Numerous countries in Europe have sinking birthrates. In Sweden, for example, where the average was 1.43 children per woman in 2024, it is lower than ever. The government has set up a public inquiry to look into the causes. Commentators also are debating the reasons and fundamental questions about the demographic situation.

In the trade dispute between the US and the EU, President Donald Trump has delayed the introduction of higher tariffs from 9 July to 1 August. A spokesperson for EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that negotiations on a tariff deal were "entering the final phase". Numerous other countries have already received letters from Trump announcing tariffs of 25 to 40 percent on their export goods as of August.

Russia's Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was fired from his post on Monday without explanation. A few hours later he was found shot dead in his car. Investigations into his death are still underway but the authorities are treating it as suicide. Commentators link the incident with the incursion of Ukrainian troops into Russia's Kursk region in 2024, where Starovoit had been governor since 2019.

Poland introduced random checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania on Monday, in a bid to curb irregular migration. Vehicles with several occupants will be the main target. However, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has declared his willingness to waive the checks if Germany lifts its new border controls. Commentators debate the motives and consequences.

At its summit in Rio de Janeiro, BRICS states condemned the military attacks on its member state Iran and the war in Gaza. Brazil's President and host, Lula da Silva, also criticised Nato's armament plans, spoke of "false priorities" and demanded more engagement in development aid. Commentators debate the relevance of the alliance.

Elon Musk has announced he is forming a new political party. The tech entrepreneur was a presidential adviser in the initial months of Trumps’s second tenure and head of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Then the two fell out over Musk's criticism of a recently approved tax bill. Europe's press assesses the potential impact of Musk's America Party on the mid-term elections in November 2026.