After Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost his majority in the German Bundestag with the collapse of the coalition government, early elections have been called for 23 February. The rise of the right-wing populist AfD and economic policy are the main themes in election campaign. The media take a critical look at the parties' economic agendas and reform proposals: will they be able to convince voters?

Spain is commemorating its transition from dictatorship to democracy after the death of General Francisco Franco in November 1975 under the motto "Spain in freedom: 50 years". Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday launched a series of events that will take place over the next few months. A glance at the opinion sections shows that even after all this time the topic is still controversial.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he is stepping down as leader of his Liberal Party. He will also resign as prime minister as soon as a successor is found, Trudeau said on Monday. Once hailed by many Canadians as a beacon of hope, Trudeau, who has been in office since 2015, has increasingly come under fire recently, in particular over his economic policy.

Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on the weekend. The two politicians seemed to be on very good terms. There are reports that they discussed the possibility of a major contract between the Italian government and Trump's close confidant Elon Musk over dinner. The press takes a critical stance.

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked the leader of the right-wing populist FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, with forming a government and starting coalition talks with the conservative ÖVP. The head of state said that he had not taken this step lightly and would ensure that the principles of the constitution are respected. Commentators discuss the ramifications.

Ten years after the Islamist terrorist attacks on the editorial offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the Jewish supermarket Hyper Cacher, Paris is commemorating the 17 victims. The press discusses whether French society and the political class would react with the same solidarity today as they did in 2015 - and to what extent biting satire is still tolerated.