Romania has been embroiled in a government crisis since May. Now the latest attempt to form a governing coalition has also failed, with Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan receiving only 182 of the 233 required votes. The Social Democrats (PSD) refused to support him and the right-wing populist AUR abstained. The press examines the balance of power and economic repercussions.
In Turkey, a financial scandal has come to light that has left around 450,000 small investors fearing for their assets. The country's financial regulators liquidated 131 funds which had advertised exceptionally high returns but were apparently part of a Ponzi-like market manipulation scheme. The judicial authorities have launched an investigation and dozens of people have been arrested. The media discuss the knock-on effects and look for culprits.
The eviction of an 87-year-old tenant in Madrid has sparked massive protests across Spain. The government has now passed two decrees providing stronger protection for tenants, including a ban on evictions of particularly vulnerable people until 2030. The Spanish press debates whether the measures will be enough to alleviate the housing crisis.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić announced his early resignation on Sunday, as he had already indicated back in June. He will now stand as the lead candidate for the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the snap parliamentary election on 25 October. If he wins the election he could continue to pull the strings in Belgrade as prime minister. The media speculate on whether his strategy will pay off.
Jordan Bardella, the leader of the right-wing populist Rassemblement National, is facing accusations about controversial comments made during his youth. According to the investigative news website Mediapart, he made "obsessively antisemitic" written comments when he was a political activist between 2013 and 2015. The RN's rising star, now 31, denies the allegations and has said he intends to take legal action against the media outlet.
In Metz, on the last stop of his France tour, Pope Leo XIV stressed the importance of Europe and its fundamental values for "maintaining peaceful relations". He called for dialogue, courage in negotiations and multilateralism and also paid tribute to Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the EU who worked in Metz for many years. Commentators examine the background to this encouraging speech.
The situation in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab and the decline in Russian exports due to the war in Ukraine are putting pressure on global crude oil and fuel markets. Diesel prices in particular have been hitting record highs. European governments are once again trying to counter market trends with tax cuts or subsidies. In Germany, for example, filling up is to cost 17 cents less per litre as of October. Are such fuel discounts a good idea?
Israel will elect a new parliament on 27 October. The vote will determine the future of the right-wing conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has led the country on and off in multiple tenures since 1996. Netanyahu's Likud party has been governing in a coalition with ultra-Orthodox partners since 2022. The media take a look at the heated election campaign.
The Swedish Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson has announced that her party's exploratory talks with the Left Party have failed. Although the centre-left bloc secured a narrow majority in the recent parliamentary election the attempts to form a government failed after the Left Party voted for Andreas Norlén of the Moderates, the long-serving Speaker of the Riksdag. The Swedish press takes stock.
In a referendum held on Sunday, 70.2 percent of Swiss voters rejected a stricter stance on neutrality. The principle of neutrality, as enshrined in the country's constitution, means that Switzerland does not take part in wars or join military alliances. The initiative was put forward by the association Pro Schweiz, which is backed by Swiss industrialist and politician Christoph Blocher and closely aligned with the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP).
For the first time since January 2022, the German and Russian foreign ministers met in person on Saturday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. However, there was apparently no convergence of positions during the 20-minute meeting between Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul. The media discuss the diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine.
China's President Xi Jinping was received with great pomp by Donald Trump in Washington last week. Both sides emphasised the "friendship" and "progress" in their relations. It was announced today, Monday, that an agreement had been reached on tariff cuts totalling 30 billion dollars and the establishment of a trade council to meet at regular intervals. A forum for dialogue on regulating AI is also to be set up.