European press review

The press keeps up the heat on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his plans to tighten government control in response to terrorism, although at least one Russian paper has come out in defence of the move.

Other topics in today's papers are Turkey's reported U-turn on plans to ban adultery, the German chancellor's battle for welfare reform, and German education worries.

'Authoritarian'

Spain's El Pais calls Mr Putin's measures a "surprise raid", and sees his call for a stronger central state as "more an excuse than a justification".

According to the paper, the Russian president's proposal for regional leaders to be nominated by himself signals "a regression to authoritarian rule and a frontal attack on [Russia's] autonomous regions and republics which ill befits a federal state".

"The leader in the Kremlin," it adds, "has taken a dangerous authoritarian course by attacking the media, exacerbating patriotic feelings and persecuting opposition groups and financial oligarchs who stand up to him".

International terrorism has declared a war against Russia. Half-measures will not yield results Trud

The Czech daily Pravo warns against the dangers of sacrificing democratic values in the fight against terrorism, and says it is not just a Russian problem.

"The United States, Israel and Russia," the paper says, "have taken a road at the end of which they may find that their own freedom has been stifled along with the terrorists."

In Russia's next-door neighbour Finland, the Swedish-language daily Helsinki Hufvudstadsbladet describes President Putin's measures as "misguided".

"A more secure Russia will not come about if power becomes even more concentrated than it is today - quite the reverse."

"Russia would be closer to finding a solution," the paper adds, "if the gentlemen in the Kremlin focused on that rather than grabbing more power for themselves."

An article in Russia's Izvestiya says the reforms are mistaken in relying solely on Russia's bureaucracy, which it believes "has in recent years shown its complete inability to act in critical situations."

In putting all his money on the one horse, the article adds, "Putin has launched a strike against himself, and exacerbated his political isolation."

However, the daily Trud defends Putin's actions to "strengthen the state", which it thinks are inevitable after the recent bloody hostage-taking in Beslan.

"International terrorism has declared a war against Russia. Half-measures will not yield results" the paper says.

'Absurd'

Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung gives a cautious welcome to the Turkish government's reported decision to withdraw plans to ban adultery - an issue which threatened to sour relations with the EU.

"But this does not amount to a final rejection of the absurd plan to send Turkish police officers into people's bedrooms," the paper warns.

Austria's Der Standard regards the reported U-turn as "a clear sign of Turkey's great willingness to adapt itself to the European Union".

The daily also rejects the argument that the very idea of a law on adultery shows how wide the gap is between Turkey and the EU.

"No country - Austria included - fulfilled all the EU's criteria before the start of negotiations," it says.

'Courage'

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's controversial welfare reforms are now finally working in his favour, despite recent electoral setbacks.

The paper argues that respect for him in his Social Democrat Party has recently grown, and that he has left behind the difficult patch he has faced since launching his reforms package.

French daily Le Monde, however, still sees the German chancellor "with his back to the wall" - electorally at least - but praises him for pushing forward with his plans for change.

"The chancellor has stuck to his guns," the paper says, adding: "He had no choice, because his future depended on his political courage."

Back to school

German papers are digesting an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) report warning that the country's education system is falling behind that of other industrial nations.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung complains that some of the data used in the report is several years old, and ignores recent educational reforms, but adds that the OECD warning is "important and justified".

"Its study shows once again that Germany has over the last two decades lost contact with the top," it says.

Another paper, Die Welt, also accuses the OECD of failing to acknowledge progress made since the last report in 2001, including a new national system of judging school's performance.

"A start has been made, indeed a good one," it says, and argues the OECD has relied too heavily on figures in its findings.

"There are too many in the report, and too little of everything else," the paper complains.

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