EU too soft on hardline regimes
“Europe’s attempt to base foreign policy on ethical considerations is liable to come a cropper,” opines the Tagesspiegel, citing Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Libya as cases in point. Libya has huge fossil fuel deposits, of which everyone wants a piece – and human rights be damned, as long as the EU “at least makes rhetorical entreaties for respect for human rights and democratic standards in its dealings with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe”. Its timid stance on the old dictator Robert Mugabe, however, is puzzling to say the least: the EU is actually planning to re-allocate the entire development aid package earmarked for Zimbabwe, “even if human rights advocates and opposition party members are still being tortured”. As to Hamid Karzai’s administration, moreover, the EU “will have a hard time explaining why we are funding the organisation of elections in Afghanistan with European taxpayers’ money without there being the slightest consequences in the wake of widespread election fraud,” observes the Berlin daily. According to the Tagesspiegel, “in terms of realpolitik, there are clearly some good reasons for working together” with these governments, “but we should at least admit that our attempts at democratisation have failed.”
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. 
At a time when Athens is still involved in debt restructuring negotiations with its private creditors, Neelie Kroes’ recent allusions to a Greek exit from the euro are a sign that European leaders are intent on preparing the terrain for such an eventuality.