Although the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) emerged as the strongest party from Lithuania's parliamentary elections last month, party leader Vilija Blinkevičiūtė has decided to retain her mandate in the European Parliament rather than heading the next government. The LSDP has nominated deputy leader Gintautas Paluckas as its candidate for the office of prime minister. Criticism hails down in the national press.
There are growing indications of a clear victory for Donald Trump in the US presidential election. His party, the Republicans, are also likely to win a majority in both chambers of Congress. While the votes are still being counted, Europe's press discusses what happened on the other side of the Atlantic - and what lies ahead.
The mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt district, Ahmet Özer (CHP), has been detained on charges of terrorism and removed from office. The public prosecutor's office has accused him of being a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Turkish government has appointed the deputy governor of Istanbul as a forced administrator to replace Özer. On Monday, three other mayors of the Kurdish left-wing party DEM were dismissed and replaced by forced administrators.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has reported that his country's troops have engaged in battle with North Korean soldiers for the first time. According to US sources, 11,000 to 12,000 North Korean soldiers are now actively fighting in the war, primarily in the Russian region of Kursk. Commentators find the news that Moscow's new ally is on the front lines in the Ukraine war alarming.
Seventeen people have been killed as a result of drug-related violence in France this year. Most recently a 15-year-old boy died in Poitiers and a five-year-old was left seriously injured in a shootout in Rennes. The violence is increasingly spreading to rural areas. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has spoken of a 'Mexicanisation' of the country and said he wants to tackle the problem by combating drug use in particular. The national press would take a different tack.
The citizens of the United States will decide today, Tuesday, whether they want Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to lead their country. In the congressional elections taking place at the same time, all the seats in the House of Representatives and roughly a third of those in the Senate will also be filled. A glance at the commentaries shows that for Europe, too, there's a lot hanging in the balance.
Maia Sandu will continue as president in Moldova. In the run-off election the pro-Western leader was around ten percentage points ahead of her pro-Russian challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo. In a referendum held parallel to the first round of voting on 20 October, a wafer-thin majority of citizens voted in favour of writing EU accession into the constitution as an irrevocable goal. Commentators see a worryingly divided country.
A policy paper by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) that was leaked on Friday has triggered a major dispute among the three members of Germany's traffic light coalition government in Berlin. The SPD and the Greens have harshly criticised the economically liberal proposals set out in the paper, which include cutting business taxes and postponing climate protection targets. Commentators are not alone in wondering whether this is the beginning of the end for Germany's government.
Estonia's governing coalition wants to deny Russian and Belarusian citizens living in the country the right to vote in local elections. Whether stateless "non-citizens" who hold grey passports will also be affected remains unclear. In any case, such a step requires an amendment of the constitution, so the matter will be put to the country's parliament. The national media take a closer look.
Residents of Paiporta, one of the municipalities hit hardest by the recent flash floods, hurled mud and insults at King Felipe VI of Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Carlos Mazón, President of the Valencian Regional Government, while they were inspecting the damage in the area. The visit was cut short as a result of the chaos. The king later expressed understanding for the anger and disappointment.
Flash floods have caused devastation and chaos in parts of the Valencia region in eastern Spain and other areas. In some places, a year of rain fell within just a few hours. The death toll has risen to more than 150 victims. The disaster was triggered by a weather phenomenon known as a "cold drop" or "cut-off low". Commentators point to failures.