We shouldn’t boycott [the Euro 2012], but go to Ukraine, bring some pleasure to millions of Ukrainians and simultaneously do something tangible for the release of Yulia Tymoshenko.

Polish president Bronisław Komorowski is going to appeal on May 9 to his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovich, for the law to be changed and Ms Tymoshenko’s sentence repealed. Meanwhile, on May 8 Ms Tymoshenko suspended her hunger strike, which she had started on 20 April, and was taken to a hospital in Kharkiv where she will be treated by a German doctor. The former Ukrainian PM is serving a 7-year prison sentence “for signing an allegedly unfavourable gas trading agreement with Russia in 2009”.

According to Polish experts, this is yet another indication that following massive investment in Africa, America and Asia, Beijing is now seriously considering expansion in Central Europe, including Poland, which may become its main partner among the “new” EU member states. But not everyone is happy about the prospect. According to the Warsaw daily -

“... some European experts believe that Beijing is deliberately undermining the EU’s role by building bilateral relations with different European countries. This weakens the EU’s cohesion in relations with China.”

And these have recently been strained. The European Commission is “trying to force” Beijing to open the Chinese public market to European companies, threatening otherwise to introduce regulations that will allow the EU to “retaliate by closing its public market” to Chinese companies.

“Switzerland closes the door on East Europeans”, announces the front page headline of the Tribune de Genève, which argues that the measure “amounts to grandstanding”, because “free movement needed to be subject to control to remain acceptable”. Le Matin argues that the initiative will have “little practical impact”, while Le Temps insists that it is a “purely cosmetic” measure –

In activating the clause included in the agreement on free movement with the EU, the Federal Council wanted to send a clear message to those who are increasingly concerned by the upsurge of European immigration in Switzerland.

In German-speaking Switzerland, the press is mainly concerned about the effect the move will have on EU relations. Tagesanzeiger predicts a decline “in good will towards Switzerland, which is increasingly perceived as recalcitrant”, while St-Galler Tagblatt remarks that for the Federal Council, it was important to show the people that it is not intimidated by the prospect “of upsetting the EU”.

In an interview with the London daily, Sannikov has described conditions endured during his 18 month incarceration. Having already accused the Belarusian secret service, the KGB, of torture, he said –

For much of my time I was kept in solitary confinement but when they moved me to my last prison it was forbidden to talk to me. If someone started to speak to me, and I don't mean showing support for me or expressing some kind of solidarity, they would be immediately moved into worse conditions or sent to another colony.

Sannikov’s release, along with that of his political aide, Zmitser Bandarenka, is partly due to their decision to seek a presidential pardon, The Independent notes –

This allows the Minsk regime to emphasise that they have admitted their guilt and to stress that the authorities have been magnanimous in releasing them.

The move has nevertheless been hailed in some quarters as a sign that EU diplomatic pressure, including travel bans and withdrawal of ambassadors, has been successful. Sannikov, the London daily adds, has nevertheless “warned Europe against making concessions to the regime until all political prisoners [which number in the hundreds] are released.”

… when EU influence at the UN has been in decline for several years, and in particular in the UN Human Rights Council, where the West used to be unassailable: in the past, the EU could count on the support of 72% of UN countries, today it can only count on about half of them. Experience has shown that targeted lobbying to forge alliances, in particular with African countries, can restore the image [of the EU], and this approach could be adopted by a special human rights representative.

Even if the proposal is approved by the foreign ministers, the post will not be officially created until June, when the EU plans to present its new policy on human rights.

We must face the facts. If Europe is sending Catherine Ashton, who is as eloquent as she is powerless, on reconnaissance to Teheran; if Barack Obama has, for the past few months, responded more strongly to the Israeli challenge, it is only due to the fact that the Israelis are flexing their muscles and pretending that nothing can hold them back. Had [Israel] been as cautious as most states, Teheran would have been more likely to have quick access to the bomb. [...] In case of an emergency, it is the West that will, single-handedly, take the nuclear weapons from the hands of Iran's leaders.

It was when he ceased simply being an elected leader and segued towards a lifetime presidency. Having neatly sidestepped the rules by doing a stint as prime minister (no Russian leader can serve more than two consecutive presidential terms) Putin can now go on and on. Brezhnev did 18 years, Stalin 31. Despite the whispers of revolution lapping at the Kremlin's walls, who would bet against Vladimir matching Leonid? [...] Confronted with the spectre of an Orange Revolution, Putin has two options. He can try to assuage the demonstrators with the vague promise of liberal reforms, or he can use the same lugubriously repressive KGB tactics that have served on previous occasions: black PR against key opposition figures; arrests; and the perennial libel that his enemies are traitorous western stooges and US-backed "fifth columnists". Putin appears inclined towards the second, more thuggish, option.

