European press review

European press review

Today's European press consider a possible veto by France or Russia, or both, of a second UN resolution authorising military action against Iraq; the British and Spanish leaders' loneliness and what makes a European.

To veto or not to veto

The French, Russian and German foreign ministers met in Paris on Wednesday to discuss the Iraq crisis and what the UN Security Council should do about it.

The word "veto" was not in the joint declaration. It certainly figures, however, in the front page of France's Le Figaro: "Peace camp ready to veto".

"France and Russia", the paper says, "yesterday brandished the threat of a joint veto at the UN Security Council to prevent the adoption of a US-British resolution authorising the use of force against Iraq."

Paris's Liberation finds some collateral benefits in standing up to the US.

(France, Germany and Russia) hope to cause the US to restrain its imperial instincts and pay more heed to 'allies' who are not all yes-men

Liberation

"The refusal to bend to Washington's diktat," it says, "shows the rest of the world, and first and foremost the Muslim world... that this war, if it happens, will neither be a 'clash of civilisations' nor a religious war."

In opposing America's stance, the paper adds, France, Germany and Russia "hope to cause the US to restrain its imperial instincts and pay more heed to 'allies' who are not all yes-men".

The view from Germany

Germany's Berliner Zeitung believes Wednesday's meeting marks the "end of the arm-twisting".

"If words count for anything," the paper says, "this part of the Iraq conflict has been decided" because "France and Russia are determined to veto any resolution legitimising war against Iraq".

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes that "there is no doubt that America holds the strongest cards".

"It can win the diplomatic battle and then also the war, although at what political cost is something that remains to be seen."

Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel believes that Germany has drawn back somewhat from its initial stance on the Iraq crisis.

"For quite some time now," it says, Berlin "has no longer been saying 'no' to war", merely describing it as "the last resort".

Lonely Tony

It is a rare event in the history of modern democracies that a statesman confronted with a major crisis should obstinately row against the current of party and country

Le Monde

France's Le Monde sees Britain's support for the US as a personal battle being fought by Tony Blair for what the paper agrees are sincerely-held beliefs.

"It is a rare event in the history of modern democracies," the paper says, "that a statesman confronted with a major crisis should obstinately row against the current of party and country."

But the prime minister, the paper fears, "is fighting an increasingly lonely battle, largely misunderstood by 'middle England' who propelled him into power in 1997".

There is also a lonely man at the top in Spain, judging by the view of Madrid's El Pais.

The paper says that Jose Maria Aznar has found himself "confronted with the chasm that separates him from public opinion and from the parliamentary opposition".

La Razon, however, judges Mr Aznar less harshly.

The Europeans

France's Le Monde comments on an opinion poll conducted in Germany, Spain, France, Britain, Italy and Poland in a bid to discover if the same historic figures are regarded in the six countries as "great Europeans", and so establish the existence of a European identity.

"The findings," the paper says, "are not very cheering". The "European identity", it adds, "either does not exist or is very vague", as shown by "the dispersion" and "nationality-based" nature of the names cited by the respondents.

There is some hope for what the paper calls "the French-German axis", however. In both countries Charlemagne, Gutenberg and Voltaire polled strongly. They are, the daily says, "the heroes of a memory in the process of being shared between the two peoples".

But overall, it points out, "almost half a century since it began to be built, Europe remains more a common abode than a shared consciousness".

Russian economy under fire

In Russia the dollar was always the most reliable savings instrument

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports on the effect of the euro's gains against the dollar on the country's economy: "Buy property and stocks, the analysts advise."

"In Russia the dollar was always the most reliable savings instrument," it says, adding that "now the majority of Russians, deprived of this habitual 'safe haven', are having to look for new ways to keep their savings."

Rossiyskaya Gazeta says that the euro's gains have given traders the opportunity to raise their real prices by 7-8% without changing the price tags.

"All they need to do," it adds, "is put out a small sign on the till saying that from now on their 'conditional units' are in euro, not dollars, as the majority of customers will assume through inertia."

"Our consumers have become completely bewildered by the unaccustomed gain in value of the rouble against the dollar," it concludes.

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