MEPs swat Swift
"It just squeaked by," sighs Tagenszeitung, which doesn't hide its pleasure after the European Parliament's February 11th vote to reject "spying on bank transfers" by American authorities. The Americans will no longer be able to have access to the banking information of European citizens in the formers' fight against terrorism. The bone of contention is called Swift, the server's name that records this information. The European Parliament has thus invalidated an agreement signed last November by the interior ministers on the eve of the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty. Without this reaction by European law makers, governments "might have concluded that mystery, threats and delayed deadlines pay," comments the Berlin daily. Traditionally concerned about public freedoms and the protection of information, TAZ is delighted by the perspective of "equal to equal" negotiations between the EU and the United States on the values of "liberty or security." Der Spiegel Online, on the other hand, believes that this vote will be a source of transatlantic tension and notes that the Americans will be able to negotiate the exchange of information bilaterally.
Two camps, two theories, and two visions of France: 18 years after the massacre of 800,000 Tutsis, the precise role played by Paris is still the subject of heated debate, fueled by the findings of successive criminal investigations. 
Agree to new austerity measures or risk being kicked out of the eurozone: that’s the alternative presented to Athens on the day the euro group is meeting. It’s a situation Greek politicians have failed to avoid, regrets To Vima. 
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