And if the new tenant of the Kremlin wants to avoid a revolution, writes the Westdeutsche Zeitung, he must learn to compromise and metamorphosise from a authoritarian ruler into a pragmatic leader. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev had criticised Putin's dilemma very aptly - 

If he does not get the better of himself and change the way he goes about things, this will end in the street. The international community ought to have some interest in seeing a Russian summer follow the Arab spring. Germany, in particular, depends on the country as a stable trading partner and supplier of raw materials. Up till now, we Germans have not had to worry about oil and gas deliveries. But do we have to face reality: the twilight of the Russian Tsar has begun.

On the same wavelength, Polish philosopher and historian of ideas Marcin Król notes in Wprost that - 

Europe – its middling political leaders, but its leaders of the past as well, who seem to have been political giants – has always wanted to see peace and tranquility prevail in Russia. That is why Putin is a perfect solution for Europe – something he is well aware of, and he is not afraid of internal opposition. In truth, Europe would support democratic development in Russia, provided that the process is peaceful, without bloodshed or turmoil in international relations. In other words, Europe would be happy to see power in Russia flow to forces that are truly democratic – but it will not lift a finger to see it happen.

That view is shared by former Moscow correspondent Arrigo Levi, who, writing in the Corriere della Sera, wonders “What must Europe do?” with Russia. Twenty years after the fall of the USSR it remains unclear if the Russians “have learned to make good use of their freedom”, to quote the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev - 

The hope that Russia would turn into a multi-party democracy overnight was perhaps a bit too optimistic [...]. It seems that the desire for reform shown so strongly in the capital of the country is not shared by the rest of this vast landmass. [...] But things being what they are, it is in the interest of Europe to maintain a stable relationship of peaceful coexistence and economic and political cooperation, whatever the conditions.

"The conditions under which Mr. Putin had to snatch back his seat in the Kremlin [...] have no doubt left a bitter taste in his mouth," writes Le Monde - 

In Moscow, he did not even win a majority of the votes. Contrary to appearances, Putin is no longer the master in his own house. For this victory he had to fight like never before. Russia has changed. The unprecedented protests that shook the capital and several major cities after the parliamentary elections of December 4 were marred by fraud reveals the awakening of a new class of citizens that the Kremlin leader will have to rely on. This new urban and informed middle class has, paradoxically, emerged and flourished under Putin. [...] If he wants [...] to modernise Russia, diversify its economy and make it a country that pulls some weight on the world stage [...] he should work with this rebellious middle class [and] show that, if Russia has changed, he too is capable of evolving.

More EU member state ambassadors are said to be leaving the Belarusian capital in a gesture of solidarity.

The Warsaw daily notes that -

By harassing the ambassadors, Alexander Lukashenko is trying to paralyze the diplomatic services of countries all too generous in issuing visas to his compatriots.

Meanwhile Rzeczpospolita insists that though "Mr Lukashenko has singled out Poland as “Number 1 enemy" and "tough diplomatic retorsion is a must", a moderate approach is nonetheless advised –

We don't know whether in a year or half Mr Lukashenko will again ask the EU for funds and assistance. If this happens, we must not renounce the demand for political prisoners to be freed, but let's not exaggerate by asking for full democratisation.

Slovenian veto strangely coincides with a recent major contract awarded to the Slovenian company Riko Group for the development of a luxury hotel in Minsk and energy facilities in Belarus.

Both contracts are worth some 150 million euros. On the Belarusian side, they have been signed by oligarch Yuri Chizh, considered President Alexander Lukashenko's "unofficial banker". He has long been expected to be put on the EU's black list of persona non grata, but each time the proposal was vetoed by one of the member states. Gazeta Wyborcza writes that -

Now Slovenia is prepared to ruin the EU's policy towards the Lukashenko regime for 150 million euros. The Minsk regime has to be delighted. And political prisoners have to understand that for the crisis-stricken Europe, business is more important than values and human rights.

Over the last two years, Europe has taken a number of crucial yet very difficult steps to address the mounting crisis. In Italy and across Europe, citizens are making painful sacrifices. European governments have come together to reform the architecture of the European Union. […] Our economic fortunes are inextricably linked, and our economic relationship with Europe is an important part of our efforts to create jobs and prosperity in the United States. The European Union is America’s single largest economic partner.

