The 29th UN Climate Change Conference in Baku has come to an end. For two weeks, delegates from around the world grappled over a new financial equalisation formula between industrialised and developing countries in global climate protection funding. In the end, they agreed on 300 billion dollars per year as of 2035. The estimated required sum was 1.3 trillion, however.
Before the Romanian presidential election, speculation was rife about whether George Simion of the far-right AUR party would make it to the runoff vote. Now, another far-right candidate has surprisingly taken the lead: Călin Georgescu, who was charged with Holocaust denial in 2022 and has sharply criticised Romania's Nato membership. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu apparently came in third, just a few votes behind the centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi, which means he won't be in the runoff vote.
With minimal growth of just 0.1 percent in the third quarter of 2024, the German economy has only narrowly avoided a recession. The ECB's new Financial Stability Review predicts a fragile environment for Europe as a whole, marked by geopolitical uncertainty and tensions in global trade. Europe's press sounds the alarm.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel and the United States, which do not officially recognise the ICC, have harshly criticised the move. Europe's press is divided.
Russia says it has fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. President Putin explained in a video address that the Oreshnik missile was launched from the Russian region of Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea in response to attacks against Russia with Western missiles. It was not carrying nuclear warheads although these missiles are nuclear-capable, he added. Commentators take stock.
Latvia's rising food prices are currently around four percent above the EU average even though the country has one of the lowest income levels in the EU. Economics Minister Viktors Valainis has now announced plans to bring down prices, including an upper limit on retailers' profit margins, the introduction of a digital price comparison tool, a ban on destroying unsold food and measures against price dumping.
Two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged within just a few hours of each other on Sunday and Monday. Swedish and other European security authorities are investigating suspected sabotage. A Chinese freighter and several other ships that were in the vicinity of the cables at the time, including a Russian one, are being monitored. Europe's press sees a clear suspect – and the need for action.
The European Parliament has cleared the way for the new EU Commission to take office. On Wednesday, the leaders of the political groups approved the seven Commissioners who had not yet been confirmed. The nominations of Raffaele Fitto (ECR/Fratelli d'Italia) and Teresa Ribera (S&D/Social Democrats) as vice presidents were the subject of heated debate. Commentators are unsparing in their criticism of the process - and of the results.
Vladimir Putin has signed the changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine that were announced in September into law. According to the document, any attack by a non-nuclear power supported by a nuclear power would be considered a joint attack on Russia. The threshold for Russia to respond using nuclear weapons has also been lowered. Media assessments of what the changes mean are sharply divided.
Romanian voters are called to the polls to elect a new head of state this Sunday. Pollsters believe the right-wing populist AUR candidate George Simion could make it to a runoff vote on December 8 against the Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Commentators zero in on Simion's chances of winning.
The Ukrainian military has carried out its first attack on Russian territory using US-made Atacms missiles, as confirmed by both Moscow and Washington. Kyiv has not provided details on the type or number of missiles used, but said that an ammunitions depot in the Bryansk region had been hit. Europe's press analyses the operation and its potential consequences.