Armenia's ruling party Civil Contract has won the parliamentary election, securing just under 50 percent of the vote and an absolute majority of seats. Party leader Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been in power since 2018, sees this as a clear mandate to continue the country's pro-Western course. All the other parties that will form the opposition in parliament advocate a more pro-Russian course. Europe's press discusses the sharp divide.
Last Sunday marked the 100th day of the US and Israel's war against Iran. While the initially fierce military confrontations in the Persian Gulf have subsided and the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has become the central issue, Lebanon is now at the centre of events due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has been in office for one month now. In that time he has made numerous official visits abroad, set a new course in international policy and met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others. Commentators look at the progress and the obstacles.
Following the new government in Budapest's decision to end Hungary's long-standing blockade, the path is clear for EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova to begin. Negotiations with the Western Balkan countries may also gain momentum in line with the demands of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Montenegro. Europe's press anticipates a long and laborious process.
At their meeting in London, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire and to enter into negotiations to bring the war to an end. In a shared declaration Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelensky called for the 'active' involvement of Europe and the US in peace talks.
In Albania, sweeping and at times violent protests have repeatedly broken out against plans to build a vast luxury tourist resort on the coast. According to the plans it would be located in protected areas on the Narta Lagoon and the offshore island of Sazan. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is involved in the project which, the government stresses, has yet to be approved.
Pope Leo XIV began a week-long visit to Spain on Saturday. More than a million people attended his Corpus Christi mass in Madrid on Sunday, during which he called for greater commitment to justice and solidarity among peoples. Commentators in the national press discuss what role the Church and its head can play in today's world.
Germany's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2027 and 2028 has failed. In the secret ballot held in the General Assembly, Portugal and Austria secured the necessary two-thirds majorities with 134 and 131 votes respectively while only 104 states voted in favour of Germany's bid, which is customarily submitted every eight years. The media examine the reasons for this defeat.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed direct, face-to-face talks to end the war to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an open letter published online he said that the meeting should take place in a neutral third country such as Switzerland, for example. President Putin has said he would agree to a deal based on his talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
The far-right party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), a junior partner in the Czech coalition government led by Czech parliamentary speaker Tomio Okamura, has been fined by a Prague court for displaying election posters deemed to incite hatred. The judge ruled that the posters had stirred up hatred against refugees. Commentators debate the pros and cons of the judgement.
The French-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi has died in Paris at the age of 56. She gained global renown for her autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis. In 2025 she was offered France's highest award, the Legion of Honour, but refused it. Satrapi was highly critical of France's refusal to grant visas to young Iranian dissidents and artists. The press pays tribute to the artist and her work.