Nevertheless the president said European countries need to raise a “bigger firewall” to prevent the debt crisis to spread, and must “show their absolute commitment to the future of economic integration in Europe”.

Obama also stressed the importance of NATO ­– praising Italy’s decision to extend its commitment in Afghanistan beyond 2014 – and Europe’s role in the “Arab spring”, hoping it will help add pressure on Syria’s Bashar el Assad to resign. But if Washington is already mulling over military intervention, as disclosed by CNN, European countries still oppose it and count on a last-gasp diplomatic solution, La Stampa reports.

...reduce debt, reinforce control mechanisms and adopt a clear, frank and reliable position with regard to the rest of the world. […] The money China wants to invest in Europe should not be viewed as development aid but must be a successful investment. And in a best case scenario this means both from an economic and a political point of view.

From Germany’s point of view, China could play a key role with its 3.2 trillion dollars of foreign currency reserves. However, Frankfurter Rundschau points out that the People’s Republic will expect a gesture from Europe in return: for example –

EU recognition of China’s status as a market economy, which would make it more difficult for European companies to take action against unfair competition or price dumping.

As a result, Handelsblatt remarks: the Chancellor, who can claim to be the leader that the Chinese believe "has taken charge of the drive to restore the euro," had no opportunity to promote bi-lateral relations as she had planned, and will now have to wait for further meetings later in the year to extract promises from the Chinese Prime Minister.

It is by no means certain that Iran will not be able to make up for the loss of the European market elsewhere. That said the risk of further increases in oil prices is limited: the resumption of hydrocarbon production in Iraq and Libya should absorb most of the upward pressure at a time when the world economy is slowing down. However, doubts remain about the initiative’s potential to force Teheran to engage in meaningful talks about its nuclear ambitions. The mullahs’ regime has yet to reach a point where it has to choose between its survival and its military programme. But there is an urgent need for action. How else will it be possible to prevent the Israelis, who are convinced of the imminence of Iran’s nuclear capability, from launching military strikes? No doubt the oil embargo will be less effective than the secret war of assassinations and computer viruses. But it does have the merit of publicly demonstrating Europe’s determination to maintain pressure on Iran.

In terms of sanctions against Iran, the EU has played its final card, warns Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich:

It marks the final escalation in the effort which has been ongoing for close to ten years to resolve the conflict by peaceful means. If Iran remains unmoved, the only remaining means will be military ones. The EU and the United States, which has been backing severe sanctions for some time, run the risk that their efforts may come to nothing. But countries that want to prevent Iran from progressing towards nuclear capability have no alternative.

However, this view is contested by Britain’s former permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Peter Jenkins argues that Teheran should be allowed to enrich uranium – but with the toughest safeguards:

Now, the West is all but isolated in insisting that Iran must not enrich. Most non-Westerners would prefer to see Iran treated like other NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] parties: allowed to enrich uranium in return for intrusive monitoring by IAEA inspectors. My sympathies lie with the non-Westerners. My hunch is that this gathering crisis could be avoided by a deal along the following lines: Iran would accept top-notch IAEA safeguards in return for being allowed to continue enriching uranium. In addition, Iran would volunteer some confidence-building measures to show that it has no intention of making nuclear weapons. This, essentially, is the deal that Iran offered the UK, France and Germany in 2005. With hindsight, that offer should have been snapped up. It wasn’t, because our objective was to put a stop to all enrichment in Iran. That has remained the West’s aim ever since, despite countless Iranian reminders that they are unwilling to be treated as a second-class party to the NPT – with fewer rights than other signatories – and despite all the evidence that the Iranian character is more inclined to defiance than buckling under pressure.

But it is probably too late, argues Barcelona daily La Vanguardia: "Neither Brussels nor Washington have any confidence in Teheran’s insistence that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful civil purposes." That said:

… the economic impact of the measure is uncertain: it will largely depend on support from other countries, like China, Japan and India, which could all too easily absorb the production destined for the EU [20% of Iranian oil exports]. At the same time, the sanctions could have a boomerang effect that would damage the European economy. Experts expect an increase in the price of oil […], and it is the countries which have been worst affected by the economic crisis that depend the most on Iran; Spain is, after Greece, the country that will be hardest hit by the boycott.

Between Greek pressure to delay sanctions as much as possible and the position of the UK, France and Germany, that wanted an embargo to come into force no later than May, the strategy that was finally adopted looks like a half way agreement.

