European press review

The murder of Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh arouses consternation at home and abroad, and there is interest in the composition of the new European Commission after the withdrawal of another controversial nominee.

A German paper doubts whether Britain's Queen Elizabeth II should be attending a climate-change conference during her state visit, and a French daily ponders what it calls the "anti-German reflexes" of parts of the British press.

Assassination

The Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad describes Tuesday's killing of Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh as a "shocking event".

Individuals are personally responsible for their actions, not the ethnic group or religious movement to which they happen to belong NRC Handelsblad

"In a free country such as the Netherlands," it says, "everybody is fully entitled to express his opinion, however controversial it may be."

But the paper warns against "unjustified vindictiveness" after the arrest of a suspect of Dutch and Moroccan nationality.

"Individuals are personally responsible for their actions," it stresses, "not the ethnic group or religious movement to which they happen to belong."

Abroad, newspapers see parallels with the murder of right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn in May 2002 and express concerns for the country's ethnic minorities.

Germany's Die Welt notes that for the second time in two years, a country which is "proud of its tolerance" has seen a killing with a suspected political background.

"In the worst-case scenario," it fears, "the most recent murder will result in sheer hatred of foreigners."

But in the best-case version, it adds, there will be a growing realization that there is a "neglected group" who need to be better integrated within Dutch society.

In Spain, El Pais says the murder has brought back "an unsuspected dark side" to the "politically peaceable" Netherlands.

The killing, it believes, "is bound to cause the political temperature to soar in a country where immigration, integration and Islam became hot issues after the loss of innocence caused by Fortuyn's violent death".

European Commission reshuffle

Germany's Der Tagesspiegel sees Latvia's withdrawal on Tuesday of its controversial Eurosceptic nominee to the European Commission as a sign that incoming President Jose Manuel Barroso has not been weakened by his stand-off with the European Parliament.

"He can now put pressure on those national governments whose candidates left a poor impression in their hearings," the paper says.

However, it sounds a note of caution, noting that the withdrawal of Latvia's Ingrida Udre, whom it describes as a Green woman from the east, after Italy's Rocco Buttiglione, who it says is a right-wing man from the west, seems to reflect thinking in terms of quid pro quos.

"Barroso must now consider how far to go and where to stop," it warns.

The carefully balanced distribution of portfolios between big and small, new and old EU countries could fall apart Die Welt

Another German daily, Die Welt, is worried that the whole Commission may have to be reshuffled unless some member states change their attitude.

It argues that problems could arise if countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Hungary insisted that while their candidates may be given new portfolios, they themselves will not be withdrawn.

"The carefully balanced distribution of portfolios between big and small, new and old EU countries would fall apart," it warns.

Queen's German visit

In Germany, the Berliner Zeitung wonders whether it is appropriate for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to open a conference on climate change today during her state visit.

It argues that to many people active climate policies are more obviously important than the British monarchy, and that for them "it is not the queen who is helping the climate but the climate that is helping the queen".

Her itinerary, it says, should stick to what is suitable for a royal state visit - "not a support programme for a young people's climate conference".

The smallest thing is usually enough to awaken the anti-German reflexes of some British newspapers Le Monde

On another topic raised during the visit, the paper adds that it would be inappropriate for the queen to apologize for the bombing of Dresden during World War II, and that it would be "mad" for Germans to demand such a gesture.

This theme is picked up by the French Le Monde, which is struck by hostile British press responses to a German newspaper headline wondering whether the monarch might apologize for the wartime raids.

"The smallest thing", it says, "is usually enough to awaken the anti-German reflexes of some British newspapers."

Danish accord

Returning to European Union matters, Danish papers examine Tuesday's agreement between the government and the main opposition parties on their interpretation of the EU constitutional treaty, a move seen as a vital for securing support in a referendum likely to be held in 2006.

The deal "may be of crucial historical significance", Jyllands-Posten believes.

The paper finds it "particularly important" that the opposition Socialist People's Party is on board and praises its leader, Holger K Nielsen, for displaying "significant courage in confronting the party's support base".

But another paper, Berlingske Tidende, fears things may come undone when the deal is put to an internal ballot in the Eurosceptic party.

"It is hard to imagine", the paper says, how the Socialist leadership "could survive being rejected in a ballot on such an important issue".

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