German commentators analyse the consequences of the Bush visit to Germany . In the Frankfurter Rundschau (23/2), Martin Winter writes: “ Anyone who wants to measure the gulf between the USA and the European Union must consider what failed to come out of the summit: a joint declaration. […] Proclaiming with idealism the struggle for freedom throughout the world and outlining in vivid terms all the good that Europe and America can do with their values, can raise morale. But it is of no help in mending the Atlantic partnership. […] It’s not values, not even the vision of a democratic world, that have divided the West: Iraq, Iran and the fight against terrorism reveal deep divisions in the way in which problems are perceived and solved. The political cultures of America and Europe have developed in different directions. They can be reconciled only if the logic of US domination in the partnership is broken”. Writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (24/2), Klaus– Dieter Frankenberger observes: “ What can be predicted and even demanded is this: renouncing a policy of resentment and division; in view of the lack of strategic unity, not taking disagreements to their extreme consequences; not precluding progress by ideological stances, but seeking it in a pragmatic way, whether it be the protection of the climate, or peace in the Middle East, or disarmament”. According to the weekly Der Spiegel (21/2): “ The new friendship does not minimally alter the many conflicts“. One of the issues on which the positions of the USA and Europe seem to be most differentiated is that of the end of the embargo on arms sales to China. “ To some critics writes Mark Landler in the International Herald Tribune (24/2) the European plan for the suspension of the embargo on China seems merely a way of reassuring their own weapons producers who are claiming a slice of the largest military budget in the world“. “ But Landler continues a good deal more is at stake if from now on Europe can sell a French fighter jet or a German submarine to Beijing“. In the view of the commentator, “ the question is whether the European arms-supplying countries really wish to create antagonism with the USA by launching such trade“, given that “ by also focusing on the strategy of the development of non-military businesses, China probably intends to reinforce joint development projects with the Europeans. This would give her more rapid access to European technologies, precisely the development that is most feared by the strategic planners in the Pentagon”. Reactions to the Bush visit are also found in the Spanish press of 23/2, which underlined the welcome in Spanish given by the US President to Zapatero. “Perfunctory welcome of George Bush to Zapatero: Hola, que tal, amigo?” in the headline in El Mundo, while Abc comments that “the European Union and NATO are closing ranks to help Bush to reconstruct Iraq”. According to El Paìs “Bush and the USA have reached a stage of collaboration through the division over Iraq”, while La Razòn points out that “Bush dedicated four seconds to Zapatero”. Commenting on the same event of the visit to Europe of the US President, an editorial of Hermann Tertsch in El Paìs of 22/2 opens, in sarcastic manner, as follows: “We have in our midst the great ruffian of the new century, George W.Bush, whom in Madrid they compare with Hitler, in Paris with the Cambodian Pol Pot, the great villain directly responsible for the Islamic terrorists who are assassinating the Iraqi population, for the people who are dying of hunger in Sudan, for the failure to intervene during the tsunami in Indonesia and for malaria in Africa”. “The European politicians, for their part continues Tertsch exhibit in public as a personal success the new tone of the US President towards the European Union, but with equal emphasis make it clear that he must change his policy in a radical manner if he is to receive the blessing of this great Round Table of humanism as they themselves consider themselves“. And he concludes: “And while here lessons are being given to Bush, Washington and Tokyo have signed an important defence pact to respond to the common threats in the Pacific, the probable new geo-strategic centre of the world, and Latin America is aiming at China“. From international politics to religious life: the French daily La Croix (21/2) presents a résumé, compiled by Pierre Schmidt, of the “Guide of the Catholic Church in France for 2005”. The title chosen for the feature is very significant: “ The Catholic Church in France is baptising ever more children at an older age” (“… baptise de plus en plus tard“). While “ the number of baptized below the age of 7 has continued to decline (from 372,839 in 2001 to 365,107 in 2002), the total number of children baptized above the age of 7 is growing (from 18,826 in 2001 to 20,353 in 2002) … So altogether French Catholics are increasingly being baptized at a later age“. The number of priests is, in general, declining (from 24,251 to 23,542). So too is that of male religious (from 9,524 to 9,407) and female religious (from 46,007 to 43,039). On the other hand, “ the number of ordinations of deacons is still being maintained at a level of around a hundred per year (97 in 2003), though the total number of permanent deacons is only slightly increasing (1,850 in 2003 against 1,749 in the previous year)“. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1366 N.ro relativo : 15 Data pubblicazione : 26/02/05
