Clik here to view.
Euranet Plus News Agency Trans-European press review Friday, November 21, 2014
This week, our press review of European media focuses on European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker’s package of 300 billion euros to boost investments in the EU. According to the Croatian newspaper Vecernji list, this plan would have positive and negative impacts on Croatia. Concerning the Ukraine crisis, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita stressed the EU’s reaction towards Russia.
The European Commission PresidentJuncker is expected to present his 300 billion euro plan to the European Parliament next week.
The package is aimed to boost investment in the EU and should be made available by combining public (national and European) and private money.
The plan is expected to be completed and submitted to the EU leaders for approval at the next EU summit in Brussels on December 18-19.
The Croatian newspaper Vecernji list speculated how this package will impact the country.
Croatia -Juncker counted 10 priorities: Which can Croatia benefit from and which will harm it? (Vecernji list)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
On Wednesday (19.11.2014), Juncker sent a letter with 10 priorities to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Priorities with which Juncker will try to encourage investment and economic growth as well as strengthen the political and economic ties in the European Union.
According to Vecernji list, in Croatia and elsewhere, details about the first item on the list are eagerly awaited, particularly the details about the 300 billioneuro package of measures to create jobs, economic growth and stimulate investment.
The article reported on the analysis of Daniel Mondekar, President of the European Parliament’s Committee on European Affairs.
Mondekar explained that the package of 300 billion euros will not be spent immediately, but be allocated within three years. Nevertheless, it is much anticipated as a growth driver in all parts of the EU and in Croatia.
Juncker’s list of priorities also includes the development of the digital single market in the EU. According to Mondekar, Croatia can benefit from it because the country has a very interesting scene of so called start-up companies.
However, the revision of the Europe 2020 strategy, which provides a change for six directives on waste, could be a potential problem for Croatia, Mondekar stressed in the newspaper.
He explained that through this audit, the European Commission is trying to commit Croatia to more strict environmental standards than those which were written into the Croatian accession treaty with the EU. If the standards of waste disposal become even tighter, it would bring great costs to Croatia, concluded Mondekar.
- Read the entire article in Croatian – recommended by the Croatian Euranet Plus Partner HRT Radio
The Latvian business newspaper Dienas Bizness also reported about Juncker, but this time related to his involvement in the widespread “LuxLeaks” tax evasion scandal while he was Finance Minister of Luxembourg.
Latvia: ‘Facade holiness or big boy games’ (Dienas Bizness)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Dienas Bizness published an opinion piece this week where the author reported that all the criticism voiced towards Juncker in the “LuxLeaks” scandal seems to reflect jealousy more than anything else.
The author argued that Luxembourg succeeded in capital increases while Juncker was Finance Minister.
She also added that the criticism is also linked with the fact that some bigger member states did not like that Juncker ignored their interests when forming his team, for example by choosing as his vice-presidents representatives from several new and small member states rather than from the biggest ones.
The author referred to the Latvian Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for both the euro and social dialogue, and the Estonian Andrus Ansip, the new Digital Economy Commissioner.
Apparently “Juncker’s challenge of Europe is difficult for many to swallow”, concluded the author.
- Read the entire article in Latvian – recommended by Latvian Euranet Plus partner station Latvijas Radio
Estonia: Putin’s 19th-century Matrix 4 (Postimees)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In an opinion published this week in the Estonian newspaper “Postimees”, the columnist Ahto Lobjakas argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin is motivated by revenge in the Ukraine crisis.
The author started by Putin’s response to German chancellor Angela Merkel’s attacks at the G20 summit in Australia last week on November 14-15.
Putin said that “personal friendships do not count when Russia’s interests are at stake.”
Lojakas analysed the reasons for Russia’s rigid foreign policy and wrote: “Although Russia remains with the West in the 21st century, its main impulse comes from its main leaders of the 19th century and it wants to enlarge its sphere of interest by all possible means.”
According to the author, the last century added a feeling of revenge after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is viewed by Putin as the biggest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century.
He added that this is the reason of the shocking ease with which Putin is destroying the political certainties of the 21st century.
The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita stressed the EU’s reaction towards Ukraine crisis.
Poland: EU has stopped behaving like an ostrich (Rzeczpospolita)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita this week interviewed the Conservative vice-chair of the European Parliament, Ryszard Czarnecki.
Czarnecki argued that Russia must know that any military action will start a chain reaction on the part of the EU and lead to a new Cold War.
He also admitted in the interview that the EU is behaving much better now than six years ago, when Russia invaded Georgia.
But Czarnecki added: “Today, sanctions indicate that the EU has ceased being an ostrich, which refuses to see the reality around it.”
The journalist asked Czarnecki if Poland should trust Germany and France, as they are both participants in the negotiations of EU leaders with Putin, but Poland is not involved in these negotiations.
Czarnecki’s answered that “after all, we are the leader of Central Europe, the largest neighbour of Ukraine, and a member of both the EU and NATO. Germany and France care about good relations with Russia, and because of that they do not want to invite potentially unruly Poland to participate in the talks.”
- Read the entire article in Polish - recommended by the Polish Euranet Plus partner station Polskie Radio
Greece – Hardouvelis: ‘We will keep Greece with the euro’ (Kathimerini)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
An opinion published in the Greek newspaper investigated the question of maintaining Greece in the Eurozone.
On Wedneqday, the Greek Minister of Finance, Gikas Hardouvelis, met the Greek deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos to discuss the apparent deadlock in the ongoing negotiations between the Greek government and Troika representatives.
Hardouvelis underlined the necessity to promptly have a total realistic agreement with the Troika and clarifying that he himself will stand up to boisterous talks and populism in order for Greece to not enter into any more adventures.
In parallel, he stated that Greece will remain in Europe and sent the message of the government internally and externally that it is not correct for some to consider that the issue of exiting the Euro has closed.
- Read the entire article in Greek – recommended by the Greek Euranet Plus partner station Skaï Radio
Spain: Orange accepts conditions of EU to approve Jazztel’s purchase (El Pais)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the French telecoms company Orange this week submitted to the European Commission a number of conditions that is willing to accept to get the approval to purchase Jazztel.
The offer values Jazztel at 3.4 billion euros. The purchase is intended to boost the French mobile operation in Spain to better compete with rivals Telefonica and Vodafone.
According to El Pais, the operation would get a final approval on December 4 if the European Commission accepts these conditions,
Although Orange has declined to comment on the matter, the French operator said the conditions guarantee that it does not create any kind of abuse of dominant position in the markets in which it operates.
- Read the entire article in Spanish - recommended by the Spanish Euranet Plus partner station Castilla y Leon es Radio
Euranet Plus News Agency Weekend Surfing Tip
- Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![EUphoria: G20, plastic bags and a motion to censure]( "EUphoria: G20, plastic bags and a motion to censure")
EUphoria: G20, plastic bags and a motion to censure | November 21, 2014 | Euranet Plus News Agency – EUphoria video edition | English
This week, we look back at the G20 summit in Australia. Russian President Vladimir Putin left early after a tense weekend with other world leaders…and some cuddle time with a koala. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meanwhile, seemed to enjoy her time Down Under. Back in Brussels, the focus has been on getting rid of plastic bags. Could EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker be next?
- Author: Laeticia Markakis, Euranet Plus News Agency