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            <channel><title>Presseurop | <![CDATA[United States]]></title>
                <link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en</link>
                <description>The best of the European press translated into 10 languages</description>
                <language>en</language><item><title>EU-US | Obama honey words ahead of Monti visit</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/1493891-obama-honey-words-ahead-monti-visit</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Italy  is taking impressive steps&rdquo;. On the day Italian PM Mario Monti makes  his first official visit to Washington, La Stampa devotes its [&hellip;] (News in brief)]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:22:24 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Cinema | ...! | Cartoon (L'Hebdo, Lausanne)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/1436841-</link><description><![CDATA[...! (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/MIX_ET_REMIX-the-artist-490.jpg" length="66411" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:49:44 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Bailouts | Against all the rules (Die Zeit, Hamburg)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1365941-against-all-rules</link><description><![CDATA[He who makes mistakes must pay the price. Ever since the crisis erupted five years ago, this key law of the market economy has been trampled on. Politicians must now decide between prosperity and morality, writes Die Zeit. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/bank-rules.jpg" length="65876" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:36:54 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Diplomacy | Who to call in Europe | Cartoon (Liberté, Alger)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/1318621-who-call-europe</link><description><![CDATA[Who to call in Europe (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/dilem_tel-europe-490.jpg" length="69420" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:53:57 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Air travel | Threats fly between Washington and Brussels</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/1310841-threats-fly-between-washington-and-brussels</link><description><![CDATA[As January 1, 2012 approaches, a date from which the EU intends to bring airlines into the CO2 emissions trading markets, the quarrel between Europe [&hellip;] (News in brief)]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:28:36 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Romania  | Secret CIA prison in Bucharest</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/1263021-secret-cia-prison-bucharest</link><description><![CDATA[S&uuml;ddeutsche Zeitung has revealed  that the CIA had a secret prison in Romania. The German daily has  collected testimony from several American secret [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/Suddeutsche-Zeitung-100.jpg" length="33326" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:21:51 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Music | Eurozone crisis too red hot for Metallica</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/1261761-eurozone-crisis-too-red-hot-metallica</link><description><![CDATA[The  world of rock is indifferent to the Eurozone&#039;s torments. According to the  Wall Street Journal, US heavy rock band Metallica, whose hits [&hellip;] (News in brief)]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:59:36 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Eurozone crisis | In the crosshairs | Cartoon (The Nation, Bangkok)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/1254551-crosshairs</link><description><![CDATA[In the crosshairs (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/Stephff-AAA-490.jpg" length="81227" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:43:09 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Geopolitics | It's too early to write Europe off (De Volkskrant, Amsterdam)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1249431-it-s-too-early-write-europe</link><description><![CDATA[Economic power is not the only criterion for global power. What matters is how political systems respond to new crises. And from this perspective, the EU is still in with a chance, writes Dutch historian Dirk-Jan van Baar. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/Cost-declin_0.jpg" length="93106" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:19:05 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Eurozone crisis | How business is preparing for Eurogeddon</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/1237681-how-business-preparing-eurogeddon</link><description><![CDATA[Eurozone  leaders may insist that a euro break-up is &ldquo;never going to happen&rdquo; but  &ldquo;some banks are no longer so sure&rdquo;, points out [&hellip;] (News in brief)]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:14:34 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Eurozone crisis | All together now | Cartoon (Le Temps, Geneva)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/1233031-all-together-now</link><description><![CDATA[All together now (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/chappatte-voix.jpg" length="53083" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:34:59 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Climate change | Europe set for 'triple somersault' at Durban</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/1224031-europe-set-triple-somersault-durban</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Emission  fight, Europe in corner&rdquo;, headlines Il Sole 24 Ore on the opening day  of the Durban Climate Change Conference (COP17). The goal [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/Il-sole-28112011-100.JPG" length="39786" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:59 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Eurozone crisis | And if Greece goes... (Le Figaro, Paris)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1137811-and-if-greece-goes</link><description><![CDATA[What if Greece leaves the EU? Professor George Prevelakis argues that it is an eventuality that would prompt a new geopolitical upset in the Balkans. As for the EU, it would be forced to acknowledge its inability to “Europeanise” a member state of 30 years standing. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/exit-greece.jpg" length="87073" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:33:55 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Opinion | Democracy - an inventory (El País, Madrid)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/1058181-democracy-inventory</link><description><![CDATA[After the demonstrations in Greece and the Indignados in Spain, popular protest has spread across Europe and, with the Occupy Wall Street movement, crossed the Atlantic. Be it direct or representative, the very idea of ​​democracy is under scrutiny, says José Ignacio Torreblanca. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/italy-dragon.jpg" length="37454" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:40:58 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Eurozone crisis | US staring at crumbling EU</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/1052641-us-staring-crumbling-eu</link><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&ldquo;In Europe, economic meltdown tears at unity,&rdquo; headlines USA Today, which devotes a wide-ranging report to the growing divide between &ldquo;better-off EU states&rdquo; and their [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/USA-today-13102011-100_0.jpg" length="42240" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:04:37 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Italy | Judiciary under pressure acquits Knox</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/1020031-judiciary-under-pressure-acquits-knox</link><description><![CDATA[&quot;Amanda  acquitted&quot;, headlines Corriere della Sera, at the end of one of the  most followed legal sagas in Italian history. American student Amanda [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/corriere-della-sera-04-100.jpg" length="36708" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:31:30 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Pirate party | Children of Marx and Microsoft (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/969281-children-marx-and-microsoft</link><description><![CDATA[They demand transparency and direct democracy, and almost one in ten voters in Berlin gave them their vote. The Pirate Party is no longer just a party for Net-nerds in hoodies, but represents demands from across society. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/piratenpartei-berlin.jpg" length="43582" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:22:07 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Society | Immobile Europe (Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/969111-immobile-europe</link><description><![CDATA[Upping sticks to work elsewhere is a natural part of life in the United States. But not in Europe, where people are often afraid to move away from their home turf. A Swedish journalist argues that this lack of mobility is a handicap in the current crisis. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/COST_static-europe.jpg" length="54669" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:29:48 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt Crisis | Beijing is no white knight (La Repubblica, Rome)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/948711-beijing-no-white-knight</link><description><![CDATA[The announcement by Italy of a flow of Chinese capital rushing in to support the Italian economy has raised hopes of Beijing riding up to rescue the euro. We must be wary of false hopes, however, writes La Repubblica. China is a prudent and discriminating investor. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/PISMESTROVI_china.jpg" length="100967" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:56:59 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt Crisis | Merkel and Sarkozy support Greece</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/947251-merkel-and-sarkozy-support-greece</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Merkel and Sarkozy take the reins on Greece,&rdquo; &nbsp;headlines El Peri&oacute;dico.  Following another day of tensions on financial markets, &ldquo;Germany and  France attempt [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/periodico-14052011-100.jpg" length="45990" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:17:00 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>9/11 2011 | Editorial</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/editorial/931771-911-2011</link><description><![CDATA[The turning point came when the century was just one year old. The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 marked the beginning of a new geopolitical era, which saw the United States enter into a long-term commitment in the &quot;crisis arc&quot; that extends from the Middle East to Southern Asia and passes through the Persian Gulf. It was the beginning of a new era for our societies, which became increasingly focused on the threat of terrorism and the concept of a clash of civilisations heralded by dramatic demographic changes in our countries.
However, as Timothy Garton Ash has pointed out, the ten years that have passed since 9/11 have also, and perhaps more importantly, been marked by a long-term tectonic shift that has radically altered the balance of power on the planet: the rise of China and Asia, and the progressive weakness of the West, which has been accelerated by the economic crisis.
How is Europe situated with regard to these historic frameworks? The fact that we might even ask such a question, is a clue to its answer  &ndash;  which necessarily must take into account Europe&rsquo;s current inability to influence world events. At the same time, the decade since 9/11 has also been rich in lessons for our continent.
In 2001, the EU comprised just 15 member states, and its enlargement to include 25 and then 27 members highlighted a fault line that was exacerbated by 9/11: its relationship with the United States. Let&rsquo;s not forget that in 2003, the Paris-Berlin-Moscow axis that opposed the war in Iraq was countered by a London-Rome-Madrid axis, which was also supported by the former Soviet bloc countries that were preparing to join the Union. If Europe&rsquo;s external policy had been decided by a majority vote, in accordance with the logic of a community of states, then Europe&rsquo;s flag would have flown in Iraq alongside America&rsquo; Stars and Stripes.
9/11 also contributed to the United States&rsquo; growing indifference to Europe and cast doubts on the appropriateness of the current form of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which further highlighted Europe&rsquo;s inability to develop its own strategic vision and to support it with a proper defence policy. The manner in which Washington succeeded in establishing its missile-defence system on European territory without consulting the EU was an apt illustration of this problem, as was Germany&rsquo;s abstention on the issue of intervention in Libya.
Although not many of us may remember, 2001 was also the year in which the 15 member states of the time created the Convention on the Future of Europe. Ten years later, in the wake of the stillborn emergence of the European Constitution and the painful adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, Europe has yet to speak with a strong single voice and no one, including its political leaders, has succeeded in presenting a project that responds to the new world order. At a time when some commentators and leaders have called for a new treaty to be established in response to the financial crisis, this observation remains a highly relevant one.
