Eurotopics.net

Two months after the French parliamentary elections, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed former EU Commissioner and Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier as his new prime minister. In the run-off election on 7 July, the left-wing alliance NFP received the most votes, while Barnier's conservative Les Républicains came fourth with just 5.4 percent. Europe's press discusses whether his appointment is nonetheless a good decision.

"The country needs a fresh start," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said explaining his latest, comprehensive government reshuffle. Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba tended his resignation on Wednesday. According to media reports, he will be responsible for supervising Ukraine's integration into Nato in future. Three other ministers and several top officials also resigned or were given new responsibilities. The reshuffle elicits a mixed response from Europe's press.

Turkish President Erdoğan has followed up on his announcement and applied for his country to join the group of Brics states. Dominated by Russia and China, the alliance of emerging economies is seen as a counterweight to the West's G7. Turkey would be the first Nato state to join the Brics group. Europe's press takes a closer look.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has chosen José Luis Escrivá, minister for digital transformation, to be the new governor of the Bank of Spain. The position comes with a seat on the European Central Bank's governing council and an important role in the supervision of the Spanish banking sector. The opposition is outraged and sees a conflict of interest. The national press is divided.

Europe's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen is no longer ruling out plant closures and layoffs in Germany. The company's management has warned that the cost-cutting measures taken so far may not be sufficient to prevent the company from making losses in the long term. Works councils and trade unions accuse the company of mismanagement, urging the carmaker to focus on more competitive products. Commentators discuss the roots of the problem.