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EU leaders round on Russia for recognising Georgian regions
EU leaders have roundly condemned Russia’s recognition of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, reports Deutsche Welle.
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree Tuesday recognising the two regions as independent, which a statement from the French EU presidency called “contrary to the principles of Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The European commission released a statement supporting the French presidency,saying, "The European Commission fully shares and supports the CouncilPresidency's statement, strongly condemning the decision by the Russianauthorities to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and SouthOssetia."
El País says that Tbilisi has reacted angrily to the Russian move, which it called a “shameless annexation”.
The paper goes on to say that Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili held an emergency meeting of his security council on Tuesday night, using the occasion to call for the rapid accession of his country into Nato and the EU.
According to the FT, Russia’s actions are more likely to unite than divide EU member states when they meet for an emergency summit on 1 September.
The paper says the summit is likely to see the EU shelve all talks on a new partnership agreement with Moscow, while France and Germany are unlikely to press for Georgian and Ukrainian membership of Nato, a move the Bush administration supports.
The IHT says Medvedev used a television interview on Tuesday to imply that the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia was some sort of “payback” for the west’s hand in Kosovo’s secession from traditional Russian ally Serbia last February.
The paper quotes him: “There was a special situation in Kosovo, there is a special situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”
And The Guardian says Britain has called for a European coalition to counter Russian "aggression". The paper also quotes Medvedev as saying that if his country's decision leads to a new cold war, then so be it.
EU demographic shift to cause problems for pensions and welfare
Britain will overtake Germany and France to become the biggest country in the EU in 50 years' time, according to population projections unveiled yesterday, reports the Guardian.
It says a survey of demographic trends finds Britain's positive birth rate contrasting strongly with most other large countries in Europe.
The report says the impact of population shrinkage, coupled with the ageing of key European societies, spells big problems for pensions, health and welfare systems across much of the union.
The report was published by Eurostat, the statistical service of the European commission.
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Paris mayor in Socialist party leadership bid
The Guardian reports on Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë’s announcement on tuesday that he will contest the leadership of France’s embattled Socialist party.
The paper adds that Delanoë, one of France’s first openly gay politicians, has been encouraged to enter the race to replace François Hollande by opinion polls giving him a strong lead over rival Ségolène Royal.
The International Herald Tribune says that that Delanoë is seen by many socialists as the best chance of breathing new life into the embattled party.
La Tribune quotes Hollande as saying, "Before choosing a candidate for the leadership, we must define a direction, a strategy and a work programme which will constitute the central core of the Socialist Party."
Socialist Party members are due to choose a new leader in November.
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Vespa falls foul of EU emissions laws
The last Vespa PX, with its distinctive waspish engine, came off the production line this weekend, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Italian company Piaggio said that tighter emissions legislation sounded the death-knell on the 30-year-old manually geared bike – and that all models would now be automatic.
The 125cc model became a must-have in the Mod revival of 1970s Britain, following from the obsession with the Italian scooter in the Mod scene of the 1960s.
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New low for German economy weakens euro
German consumer confidence hit a new low yesterday, helping to push the euro down to a six-month low against the dollar, reports the Guardian.
Germany’s Ifo institute for economic research said in a report that its business climate index had fallen further than expected in August to its lowest level since February 2006, while future expectations are at their lowest level since February 1993.
The findings will add to fears that the largest economy in the EU is sliding into a deep recession.