As Iran is Greece’s main oil supplier, El Mundo considers that the EU is seeking a "reasonable" moratorium to avoid this decision becoming "a double-edged weapon that could complicate the bad state of [the European] economy". El Mundo terms it an "unprecedented sanction" that will put a stop to the 450,000 barrels a day Iran exports to the EU (18% of its global exports):

The problem is that EU economic pressure may not be enough as long as Turkey and the main Asian commercial powers – China, Japan and South Korea – refuse to apply any kind of embargo or sanction. The same goes for Russia, where President Dimitri Medvedev has clearly stated to Union leaders that his country has no diplomatic problem with Iran.

Only two of the winners were there to receive their awards in Strasbourg: Lybian Ahmed al-Senussi, who spent 31 years in Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons, and Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz of the April 6 Youth movement. Among the other laureates, Syria’s Razan Zeitouneh, a human rights lawyer and blogger, is currently living in hiding, while Syrian political satirist Ali Farzat has sought refuge in Kuwait following an attack by supporters of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The fifth prize was posthumously attributed to Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation triggered the Tunisian uprising.

"For years, Europe turned a blind eye to the Arab dictatorships" and this year’s awards "symbolise a sense of culpability," argues the Spanish daily. But notwithstanding the European parliament’s condemnation of repression in Syria, "Brussels has yet to articulate a unified response to Assad," and "much remains to be done, if the EU is to respond in an adequate manner to the process of democracy in the Arab world."

Poles from the Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian provinces, in turn, will no longer need a Russian visa to go to the Kaliningrad Region to buy petrol, for example, much cheaper there than in Poland, rejoices Gazeta Wyborcza.

All this thanks to an agreement on small cross border movement which is to be signed in Moscow on December 14 by the foreign ministers of Russia and Poland. "Russian diplomacy can claim that this Moscow's first tangible success in relations with the EU. It's been years since Russia signed any deal with the EU [...] dialogue between us has so far been mainly ritual", a Polish diplomat told the Warsaw daily.

Meanwhile Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that the agreement would “herald completely visa-free movement between Russia and the EU".

Moldova, which aims to join the EU and wants to be included in the Eastern Partnership, is increasingly specialising in "events that never take place", remarks the daily. There have been several failed attempts to elect a president and a referendum to see if he should be elected directly by the people, which was invalidated by a low turnout… Nothing is working out. "Well done, politicians! When are we going to meet? We have some business to settle…", announces Timpul.

Ultimaco denies having delivered its products directly to Syrian Telecom. It confirms, however, that it did sell equipment to the Italian firm Area, which it has worked with for years, but that cooperation has now been suspended pending clarifications of the destination and legality of Area’s exports.

In late October, a member of Germany’s leftist party Die Linke questioned the German government over the export of information technology equipment to autocratic and dictatorial regimes, citing the example of Utimaco: “In many states, surveillance technology is a cornerstone of repression”, he declared, in calling for more stringent export controls.

China, it turns out, is at risk of an explosion of debt. In 2008 it initiated “a massive stimulus package equivalent to 440 billion euros that was meant to protect the country from the financial crisis triggered in the United States.” The catch: only 133 billion came from the state budget. The rest was loaned by banks, state enterprises and individuals. “Today, not just huge cities like Shanghai or Beijing but thousands of smaller cities and towns as well are deeply in debt to the state banks.”

China’s official newspaper China Daily affirms that “China cannot be Europe's saviour, nor be a cure-all for its ills, but it will do what it can to extend a helping hand as a friend. But friendship is a two-way street. China has already invested significant sums in European bonds and would like guarantees that its investment is safe.”

According to Le Temps, the major winners of the election are the new Democratic Bourgeois Party (PBD), a more low-key splinter group of the UDC, which picked up 9 seats, nine more than previously, in the National Council and the Vert'libéraux (Free market Greens), Green Party offshoot, won 12 seats, a nine seat gain. These parties "show a new centre emerging," says the paper, which is "certainly still weak in terms of seats but sufficient to create a new dynamic. Their weight will seriously complicate discussions for the renewal of the Federal Council [government] next December".

The Lisbon daily can reveal that the Portuguese state bank currently holds €1.3 billion of Libyan state assets deposited in four accounts frozen this March, after the international community clamped sanctions on the late Gaddafi’s regime. The first deposit occurred in 2008, after the Libyan leader closed his Swiss accounts in retaliation for his son's arrest and detention in the country.

