România libera, Bucharest – We have freedom of movement, freedom of information and freedom of speech, but we are prisoners of a disdain for our language and culture, which is feeding illiteracy, complains a Romanian historian and writer. See more.
European foreign ministries were at boiling point in the wake of the speech by the British Prime Minister. In Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if the United Kingdom wished to leave Europe, France would roll out a red carpet to British businessmen. His German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, took the view that a “cherry-picking policy“ is not workable.
In the wake of the referendum announced on January 23 by David Cameron, Britain’s possible exit from the European Union could put an end to Swedish nationals’ access to the British labour market.
Announcing a referendum on the UK’s EU membership, British Prime Minister David Cameron promotes an outdated belief that you can separate economic from political integration, says GW.
This vision says “yes to free trade and the single market” and „even to closer cooperation on international policy (however with strong NATO participation). But it puts a big question mark over cooperation in the sphere of security and justice,” notes the Warsaw daily.
“There is nothing inevitable about Britain’s departure from the EU. Yet history could well record that David Cameron has set the nation on this course”, [writes *Financial Times* columnist Philip Stephens](http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a0253242-6545-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a.html#axzz2Ib4v6LEZ) after the British PM spoke in London on January 23.
“Britain will get EU referendum”, headlines the *Daily Express* claiming a front page victory for its campaign to hold the vote. [Columnist Patrick O'Flynn observes](http://www.express.co.uk/ourcomments/view/372653) Cameron announced his intention to lead a pro-European vote, before knowing what concessions he can negotiate. He continues –
This decision to put EU membership to the people is “a high risk but ballsy call”, [writes *The Sun’s* political editor](http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4758144/In-or-Out-its-YOUR-shout.html), Tom Newton Dunn, comparing the move to putting “a loaded gun to EU leaders' heads and saying: give Britain back what it wants or we may walk.” Describing the PM’s forthcoming negotiations as “a poker game with Brussels of intense bluff, and for the highest stakes” he adds that –
[For the BBC’s political correspondent](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21148282), Iain Watson, the in-out referendum decision will delight the many Eurosceptics in Cameron’s party and unite the Conservatives ahead of the 2015 election, but the renegotiation process may ultimately trigger future splits.
[*The Economist’s* “*Blighty*” blog notes](http://www.economist.com/blogs/blighty/2013/01/britains-drift-europe) that any renegotiation of the UK’s membership terms will be “minor and will carry a hefty diplomatic price tag.”
James Kirkup, deputy political editor at [*The Daily Telegraph*, says](http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jameskirkup/100199618/david-cameron-wants-to-save-the-eu-from-itself-will-it-save-him-from-his-party/) Cameron’s speech pushed the focus of the European project back on an economic and market-based principle, which may be welcomed by the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland. However, others “will not react well to what will strike them as an attempt at blackmail by a leader too politically weak to resist his own party.” He adds –
Tygodnik Powszechny , Cracow – Modern and productive, the Tychy factory was once Fiat’s flagship site, but in the face of the debt crisis, the Italian automaker has decided to bring production of the popular Panda back to Naples. For the Polish workforce, this means a wave of redundancies in late January, and disillusionment is the order of the day. See more.
In 2012, more than 4,000 people from Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Ireland applied for residency permits in Sweden.
According to the Swedish immigration service, this figure has doubled since 2010 as a result of the European economic crisis.
The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty was celebrated in an atmosphere worthy of a 1980s romantic comedy, jokes the compact edition of Die Welt. On January 22, François Hollande and Angela Merkel put paid to suspicions that Franco-German friendship was in crisis.
The President and the Chancellor are on intimate terms, and the German leader has once again voiced her support for French intervention in Mali. However, the daily underlines, that the “unique selling point” of the Franco-German axis “appears increasingly weak”.
“Since 2005, the world’s 100 biggest multinationals have set up hundreds of tax structures in the Netherlands,” reports Volkskrant. The daily has studied the annual reports of corporations like Google, IBM and ENI to evaluate the tax breaks they have obtained through the use of Dutch shell companies.
Conclusion: In 2011, these multinationals routed €57bn through the Netherlands without paying very much tax. On January 23, the Secretary of State for Finance will be questioned by the second house of the Dutch parliament about the use of „tax routes“.
On January 22, European finance ministers gave their approval for the launch of a „Tobin tax“ by 11 of Europe’s member states, including Germany, France and Italy. The United Kingdom and Luxembourg will notably not be taking part.
Following the approval granted by the European Commission in October and the European Parliament’s endorsement in November, the decision is the ultimate green light for EU states to establish the measure. However, the precise details of the tax have yet to be determined.