Benny Gantz has resigned from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency government. With this step the popular former military chief made good on his threat to withdraw his support from the war cabinet formed after the Hamas terrorist attack if the head of government failed to present a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip. But even without Gantz's party Netanyahu still commands a parliamentary majority.
Turkey wants to join the Brics economic community, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during his visit to China last week - the first by a high-ranking Turkish politician in 12 years. Fidan is now due to travel to a meeting of Brics foreign ministers in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Tuesday. Commentators examine what this means for relations between Ankara and Brussels.
EU citizens have until Sunday evening to elect the 720 MEPs who will represent them in the European Parliament over the next five years. The far-right groups ID (Identity and Democracy) and ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists) are expected to make strong gains. Commentators discuss what the EU will look like politically once the votes have been counted.
Europe's most popular holiday destinations are increasingly plagued by hypertourism: between January and April 2024 the number of international flights to Greece increased by 12.3 percent, while the Balearic Islands saw a 9.1 percent increase in tourists in 2023 compared to the previous year. Mass protests have been staged in Tenerife and Mallorca this year over high rents, and Venice is now charging an entry fee. What can be done?
The European Central Bank (ECB) has cut its interest rate for the first time since 2019. The 0.25 percentage point reduction from 4.5 to 4.25 percent makes borrowing cheaper while savers will generally receive less interest on their deposits. The ECB had raised its key interest rate ten times since 2022. The bank justified the cut pointing to easing inflation and a drop in price pressure. Commentators are divided over the wisdom of the move.
The upper chamber of the Swiss parliament – the Council of States – has issued a statement criticising the recent climate ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). It states that the judges went too far in ruling that Switzerland is not doing enough to combat climate change and that they exceeded their competences. The national press takes stock.
On 6 June 1944, Allied troops landed at various points on the coastline of Normandy, thus opening up a second main front in the war against Nazi Germany. A few weeks later they were able to break through the enemy's frontlines, a decisive step towards victory over the Axis powers. Political leaders and veterans from all over the world have travelled to Normandy to mark the anniversary. Commentators draw parallels between then and now.
The elections to the European Parliament began today, Thursday, with the opening of polling stations in the Netherlands. Voting will take place in the Czech Republic and Ireland on Friday, followed by Italy, Latvia, Slovakia and Malta on Saturday and the remaining countries on Sunday. A glance at the European commentaries shows that EU citizens' expectations regarding the MEPs and the outcome of the elections vary widely.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was seriously injured in an attack around three weeks ago, has posted a video message on Facebook. The 59-year-old said he forgave the attacker but blamed the opposition and the media for creating a climate of hatred. Slovakian commentators lament that Fico's words have done nothing to calm the situation in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged victorious from India's parliamentary elections and is set for a third term in office, but his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered major losses. Without an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament it will now have to rely on coalition partners. Europe's press takes stock.
The first televised debate between Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour challenger Keir Starmer in the run-up to the British general election on 4 July took place on Tuesday evening. Sunak took an aggressive stance and scored points particularly on taxes and migration, according to a flash poll by Yougov. But this won't be enough to turn the tide for the Tories, commentators say.
Just a few days before the European elections, climate protection is in the public spotlight once more following major floods in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The EU Commission has scaled back the climate targets enshrined in the Green Deal under pressure from the farmers' protests and growing support for right-wing populist and climate-sceptic positions. Commentators take aim at the backtracking.