Die Zeit 28.12.2006

The former chess champion and opposition politician Garry Kasparov analyses his opponent Vladimir Putin in a conversation with Anita Blasberg. "He is extremely clever at dividing people in his own interests. He has understood how to capitalise on the differences between Germany, France and America. He has many weak spots. But his greatest problem is the 2008 elections. The approach of the elections is what is rocking the system at the moment. In totalitarian systems, calm reigns as long as everyone knows the boss is there – when his fall is pending, unrest ensues. The system is in danger of collapsing."


Die Welt 28.12.2006

Ukrainian author Yuri Andrukhovych is out to counter the bureaucratic EU with an anarchistic European unification project, one reason being that he suspects France and Germany of not wanting to include Ukraine. "One is left to assume that the EU, a bureaucratic entity far removed from European idealism, would be ideally suited for a country as backward and isolated as Ukraine. More that ideally suited. A Ukraine like this represents an optimal solution for those in charge at the EU. The country is the embodiment of one of the conditions for 'stability in the EU' – in demographic and cultural terms and naturally also with respect to energy resources. This is nothing other that the legacy of archaic thinking in imperial categories, in 'spheres of interest' and 'buffer zones', an imperial solidarity of the big fish with their partner Russia." Read our feature "Europe – my neurosis" by Yuri Andrukhovych


Frankfurter Rundschau 28.12.2006

"On the path to Europe we are like a dog pulling a tin can along behind it. The rattling will be heard for some time to come," Romanian writer Mircea Dinescu explains to Michael Kluth about the EU accession of his country on January 1, 2007. "Sadly Romanian democracy continues to be singularly lacking in originality. We wanted to copy the Swedish model, or rather former president Ion Iliescu wanted to copy it. That backfired just as it does in school when you have to copy from someone else under the desk because you haven’t done your homework. What emerged was a Swedish model with Chinese origins. There was no school of democracy. Fifty years of communism did away with the great role models of Romanian democracy. Some ended in prison, the others died on their release. The Romanians are copying democracy just as they copied communism. Now we are entering the EU and things have been getting better. But – although at last some of the Securitate files are accessible to the public – democracy will continue to be undermined as long as we still don't know which high-ranking politicians used to work for the Securitate."


Die Tageszeitung 28.12.2006

In the weltanschauung conflict, the state has no business interfering, opines legal philosopher Felix Ekardt. Which is why, he says, it is impossible to impose an outright ban on religious symbols in public space. "Firstly this is an unnecessary restriction on personal freedoms and it would severely impair the free development of and free exchange between citizens. And secondly, we all have and show some sort of weltanschauung all the time. Even wearing leisure clothes or jogging suits at the bakery is the expression of a personal ideal of happiness."


Süddeutsche Zeitung 28.12.2006

"This is the scourge of a life designed down to the last detail," sighs Till Briegleb after looking at the designs for Hamburg's new HafenCity which were published yesterday. "The promotional material shows smiling, well-dressed people strolling along sunny boulevards and promenades, in cafes, out shopping, a world free of depression, poverty, dirt, rain and decay, and full of marinas, shrimps, media company facades and happy children instead. And looming in the background of this Brave New World is always the Herzog & de Meuron Elbphilharmonie, the building intended as the answer to Sydney’s opera house and which has been given the go-ahead despite its 240 million euro price tag. And there has been precious little grumbling because everyone sees that the HafenCity could never be marketed without its poster building. Basically though, this new area has little to distinguish it from similar enterprises all round the world."