The nomination of a Nazi-era judge to the German federal assembly has drawn criticism from the country's press, although one paper suspects more than righteous wrath behind the objections.

In the Czech Republic, a government U-turn over a decision to sell radars to China causes concern.

And the Spanish press looks ahead to Saturday's royal wedding.

'Nazi seething'

The nomination of former Nazi-era naval judge Hans Filbinger to the special federal assembly which will elect Germany's next president on 23 May is "unpardonable", Berliner Zeitung says.

The paper accuses the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - the party sending Mr Filbinger as one of its delegates to the assembly - of giving in to "Nazi seething".

Is it really necessary to have the president elected by somebody who did not refuse to obey Hitler? Berliner Zeitung

Mr Filbinger had to resign from his position as prime minister of the southern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in 1978 over revelations that he had ordered the execution of deserters from the German army until just before the end of World War II.

"Is it really necessary to have the first president of the 21st century elected by somebody who, to put it mildly, did not refuse to obey Hitler?" the paper asks.

Die Welt agrees that the wisdom of Mr Filbinger's nomination is "debatable", but goes on to dismiss the objections of the governing coalition of Greens and Social Democrats as a tactical manoeuvre.

The CDU candidate for the German presidency, Horst Koehler, is expected to triumph thanks to the majority that the CDU and its Free Democratic Party (FDP) allies have in the federal assembly.

"It is a last attempt to deal the CDU and the FDP a heavy blow and, as a result, to secure their own power for a little bit longer," the paper says.

Arms monitoring

In the Czech Republic, a government decision to cancel the sale of radars to China despite issuing licences to do so earlier in the year attracts considerable comment.

Pravo scorns the "rather undignified" decision to cancel the sales, which it says was made "under US pressure".

Although all states are equal in the eyes of the UN, this shows that the US, as well as other powers, are rather more equal than others Pravo

"It is almost funny to see a country with free trade as its slogan preventing us from trading freely," the paper says.

"Despite the fact that all states are equal in the eyes of the UN, this shows that the US, as well as other powers, are rather more equal than others," it complains.

But Lidove Noviny believes the initial decision to grant the export license shows "there is something wrong" with the Czech system of monitoring the arms trade.

What sense does it make to supply such goods to a superpower which is unreliable? Hospodarske Noviny

Hospodarske Noviny agrees, asking why the initial go-ahead for the deal was given.

"What sense does it make to supply such goods to a superpower which is not an enemy, but which is unreliable?" the paper asks.

It adds that the official reasons for issuing and then withdrawing the export licence "are not clear and thus not convincing", and says that the prime minister and entire government are responsible for "the political and material damage" caused by the affair.

Royal wedding

The Spanish press takes a keen interest in Saturday's royal wedding between Prince Felipe and former newsreader Letizia Ortiz, the first royal wedding in Madrid for 100 years.

El Mundo reports that security is tight, following the tragic events of 11 March in Madrid, and that mine sweeping units are "combing" the royal wedding route through the capital.

La Razon predicts that "a billion people will watch the wedding on TV" but laments what it calls the "unacceptable absence" of the majority of Latin American leaders.

And El Pais sees the wedding as the perfect "catalyst" to launch Madrid's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, "above all", it says, "to face the challenge of converting our capital into a major economic and cultural point of reference in Europe".