Translated from the French by Mark McGovern
 (Editorial)]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:22:52 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt crisis | Central bankers want political action</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/894011-central-bankers-want-political-action</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Act now!&rdquo; Such is the gist of the message sent by central bankers and the managing-director of the International Monetary Fund from Jackson Hole, Wyoming [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/LaTribune-29082011-100.jpg" length="14468" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:47:36 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Switzerland | Bank secrecy feels the squeeze</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/887921-bank-secrecy-feels-squeeze</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Switzerland forced to hand over names to the IRS,&rdquo; trumpets Le Temps, reporting that Washington has &ldquo;gathered sensitive information that has led it to accuse [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/LeTemps-26082011-100.jpg" length="12092" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:40:01 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>After the Libyan war | We'll be stuck in the sands (The Independent, London)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/884401-we-ll-be-stuck-sands</link><description><![CDATA[Euphoria is premature, as the West is fated to make the same mistakes as in Iraq, argues Robert Fisk. And if Gaddafi remains at large, a guerrilla war eroding the new powers becomes inevitable. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/libya-gun.jpg" length="18414" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:07:29 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>France | Strauss-Kahn &#039;free to leave&#039;</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/879511-strauss-kahn-free-leave</link><description><![CDATA[&quot;DSK case dismissed,&quot; headlines Aujourd&#039;hui, following news that the New York State district attorney, Cyrus Vance, has informed Nafissatou Diallo &quot;that charges against her alleged [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/LeParisien-23082011-100.jpg" length="14679" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:42:57 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>EU-Libya | Libya: the endgame, the future, the risks (La Stampa, Turin)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/876251-libya-endgame-future-risks</link><description><![CDATA[The fall of Tripoli marks a victory for NATO and the EU countries that supported the war. But Europe, divided and weakened by the euro crisis, will have to find ways to manage the post-Gaddafi era without bringing chaos to its southern border.  (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/libya-21082011.jpg" length="66240" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:31:26 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Poland | Hollywood beckons for Polish producers</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/875421-hollywood-beckons-polish-producers</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Polish miracle in Hollywood&rdquo; headlines Rzeczpospolita, enthusing about the growing number of foreign film productions co-financed by Polish companies. Over the next two years, the [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/22082011-Rzeczpospolita-100.jpg" length="13020" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:19:01 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>View from the US | History&#039;s lessons for Europe</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/854391-historys-lessons-europe</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;The decline and fall of Europe&rdquo; is Time magazine&rsquo;s fearsome headline. &ldquo;Its economic union is unravelling, London is ablaze, and the continent&rsquo;s once dependable trading [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/110812time.jpg" length="7581" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:12:33 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>debt crisis | Black sun | Cartoon (, )</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/852811-black-sun</link><description><![CDATA[Black sun (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/Shrank-soleil-noir-490.jpg" length="86848" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:44:06 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Internet | We need a Euro-Google (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurt)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/846651-we-need-euro-google</link><description><![CDATA[What you can look up, you needn’t commit to memory. This old maxim is one that drives Google&#039;s business today. But the Internet revolution is still in its infancy, and soon the material of our everyday lives could be fodder for search engines. We should be cautious about what we hand over, warns FAZ. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/VLAHOVIC_europe-browser_0.jpg" length="104583" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:29:24 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt crisis | Are there any leaders out there? (The Guardian, London)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/843171-are-there-any-leaders-out-there</link><description><![CDATA[Faced with the euro crisis, world leaders look at best paralysed and at worst irresponsible. But a situation this serious needs heads of government who can take the bull by the horns. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/Europe-no-leaders_0.jpg" length="113624" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:49:32 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt crisis | Who will rescue the rescuers?</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/843311-who-will-rescue-rescuers</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Is the world going bankrupt?&quot; headlines Der Spiegel, wondering about the implications of US public debt, the euro crisis and chaos on the markets. The [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/Spiegel-08082011-100.jpg" length="39175" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:16:46 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt crisis | Facing the spectre of bankruptcy (Mladá Fronta DNES, Prague)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/822681-facing-spectre-bankruptcy</link><description><![CDATA[Right up until the last moment, Democrats and Republicans continued to give free reign to the spectre of American sovereign default. However, a Czech economic analyst argues that the US economy is less vulnerable than the economies of Europe, which are much more hetrogeneous. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/VADOT-USA-EU-crisis.jpg" length="41715" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:36:30 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Middle East | Europe has a role to play (Al Hayat, London)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/810401-europe-has-role-play</link><description><![CDATA[After years of playing a secondary role in the Arab world, the EU now has an opportunity to exert a positive influence in a region where the United States and Russia have failed to respond to radical change. An Al-Hayat columnist outlines how Europe can make a difference. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/European-diplomacy.jpg" length="79449" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:36:41 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Debt Crisis | US debt crisis less scary than Europe's</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/793681-us-debt-crisis-less-scary-europe-s</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Debt: The United States races against the clock,&rdquo; says the French economic daily Les Echos, describing the deadlock between Republicans and Democrats over how to [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/Les-echos-25072011-130.jpg" length="35587" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:20:15 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Paralysis | Editorial</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/editorial/778231-paralysis</link><description><![CDATA[On Friday, July 15, heads of state and leaders of EU governments were due to hold an urgent meeting to discuss possible responses to the crisis in the eurozone. It was the wish of European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who has been trying since his appointment to establish himself as the host of this prestigious Areopagus. Alas, Europe&rsquo;s leaders, with Angela Merkel at their head, have turned down the invitation, demonstrating their inability to act against what increasingly looks like a threat to the very existence of the European Union as we know it.
