Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has released 123 political prisoners. Among those pardoned were civil rights activist Maria Kolesnikova, former presidential candidate Viktor Babaryko and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Beliatski. The freed prisoners were taken out of the country and are not allowed to return. The move comes after the US announced it was lifting its sanctions on the Belarusian potash industry.
Berlin is currently the main venue of the West's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky's talks with US negotiators at the Chancellery in the German capital will resume today. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited European, EU and NATO leaders to attend a meeting this evening. Europe's press takes a closer look.
Following mass protests against the draft budget and corruption, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his entire government have resigned. "We hear the voices of the people who are protesting against the government," said Zhelyazkov, who formed a minority multi-party coalition government last January. The options now: an attempt to form a new government or snap elections.
"Captured Justice", a documentary by the investigative news platform Recorder, has sparked major controversy in Romania. Garnering millions of clicks on YouTube, the Youtube video shows how judicial proceedings have been delayed and prosecutors and judges stonewalled in numerous corruption cases. Angry citizens have been demonstrating in Bucharest and other cities since Wednesday.
In response to US President Donald Trump's comment that it was time for elections in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the country is ready to hold elections if the United States and Europe can guarantee its security. Commentators examine the prospects for a fair vote – and see the ball in Trump's court now.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated again after the US military seized the fully loaded oil tanker Skipper off the coast of the South American country on Wednesday. Washington said the Venezuelan tanker was being used illegally to transport "sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran". The regime of Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of committing an act of "international piracy".
Greece's finance minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, has been elected as the new head of the Eurogroup for the next two and a half years. This informal council of economic and finance ministers from the 20 countries of the Eurozone meets once a month to coordinate economic and financial policy. The Greek press sees the nomination as a major success.
In Lithuania, proposed amendments to the laws governing public broadcaster LRT have sparked major concerns about press freedom. Introduced in parliament by the right-wing populist ruling party Nemuno Aušra, the amendments aim, among other things, to ease the dismissal of LRT's Director General. Critics warn that this could weaken the broadcaster's editorial independence and facilitate political interference.
Donald Trump has reiterated the criticism of Europe recently expressed in the US National Security Strategy. In an interview with Politico, he said that Europe's top politicians were too "weak" and too "politically correct", and that their efforts to control migration and end the war in Ukraine had failed. European commentators make suggestions as to how the bloc should position itself.
In the battle over the 2026 budget, the French government under Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has taken a major step forward: thanks to a compromise with the Socialists and despite abstentions within its own camp, the National Assembly has passed the 'social security budget', which makes up the bulk of the overall budget, by a narrow majority. Europe's press nonetheless warns that not all hurdles have been cleared yet.
At an informal meeting of Council of Europe ministers, steps were taken that could lead to changes in the migration provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was adopted in 1950. Initially proposed by Denmark and Italy, the "recalibration" aims to give states more leeway on border controls, deportations and measures against human smuggling.
So far, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have announced that they are boycotting the 70th European Song Contest in Vienna. The cause of contention for the broadcasters is Israel's participation, as the country faces criticism for its actions in the Gaza war. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided last week that all member broadcasters wishing to do so may take part in the competition.