Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented 15 anti-corruption measures on Wednesday, after several leading members of his PSOE party have been placed under investigation in recent weeks. The measures include the establishment of a new supervisory authority and the use of advanced data analyses to detect fraud. Commentators question the effectiveness of the proposed action plan.
Bulgaria has the final green light to introduce the euro on 1 January 2026 after the EU finance ministers passed the necessary legislation on Tuesday. The European Commission and the leaders of the EU member states had already given their approval in June. Commentators in the national press encourage euro advocates and critics alike to make the best of the conversion.
Last week the Pentagon pulled the plug on sending weapons to Ukraine. Now Donald Trump has overturned the decision – and is reportedly looking into whether the US can deliver an additional Patriot missile defence system. He also condemned Vladimir Putin for throwing "a lot of bullshit" while "killing a lot of people". Europe's press anaylses the latest mood swing in the White House.
Ursula von der Leyen must face a vote of no confidence in the European Parliament on Thursday. She is being accused by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea of the right-wing ECR faction and 76 co-signatories of a lack of transparency and of mismanagement in her handling of Covid policy. They cite in particular her failure to comply with a court ruling that she release a chain of text messages with the boss of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer ahead of a multi-billion-euro vaccine deal.
More than a year after the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico, the trial began on Tuesday of his alleged attacker. After a government meeting in May 2024, Fico was shot and badly injured by a 72-year-old pensioner. The defendant admitted firing the shots, but denied intent to kill. Commentators shed light on the political context.
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.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and the radical Islamic organisation Hamas are currently underway in the Qatari capital, Doha. Together with international mediators, representatives of the two conflict parties are discussing a ceasefire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. US President Donald Trump, who is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, is pushing for a 60-day ceasefire.