The student protests in Serbia continue unabated. In reaction to dismal poll ratings, President Aleksandar Vučić has now suggested that the opposition request a non-binding referendum on his presidency - despite the fact that the country's constitution does not provide for this. The media see the move as an act of desperation.
Next week, US President Joe Biden will hand over the office of president of the United States to Donald Trump. In his final address to the nation, he warned that "an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy." Commentators take stock of his four years in office.
In Bulgaria, the conservative Gerb party led by former prime minister Boyko Borisov has agreed on a governing coalition with the socialist BSP, the right-wing populist ITN and the party of the Turkish minority DPS. Gerb MP Rossen Zhelyazkov is to become prime minister. Will this put an end to the protracted political crisis that has led to seven successive elections?
After a controversial election which the opposition claims was rigged, Portugal, the former colonial power, sent its foreign minister rather than its president to the swearing-in ceremony of the new president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo. Protests against Chapo's election have been ongoing for months and more than 300 people have died in clashes with security forces, according to reports by civil society organisations.
The eight Nato states bordering the Baltic Sea have agreed on a joint strategy to counter acts of sabotage at a summit in Helsinki. As part of their Operation Baltic Sentry, warships and drones will be deployed to monitor shipping traffic. There have been several incidents of damage to Baltic pipelines and data and power cables in recent months. Ships belonging to Russia's shadow fleet are the prime suspects.
There are growing signs that an agreement in the Gaza war is imminent. A draft agreement provides for the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and a 42-day ceasefire, with Israel's army withdrawing from parts of the Gaza Strip. During this time further releases and a long-term ceasefire would be negotiated.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced an action plan to tackle the country's escalating housing shortage. Empty flats are to be converted into affordable rental flats with the help of subsidies and tax breaks and 3,300 public flats are to be built as an initial measure. In addition, there will be new restrictions on holiday flats and property ownership by non-EU citizens.
Incumbent Zoran Milanović has won a second term as Croatia's president in the runoff vote on Sunday. He secured more than 74 percent of the vote, easily beating former minister Dragan Primorac, who was supported by the conservative ruling party HDZ. Milanović comes from the Social Democratic Party. He was prime minister from 2011 to 2016 and has held the office of head of state since 2020.
US President-elect Donald Trump plans to meet with President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine. Talking from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump said he knew that Putin wanted a meeting and that a conversation was being prepared for the near future, stressing: "We have to end this war." Commentators are divided.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has announced last week that content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads will no longer be reviewed by third-party fact-checking teams. Instead, as with Elon Musk's X platform, the company will rely on user comments as a corrective. The change will initially only apply for the US. Europe's press sees it as symptomatic of a global trend and discusses appropriate responses.
Russia's war against Ukraine, China's threatening stance in the South China Sea and vis-à-vis Taiwan, and now Donald Trump's statements regarding Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada have sparked fears that the world could be on the verge of a new battle for spheres of influence reminiscent of 19th century expansionism and colonialism. Europe's press discusses the role Europe should play in such a scenario.