For Gazeta Wyborcza editor in chief Adam Michnik, one of the leaders of Poland’s democratic opposition under communism – “Gaddafi’s death is not a cause for joy, but for reflection over the nature of the world that we live in, side by side with dictators. Gaddafi was thought to be indestructible, he blackmailed and humiliated the entire world, he also brought European governments to their knees. He believed in violence and lies but he miscalculated.” Michnik adds that Gaddafi’s death was a clear signal sent to the nations still living under tyranny that “dictatorships are not exempt from punishment, dictators are not immortal”.

The negotiations to free the journalists were led by the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt. But the minister, who was once on the board of directors of Lundin Oil, an oil firm with interests in Ethiopia, was highly criticised for his lack of commitment in favour of the two journalists. "Our Minister of Foreign Affairs, who talks a lot in general, is keeping a low profile," notes the Dagbladet, adding, "So what is the real meaning of all those Swedish speeches about human rights and all the tax payers' krona for aid to Ethiopia? If we are not ready to fight for freedom of the press and the life of Swedish journalists, in an open and aggressive manner, of what can we be proud?"

As Herman Van Rompuy has pointed out, Europe has now reached a point where it can’t finance its social model anymore. Worse still, its financial ills could lead to a domino effect, in which: “Greek banks collapse, then French banks collapse, then U.S. banks collapse” – a pessimistic vision shared by the Washington Post, which remarks that “kicking the can down the road” has been the only response to these problems thus far. However, the newspaper warns that “Europe’s day of reckoning on its financial crisis is at hand.” European governments will “need to find common ground, and fast, lest Ms. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy, and their colleagues, go down in history as the leaders who brought Europe, and the world, to the brink of economic disaster – and then over it.

For Gazeta Wyborcza, this is a clear sign that Ukraine has returned to the authoritarian rule. “Who called Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenka ‘Europe’s last dictator’? Optimists. A new one is being born in Ukraine, only seven years after the colourful and peaceful revolution cheered the world”, notes the Warsaw daily’s leader, alluding to the Orange Revolution which triggered democratic change in Ukraine and pitted Tymoshenko against Yanukovych.

Konstantin Bondarenko, head of the Institute for Ukrainian Politics in Kiev speculates in Rzeczpospolita that Tymoshenko may be released from jail if the Kiev parliament passes proposed amendments to the criminal code decriminalizing the articles under which the former PM was convicted.

This verdict – harshly criticised across Europe – could be a major obstacle to the signature and ratification of the association and free-trade agreement which Brussels and Kiev had hoped to sign by the end of the year. According to the Guardian, “with Ukraine co-hosting Euro 2012, former prime minister Tymoshenko's jail sentence leaves Kiev prone to EU pressure”.

On Monday the court of appeal overturned the verdict for lack of evidence, sparking the public's angry reaction. Pressure on judges was high, outlines Corriere: "Never before has the media aspect so far surpassed the judiciary. And the case had become an international one. The British media had sided with the victim, nicknaming beautiful Amanda ‘Foxy Knoxy’, just to emphasize her elusive slyness. The American media, however, were all for her. [...] To counter the Italian and British media, the Knox family got help from press office to send out to the U.S. one image of an American girl as a victim of injustice."

The case had even drawn the attention of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who had pledged full diplomatic support to the Knox family. The US department of state immediately expressed its satisfaction at the court's decision. Only one person has been so far convicted for the murder of Kercher – Ivorian born Rudy Guede, a small time drug dealer and drifter, sentenced to 30 years in 2008.

The ongoing trial of former Ukraine PM Yulia Tymoshenko charges of abuse of power nevertheless continues to cloud the horizon. According to Gazeta Wyborcza President Viktor Yanukovych has “promised a conciliatory solution” on what observers believe is a personal vendetta against his long time rival. Meanwhile, Belarus refused to attend, after the summit issued a declaration condemning human rights violations in the country. In a surprise development, Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, unveiled an offer $9 billion [€6.73bn] in development aid to Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime if it frees political prisoners and holds democratic elections.

For Svenska Dagbladet, the summit failed to urge these Eastern Europe states towards reform in exchange for the prospect of EU membership. The Swedish daily argues that the union should “directly target” the citizens of such states with cheaper and less complicated visas, as well as support for civil society. “This is what could contribute to creating pressure for change from below."

For another Polish paper, Rzeczpospolita, the summit was of “little significance for Europe”. Most European countries “such as Belarus, Azerbaijan or Moldova are as distant from the Old Continent – mentally rather than geographically – as Bangladesh or Guyana”, it laments.