The German press extensively analyses the domestic political scene, but with an eye for the international situation and in particular for the fight against terrorism. The visit to Paris of Angela Merkel, candidate of the CDU/CSU at the next general elections which could mark the end of the Schröder era, is commented on by Die Welt (20/7), which writes with regard to Merkel’s meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, French Minister of the Interior and possible successor of Chirac: “ At least with him, the candidate for the Chancellorship knows she is in agreement about the fact that relations between France and Germany continue to be close or even ‘fundamental’, but that need a clear realignment in a European perspective. Merkel used her visit, appreciated by many, and conducted with style and self-assurance, to give concrete form to her idea of giving a new direction to European policy. There will be no prosecution of the political line as regards the Paris-Berlin and Berlin-Moscow axes so long as the pan-European perspective is excluded. […] The time for the axes is over: London wishes to be, and must be, involved more actively, as also must the smaller EU members. But it is equally clear that Merkel is seeking a rapprochement with the USA as far as foreign policy is concerned. The question arises how Paris will take this. But it is impossible to please everyone!” A comment in the Frankfurter Rundschau (FR) notes: “ Angela Merkel is proceeding with caution in relations with Paris in a heterogeneous reality and gets along wonderfully with the opponent of Chirac”. Commenting on the situation of Turkey following the recent terror attacks and the debate on the country’s EU accession, Rolf Paasch writes in the FR: “Even those who could derive advantage in future from European populism ought to consider the consequences of a European policy contrary to Turkey, in the light of the recent events in Iraq, London and in Turkish holiday resorts: can and must the consequence of global terrorism be fortress Europe? Will the European policy of Merkel, Sarkozy and Schüssel consist in future in cracking down on the PKK activists within their own frontiers, while at the same time abandoning Turkey to itself with its fundamental problem of the Kurd conflict in eastern Anatolia?“. “ The Catholic Church is on the eve of a major transformation. Within ten to fifteen years the demographic structures of its apparatus (ageing of the clergy and decline in new vocations) will no longer permit an adequate renewal of the leadership of the religious institutions according to the geographic logic that has so far predominated … we are heading towards a minority Church, on the Protestant model“: these words, taken from the publication of Plan no. 8, are underlined by the French daily La Croix (20/7), in a feature dedicated to the theme of integration with the title “ The Plan analyses the future of ‘atomized’ religions“. The author, Guillaume Barou, stresses that “ for the first time the general Commissariat of the Plan shows an interest in religions, through their role for the social integration of individuals“. The analysis of the role of the French Catholic Church is naturally placed at the centre of La Croix’s attention: “ The weakening of its institutions has as its corollary the growth of the influence of the younger religious movements and ‘off piste’ believers. This is a development that could be dangerous, if the sectarian movements are not reigned in. But comments Barou the team, on the contrary, invites the public authorities to collaborate with these movements, on condition that they respect certain limits”. The conclusion of Barou’s article is that “the question of the integration of religions is pregnant; due to their charitable actions and with a view to a balanced intervention in the public debate, religions are recognized as “one of the possible ways of achieving the integration of individuals in society“. “ When rejection may kill” is the title of an editorial in Time (25/7) in which the author, Irshad Manji, who wrote the book “The Trouble with Islam Today. A Wake-Up Call for Honesty and Change”, declares that “ we Muslims must admit that our religion may motivate the perpetrators of terrorist acts“. “ It is not enough for us he continues to protest that radical Muslims are using Islam like a sword. It is obvious they are doing so. Now, however, moderate Muslims must stop using Islam as a shield that protects us from real soul-searching and from genuine understanding of our neighbours“. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1407 N.ro relativo : 56 Data pubblicazione : 22/07/2005
