The United Russia party has secured a clear victory in the Russian parliamentary elections: according to the electoral commission it secured 58 percent of the vote. However, due to the allocation of direct mandates, the Kremlin's ruling party holds around 350 of the 450 seats in the Duma. The remaining seats go to four other pro-Kremlin parties; genuine opposition parties were not allowed to stand for election.
In state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU has once again suffered major losses. While in the capital Die Linke (The Left Party) emerged as the strongest party, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the AfD will now be the largest group in the state parliament. The CDU didn't even clear the five-percent hurdle necessary to hold seats there. Europe's media examine the results – and the chancellor's chances of retaining his post.
Two credit rating agencies, Scope Ratings and Moody's Ratings, upgraded Greece's credit ratings over the weekend. This is a major coup for the country because it makes it cheaper for the government to borrow money, and Greek companies also stand to benefit. But have things really improved for Greece, which just a few years ago was facing a sovereign debt crisis.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has called into question Article 5 of the Nato Treaty. "I don't want Slovakia to be drawn into an armed conflict because of some Article 5," he said last week. The article states that an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all. Commentators condemn Fico for his statements.
Denmark and the US have reached a deal in the Greenland dispute, with an accord due to be signed on Friday. According to the BBC, it will prohibit non-Nato countries from establishing military bases on Greenland and ban investments on the island that could pose a threat to the US. This means that the idea of the US annexing Greenland is apparently off the table. Copenhagen and Washington have both expressed their satisfaction. Rightly so?
After the Swiss Parliament's forced approval of a supplementary credit of almost 400 million euros for F-35 fighter jets ordered from the US, Carlo Sommaruga, a Social Democrat member of the Council of States, has called for the introduction of prison sentences of up to three years for government officials who tell political lies. For years, the Swiss government and administration claimed that the jets had been acquired for a fixed price.
In Portugal, several performers have cancelled their performances at a comedy festival where Jerry Seinfeld is the headliner, apparently in protest at his pro-Israeli stance. In the US, rapper Macklemore was dropped from the support line-up for Ed Sheeran's tour for making pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli remarks on stage. The incidents have prompted a discussion about artistic freedom and freedom of expression in the Portuguese press.
Voting in Russia's parliamentary elections began on Friday morning. Over the course of three days, voters will elect the 450 members of the Duma, 39 regional parliaments and eleven governors. It is already taken for granted that the ruling United Russia party will emerge as the winner. Yabloko, the only party to openly criticise Russia's war in Ukraine, was barred from the election.
The European Commission plans to drastically restrict children's use of social media with the EU Kids Act. The legislation sets a minimum age of 15 for creating a social media account and bans addictive features. The initiative aims to prevent the serious health consequences, including depression and sleep deprivation, experienced by young people as a result of social media use. Europe's press takes stock.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced in the European Parliament in Strasbourg that she wants to bring the EU's relations with Canada "to the highest level possible". In the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney she stated that she wanted to open the door for Canada "to be the first associate member of the EU". While commentators are clear on the motives behind the plan, some puzzle over the details.
Incidents involving drones are on the rise in Europe: a train travelling from Kyiv to Warsaw was attacked, Nato fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, and another drone containing explosives was found and defused at Leipzig airport. Commentators examine the background to these incidents and the impact on different regions.
According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU is, in priniciple, well equipped to meet the current challenges. "A stronger, independent Europe is now emerging", she said in her State of the Union address on Wednesday. She stressed, however, that more investment in defence as well as institutional changes such as the creation of a consultation mechanism in the event of a threat will be necessary to enhance Europe's defence capabilities.