The European Central Bank (ECB) cut its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.5 per cent on Thursday. This is the second cut this year, after the first marking a turnaround in its policy was announced in June. The key interest rate is now at its lowest level since June 2023. The press analyses what this means for Europe's economy.
Germany has announced plans to introduce controls at all borders from next week. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser cited the need to restrict irregular migration and strengthen protection against terrorism and cross-border crime as reasons for the move. 'Refused entries that conform with European law' are also to be made possible. Europe's press debates the international ramifications.
According to initial polls most US citizens see Kamala Harris as the winner of the televised debate with Donald Trump. In the meantime, the role of the moderators, who intervened to fact-check Trump's statements on issues such as abortion laws or crimes committed by migrants, is fueling a discussion. Europe's press sees the US election campaign entering a new phase.
The EU's competition watchdogs celebrated two victories on Tuesday: Europe's top court, the European Court of Justice upheld a 2.4 billion euro fine against Google for favouring its own price comparison shopping service over its competitors, thereby abusing its dominant market position. And Apple must repay 13 billion euros in illegal tax breaks granted to the company by Ireland, the judges also ruled.
Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi on Monday presented a report commissioned by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen just over a year ago. If the EU economy is to have any chance of competing with the US and China it needs massive private and public investment and less bureaucracy, the report concludes. Europe's press analyses the proposals and their feasibility.
Following complaints from Turkish authorities, Netflix has suspended international streaming of the television series Famagusta about Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974, which was scheduled to begin on 20 September. The series will now only be available in Greece, where it had already been aired on television. The Foreign Ministry in Ankara has condemned the series as "black propaganda" by the Greek Cypriots.
Ursula von der Leyen had planned to present the new EU Commission today, but has now postponed this until next week. One reason is that Slovenia replaced its previous candidate Tomaž Vesel with Marta Kos at the last minute, a decision which still has to be approved by the parliament in Ljubljana. But apparently this isn't the only personnel decision still under discussion.
The defence ministries of Latvia and Romania reported on Monday that drones which apparently came from Russia had penetrated their airspace. Nato Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană condemned the incidents as "irresponsible and potentially dangerous" although there is still no evidence that they were a deliberate attack. The calm reactions, not only from Nato, are causing a buzz in the media.
The two candidates for the US presidency, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, meet for the first time in a live televised debate tonight (Tuesday). Trump engaged in a first debate in June against incumbent President Joe Biden, before the latter withdrew from the race. Commentators focus on how Harris should approach her opponent.
In a major government reshuffle in Ukraine, around half of the cabinet has been replaced. The foreign minister is now Andrii Sybiha, who previously served as deputy to his predecessor Dmytro Kuleba. Europe's press observes - with both understanding and concern - a concentration of power in a country that has been defending itself against Russia for two and a half years.
Europe's press continues to analyse the election results in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. The far-right AfD emerged as the strongest party in Thuringia, receiving almost a third of the vote, with the conservative CDU coming second. In Saxony, the CDU won a narrow victory against the AfD. In both states, the Offices for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist organisation. The newly founded BSW party achieved double-digit results.