The wider situation has been grasped: Greece is nearing bankruptcy, despite belt-tightening and the money from the EU and the IMF; the Portuguese and Irish sovereign debts have been downgraded to &ldquo;junk&quot; by the rating agencies; and Italy is being forced, practically with a knife to her throat, to adopt a plan to cut 40 billion euros in spending. In response, the 17 states of the eurozone, as well as the European Central Bank and the Commission, are arguing over the strategy to adopt. &ldquo;Owing to a lack of political leadership, squabbles over the conditions for the banking sector&rsquo;s participation in the new aid package to Greece are leading nowhere. However, dear ministers, this is like nursing a cold when it&rsquo;s cancer that&rsquo;s the threat,&quot;&nbsp;lamented Le Monde after the last unsuccessful meeting of finance ministers.
Our leaders are, however working under mitigating circumstances &ndash; but those circumstances give even more reason for concern. The first, as Die Zeit explains, is that they must choose between, on one hand, domestic political pressure not to finance clearly useless bailouts that burden the people without troubling the banks &ndash; and, on the other, a financial sector that imposes its own rhythm, undermines states, and yet retains a strong argument: that its money is indispensable for financing state debts.
The second comes from across the Atlantic. On July 14 Standard &amp; Poor&#039;s threatened to downgrade the credit rating of the United States. In Washington, Obama has so far failed to end the budget standoff with the Republicans. The financial crisis shaking Europe is thus threatening to undermine America, which would just worsen the situation on our continent further. US officials, however, don&rsquo;t seem any more up to the task than the Europeans.
Whether indecisive, incompetent or simply paralysed by this challenge and the feeling of no longer being in control of the destiny of their countries, EU leaders must show determination. But it would take a very clever leader to show us the right way forward.
&nbsp;
 (Editorial)]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:39:24 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>EU-US | America and Europe sinking together (Financial Times, London)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/757211-america-and-europe-sinking-together</link><description><![CDATA[Both the EU and US have struggled to cope with the economic crisis in their own distinctive ways. A monumental error, argues Gideon Rachman, since their problems are essentially the same. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/ue-us-sinking_0.jpg" length="136183" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:19:10 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>DSK affair | On top of the world | Cartoon (Tageblatt, Esch-sur-Alzette)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/756281-top-world</link><description><![CDATA[On top of the world (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/Schneider-napoleon-490.jpg" length="106874" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:18:58 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>France | DSK: the saga continues</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/755351-dsk-saga-continues</link><description><![CDATA[&quot;DSK back&quot; is Lib&eacute;ration&#039;s  headline. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the IMF, was freed  on July 1 after doubts came to light [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/liberation-04072011-100.jpg" length="11488" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:04:57 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>EU-US | Old continent, indeed (The New York Times, New York)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/747091-old-continent-indeed</link><description><![CDATA[Clueless faced with the debt crisis, wavering in Libya and Afghanistan: Europe is not only weakening but also becoming a problem for the United States. Such is the harsh verdict delivered by the New York Times. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/oliver-navy.jpg" length="30956" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:02:54 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Economics | Europe still heads IMF</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/747391-europe-still-heads-imf</link><description><![CDATA[The Europeans got their way. On June 28, a Frenchwoman, Christine Lagarde was named Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. The French Finance Minister [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/110629liberation.jpg" length="5708" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:44:13 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Afghanistan | We&#039;re staying | Cartoon (L’Avenir, Namur)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/cartoon/743131-were-staying</link><description><![CDATA[We&#039;re staying (Cartoon)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/picture/SONDRON_2011-06-26-7374:490.jpg" length="225709" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:43:58 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Afghanistan | French troops to follow US retreat</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/737731-french-troops-follow-us-retreat</link><description><![CDATA[&quot;France to withdraw from Afghanistan,&quot; headlines Le Figaro. Just hours after President Barack Obama&rsquo;s announcement that a third of American forces will leave Afghanistan by [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/110624figaro.jpg" length="7657" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:56:51 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Israel – Palestine | Ashton letter fails to impress Americans</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/713171-ashton-letter-fails-impress-americans</link><description><![CDATA[Seeking to head off the unilateral Palestinian plan to secure state recognition at the UN in September, the EU is calling for an &ldquo;urgent convening&rdquo; [&hellip;] (News in brief)]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:13:38 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Diplomacy | WikiLeaks comes to Ireland</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/686011-wikileaks-comes-ireland</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Revealed: how the US taps into our secrets,&rdquo; headlines the Irish Independent, in the first of a series of extracts from the &ldquo;Ireland Cables&rdquo; &ndash; [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/20110531-IrishIndependent-100.jpg" length="7902" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 13:11:22 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Poland | Cover-up over CIA torture centres</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/683991-cover-over-cia-torture-centres</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;The CIA ran a secret prison in Poland&rdquo;, headlines Gazeta Wyborcza, referring to a top-secret facility in Szymany, northern Poland, where, according to the US [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/20110530-GazetaWyborcza-100.jpg" length="6358" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2011 15:44:24 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Poland-USA | Warsaw hungry for business with Obama</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/679511-warsaw-hungry-business-obama</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Obama coming for shale gas&rdquo;, proclaims Dziennik Gazeta Prawna on the day the US president arrives in Warsaw for a two-day visit. The main topics [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/dziennik-27052011-84.jpg" length="36004" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 15:10:35 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>EU/US | Obama, where love is blind (The Guardian, London)</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/671551-obama-where-love-blind</link><description><![CDATA[No sleaze, no overweening ego - Barack Obama is admired by Europeans because he personifies the possibility of intelligent, public-spirited leaders, a far cry from their own. But they ignore his actual record, argues a Guardian columnist. (Article)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/article/200110524-Obama-Ireland.jpg" length="33340" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 16:36:04 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Ireland | Obama visits land of his ancestors</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/671361-obama-visits-land-his-ancestors</link><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Is f&eacute;idir linn,&rdquo; headlines the Irish Independent. On the occasion of his 24 hour visit to economically stricken Ireland, US president Barack Obama pronounced his [&hellip;] (News in brief : cover)]]></description><enclosure url="http://www.presseurop.eu/files/images/briefcover/20110524-IrishIndependent-100.jpg" length="8502" type="image/jpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 12:07:42 +0100</pubDate></item>
<item><title>Hanging on | Editorial</title><link>http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/editorial/665861-hanging</link><description><![CDATA[Forced to resign as chief of the International Monetary Fund following his arrest in New York on charges of attempted rape, Dominique Strauss-Kahn leaves his succession for the IMF post wide open. Since its creation in 1945, the position of Managing Director has been attributed to a European in exchange for appointing an American at the head of the World Bank. A gentlemen&rsquo;s agreement that was justified by the economic weight of each bloc at the time but which, for some, is no longer relevant today given the growing importance of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and Europe&rsquo;s political and economic decline. A chorus has thus arisen in favour of candidates from South Africa, Singapore as well as Israel and China, claiming that the time is right for new blood.
This is a legitimate claim because the emerging countries are under-represented in international organisations. At the IMF, for example, the BRICS&nbsp;account&nbsp;
for 11.06% of voting rights while&nbsp;representing&nbsp;20% of global GDP. Europe accounts for 35.6% of voting rights and just over 30% of global GDP (the United States represents 16.08% of voting rights and nearly 30% of world GDP). If the voting rights/economic weight ratio is unfair to the BRICS, and if a reform is desirable, it is nevertheless true that Europe constitutes the most influential bloc within the IMF.   
There is therefore no reason for Europe to give up the fight to maintain control of this very strategic post, especially at a time when several European countries have been or are still negotiating aid packages. But for this to happen Europe must, once again, speak with a single voice and propose the candidate that best defends its interests. If Europe wants to avoid having the IMF once again appear as the baleful guardian of free-market orthodoxy, it had best choose a candidate possessed of sensitivity and creativity so as to diminish, as much as possible, the bitter taste of the medicine it will have to administer.
&nbsp;
 (Editorial)]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2011 17:20:58 +0100</pubDate></item>
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