European Union

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a new Brexit referendum in an opinion piece for The Observer. The consequences for the British economy and living standards are too great for the people to be denied any more say on the issue, Khan argued. While some commentators pin their hopes on a new vote, others point to at least one catch.

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers investment bank ten years ago is viewed by many as the catalyst of the financial crisis. In the aftermath the global economy collapsed, states became massively indebted, and the euro came under pressure. No lessons have been learned from the disaster, commentators criticise, while some doubt that such lessons exist at all.

Putin and Erdoğan agreed on Monday in Sochi to establishing a de-militarised zone to avert an offensive against Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria. Russia has sided with Assad in the Syrian war whereas Turkey is seen as the opposition's protecting power. Europe will now have to pin its hopes on Erdoğan preventing further horrors for the civilian population, commentators conclude.

In political Berlin speculation that the head of the domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maaßen will have to resign continues. He recently came under fire for playing down the violence at the protests in Chemnitz and claiming that a video showing foreigners being hunted down was faked. Journalists in and outside Germany are galvanized by the affair.

In 2017 a court of arbitration ruled that most of the Bay of Piran belonged to Slovenia. But because Croatia refuses to recognise the ruling Slovenia lodged a complaint with the European Court of Justice in July. So far, however, EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who from a legal point of view should side with Slovenia, has remained silent on the issue. Slovenian media vent their anger.

The Christian Democratic MEP Michaela Šojdrová from the Czech Republic has proposed that her country take in 50 Syrian war orphans. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, however, has rejected the proposal on the grounds that he is in principle against taking in refugees. The commentaries in the Czech papers say a thing or two about the views of their owners.