As in most European countries, surrogacy is illegal in Italy. The Italian parliament has now passed a law that also criminalises the use of such services abroad. The right-wing populist government coalition justifies the ban saying that the traditional family model needs to be protected. For the national press, this ignores the real issue.
At their summit in Brussels, the 27 EU heads of state and government are seeking a common course on migration policy. The member states are currently at odds over whether tighter measures such as border controls and the outsourcing of asylum procedures are needed, as well as over the legitimacy of unilateral measures by individual states. Opinions among commentators also diverge.
After a ten-year investigation, the trial dealing with the biggest banking scandal in Portuguese history has begun in Lisbon. The private bank Banco Espírito Santos (BES) went bankrupt in 2014 but was bailed out, receiving more than 8 billion euros from the state. The main defendant is former BES chairman Ricardo Salgado, who is accused of leading a network of corruption and money laundering.
Daron Acemoğlu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson have been awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for their work on the prosperity gap between countries. At the centre of their research is the connection between the functioning of state institutions and the prosperity of different societies. Europe's press comments.
Italy has sent a first ship with intercepted migrants to Albania. The asylum claims of the 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh will be reviewed in a fast-track procedure in migrant centres there. Under an agreement reached between Rome and Tirana last year, up to 3,000 refugees will be sent to Albania. Commentators look at what this means for Europe.
SpaceX, Elon Musk's space exploration company, has scored a spectacular success: in a test manoeuvre the 70-metre-long Super Heavy booster part of its Starship rocket system made a safe return to its launchpad on Earth, where it was caught by giant mechanical arms. There is a round of applause – and a few side-swipes – from the media.
The right-wing populist PiS party had been in power in Poland for eight years when the general election in October 2023 changed the majorities and it was voted out. The coalition government led by Donald Tusk (PO) has tried to reverse its predecessors' controversial judicial reforms and restructure the public broadcasting sector, but has met with fierce resistance. Andrzej Duda, a politician with close ties to the PiS, has been president of the country since 2015.
Unifil, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, has come under Israeli fire several times in recent days. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced the attacks as a violation of international law and the Security Council has warned against attacks on UN soldiers. Meanwhile, Israel has called on the UN to withdraw its troops on the grounds that Hezbollah is using the Blue Helmets as cover for terrorist activities.
Poland has announced plans to reduce illegal migration "to a minimum" and suspend the right to asylum, at least temporarily. This is part of the country's new migration strategy, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, explaining that he intends to demand that the decision be recognised at the EU level. Commentators analyse the motives and background to the move.
The liberal-conservative coalition government in Portugal has presented its first draft budget to parliament. The minority government hopes to secure the support of the Socialists (PS) to pass the bill, but that party is concerned about two points in particular: a reduction in corporate income tax (IRC) and a staggered decrease in income tax rates for young professionals (IRS Jovem).
The Social Democrats have emerged as the winners of the first round of the Lithuanian parliamentary elections. With over 19 percent of the vote they have a narrow lead against the ruling Conservative Party with its 18 percent. The newly founded left-wing populist Nemuno Aušra came third with 15 percent. The final distribution of seats in the Seimas will only be clear after the second round of voting on 27 October, when most of the direct mandates are allocated.