The European summit has been widely covered by the European press. The Irish Times has got some nice images which illustrate the many issues being played out in Europe at the moment, and the French and UK press are mulling over their countries’ relationships with Germany.


The Irish Times (Ireland)
All the cameras are on Brian Cowen, the Irish taoiseach, who is faced with the challenge of pushing through the Lisbon treaty. A photo of Silvio Berlusconi and Costas Karamanlis looks like the Italian prime minister, who faces a general strike in his country today, is giving a massage to the Greek, who still has trouble rumbling at home after a week of riots. Angela Merkel, in one photo, looks to the sky, as if for guidance. As the Irish Times says, tensions between Germany, Britain and France are bubbling under the surface.


Le Parisien (France)
Sarkozy-Merkel, drôle de couple (Sarkozy and Merkel, strange bedfellows)
Le Parisien highlights the clash between Sarkozy and Merkel, contrasting their personalities and agendas. The French papers are also commenting on how Sarkozy, during France’s presidency of the EU, has tended to look to Britain rather than secure a more traditional alliance with Germany.


The Times (UK)
Cold War takes gloss off Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency
"The hyperactive French president is convinced that he has galvanised Europe with deft handling of the credit crunch and other crises during his six-month EU presidency," writes Charles Bremner for the Times. "The satisfaction in Paris is barely dimmed by the most glaring failure of France's presidency: Mr Sarkozy's cold war with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor."


The Independent (UK)
Germans turn the screw on Brown
Britain’s relationship with Germany is also in question, after Peer Steinbrueck, the German finance minister, criticised British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s response to the financial crisis.

Postal workers are forced to speed-walk, says union
British letter deliverers have been told to do their rounds more quickly to save the Royal Mail money. Unions complain that postal workers have been told to walk at 4 miles per hour rather than the current average of 2.4 miles per hour. Some staff have said they’d be breaking out into a jog in order to achieve the company targets.


Daily Express (UK)
Woolies has busiest day ever
A dramatic indicator of the downturn in the UK economy covered in the British press is the closure of Woolworths stores. Woolworths' closing-down sales have attracted huge crowds. The company has been a presence on Britain’s high streets for 99 years. 30,000 staff face losing their jobs.