The negotiations between Israel and the radical Islamic organisation Hamas are apparently making progress. According to the British Foreign Office, Israel has made an offer of a 40-day ceasefire in return for the release of Israeli hostages. Commentators discuss whether the impending offensive in Rafah can still be prevented.
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his resignation on Monday - just over a year after taking office. He was facing a vote of no confidence in the Scottish parliament after his Scottish National Party (SNP) terminated its power sharing deal with the Scottish Greens over a dispute about climate targets. The press blames Yousaf and his SNP for the government's collapse.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will not be stepping down. After suspending his official duties last week he announced on Monday that he would continue as head of government "with more energy if possible". Sanchez had said he was considering resigning after the right-wing organisation Manos Limpias filed a lawsuit accusing his wife, Begoña Gómez, of corruption. Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets over the weekend calling on him to remain in office.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has called for his country to pay reparations to its former colonies, for example by cancelling their debts. Of all the colonial powers, Portugal is the European country with the longest involvement in the slave trade. The topic is sensitive, as a glance at the commentaries shows.
In Italy, an appearance by author Antonio Scurati on the public broadcaster RAI has been cancelled at short notice. Scurati was due to read a text on the anniversary of Italy's liberation from fascism on 25 April in which he accuses Giorgia Meloni of failing to distance herself from her "post-fascist past". Commentators see the incident as symptomatic of deeper problems.
The Slovakian government under Prime Minister Robert Fico is planning to dissolve the public broadcaster RTVS as announced, and launch a new media organisation under the name STVR. The reform will be presented to parliament for approval in the summer. Critics accuse the government of wanting to create a propaganda channel.
Anger over the humanitarian disaster caused by the Gaza war has caused the protests at several US universities to escalate, with a few anti-Semitic incidents also being reported. At New York's renowned Columbia University, police arrested more than a hundred people. Teaching has been restricted to online lectures. Europe's press looks behind the scenes and draws historical comparisons.
Seven years after his Sorbonne speech of 2017 and five years after publishing his ideas for a European renaissance ahead of the 2019 EU elections, Emmanuel Macron delivered another impassioned speech at the Parisian university on Thursday. "Europe could die" if it fails to implement key security and economic policy decisions, he warned. Commentators take stock.
From 6 to 9 June, the citizens of the EU will elect a new European Parliament. "The world's only directly elected transnational assembly", as the official information on the election states, will then pass laws that affect "all areas of life" in the EU. Europe's press is well aware of the significance of the elections, as a glance at the opinion sections shows.
In an interview with Fakt, Poland's President Andrzej Duda said the country was ready to host the nuclear weapons of Nato partners to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank against Russia. Although the idea had apparently not been previously coordinated with the government, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed his willingness to discuss it with Duda. The Polish press takes a critical stance.