EU Journalists speak out on the top stories from Czech President Klaus's refusal to sign Lisbon, to Tony Blair's 'presidential bid' for Europe, as well as taking time to reflect on the Berlin Wall's anniversary.

Press Corner: Europe's past and future under the spotlight

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15156615/D003-0001-EN.srt

Hello, and welcome to EuroparlTV   for this edition of Press Talk.

I have three guests with me to discuss   this month's European news.

You're a journalist with   the Spanish press agency, Aquí Europa.

Hello too to Geoff Meade   from the Press Association

If you don't yet know it   you must be living as a hermit,

but on 9 November Europe celebrates   the 20th anniversary

All or nearly all the European media, from   Rome to Sofia, from London to Warsaw,

have carried reports and analysis   over recent weeks and are still doing so.

Of course, many witnesses   have left us since 1989.

I want to mention what Libération   and ARTE have done in France.

They invited one of the most famous   Polish figures from that period to Lyon -

General Jaruzelski, as you can see,   with his famous dark glasses.

in the debate on the imposition   of martial law in 1981.

He said he did it   in order to avoid Soviet intervention.

I must add that Jaruzelski is still being   pursued in the Polish justice system

A question for my guests - does   Jaruzelski mean anything to you today?

I heard about him when I was studying   for my Master's in European Studies.

Yes, he was an important figure   from that period.

Geoff, did Jaruzelski come to the UK   as well and make a statement?

I don't think he's well known in the UK.

What have you picked up   over the last three weeks to a month?

Has there been a lot of talk or not much   talk about the fall of the Wall?

Yes, there have been a lot of things   in the media, a lot of comment,

but I think it has been quite superficial.

That night I phoned my office in the UK   to say I was of course leaving for Berlin

and they said, "No, you must go to Paris."

I said, "But I'm European correspondent   and Berlin is at the centre of events."

Because there was an emergency   summit of European heads of state.

So I went to Paris that night because...

The heads of state were meeting.   - Yes, immediately.

It was a French Presidency   of the European Union.

because I was in Paris and not Berlin,   but there you go.

Stefan, you've written about   the fall of the Wall.

but I remember the night very well   because it was my 23rd birthday,

I think that for everyone   who grew up in the Cold War

Mr Jaruzelski was a major figure -   you mentioned his dark glasses.

I'm surprised to see him looking   so well now. That's interesting.

For your information,   in the debate Jaruzelski said:

"I'm a poor politician, I'm a poor diplomat,

but on the other hand   I think I was a good soldier."

I'll continue the press review   with this question.

What will not change the world, but it has   still kept Europeans busy for eight years?

endless, with perhaps a treaty at the end.   The Lisbon Treaty.

The media have of course   been talking about this event,

in particular since the yes vote in Ireland.

The question is now, what is the Czech   President Václav Klaus going to do.

I saw this quotation in the Czech press   which took me aback somewhat.

"If Václav Klaus allows things to drag on,

we will force him to adopt the Treaty."   The Czech Republic is under pressure.

I think it's right for the Czech government   and the Czech parliamentarians

to want their President to stop having   a somewhat irresponsible attitude

What I find particularly irresponsible   is that Mr Klaus has waited so long

to make a concrete demand in relation   to the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

He was against it from the beginning   but he waited until very late.

I'm sure that now Klaus will sign   before the end of November.

Stefan, are you too convinced   that the pressure has worked?

Yes, it seems to have worked. We've   been looking at the Czech constitution.

I think everyone wonders   whether he's allowed to do this

if the Parliament and government   have already ratified it.

We thought that the President   was a somewhat symbolic figure,

that if everyone wanted him to do so,   he had an obligation to sign,

and clearly he hasn't done it.   That's interesting.

The betting is open and Europe could be   making the bookmakers very happy

with the question of who will be   the President of the European Council -

one of the new posts that will be created   under the Lisbon Treaty.

People have talked a lot about Tony Blair   over recent weeks

and in the Financial Times Alex Barker   reports the views of David Miliband,

saying that Blair is one of the few people   qualified for the job

The British Conservative, William Hague,   let rip in the press.

He said that Blair will be President of the   European Council "over my dead body".