Eurotopics.net

First of all supposed "lead candidates" for the Commission presidency and a surprisingly high voter turnout. Then power struggles and bickering between leaders of the member states who want nothing to do with the lead candidates. Finally the election of von der Leyen with a wafer-thin majority. After all of this a number of commentators are calling for urgent change.

The CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) has been sworn in as the new German defence minister. She takes over from the designated EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The opposition criticises AKK's nomination because up to now she had publicly ruled out cabinet changes. Commentators discuss whether she is the right woman for the job.

In the gas dispute the leader of the Cypriot Turks Mustafa Akıncı proposed setting up a joint committee to monitor the drilling and to divide the profits between both groups on the divided island. Previously the EU had imposed sanctions against Ankara because of Turkish drilling. Nicosia should think long and hard about the proposal, commentators say.

Unknown hackers in Bulgaria have stolen the data of millions of people and businesses, leaking it to several media outlets. This is the biggest case of data theft in Bulgaria's history. A number of commentators are calling for the resignation of those responsible. But further action must be taken, others stress.

The Italian bestseller author Andrea Camilleri died on Wednesday in Rome at the age of 93. He wrote more than a hundred books, but it was only in the 1990s, when he was almost 70, that he got his big breakthrough with the creation of the character Inspector Montalbano. The novels were translated into more than 30 languages. Commentators remember an author who had a special relationship with his readers.

The European Parliament has elected Ursula von der Leyen as the new President of the EU Commission with nine votes more than she needed. Since the heads of government ignored the actual lead candidates for the top EU post many MEPs only decided to vote for the German politician at the last minute. Reactions in the press to her election are divided.