."

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