Romania has a new head of state. Ilie Bolojan has taken over as interim president until new elections take place in May. Klaus Iohannis resigned from the post on Monday. He was already due to leave office after the presidential elections at the end of last year, but then they were annulled. Prior to becoming president of the Senate in December, the liberal-conservative Bolojan had only been active as a local politician. The country's media don't see this as a disadvantage.

The AI summit in Paris has ended with the announcement of billions in investments, but without a final declaration from all participating states. While US Vice President JD Vance warned against "excessive regulation", French President Emmanuel Macron called for a "framework of trust" that guarantees privacy and intellectual property rights. Commentators examine the emerging lines of conflict.

US President Donald Trump has announced that tariffs of 25 percent will apply for all imports of steel and aluminium as of 4 March. This means that for the first time Europe will also be affected by Trump's new tariff policy - both as an exporter and as a result of third countries shifting their exports to the European market. The media discuss the consequences and possible countermeasures.

A long-prepared and technically complicated step took place without a hitch on the weekend: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania severed their last remaining connection with the post-Soviet electricity system, known as the Brell ring, on Saturday, and synchronised their electricity grids with the rest of Europe. Commentators hail the switch as a historic step but also point to the challenges it poses.

Two weeks before Germany's Bundestag elections take place, the chancellor candidate of the ruling SPD, Olaf Scholz, and the CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz have faced off in a prime-time TV debate. There were no fierce verbal attacks but the audience share was high at more than 40 percent. Commentators' assessments of the debate vary widely.

US President Donald Trump stated in an interview that he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. The time of the phone call between the two leaders remained unclear. The Kremlin would neither confirm nor deny that it took place. Commentators examine the situation and express both scepticism and cautious hope.