Eurotopics.net

British forces have intercepted an oil tanker in the English Channel that appears to belong to Russia's shadow fleet. Russia uses the vessels to evade Western sanctions and generate revenues from oil shipments which are then used to fund the war against Ukraine. The British media praise the move, not only for its impact on Russia.

Romania needs a new prime minister after Ilie Bolojan of the National Liberal Party (PNL) was ousted by a vote of no confidence. Bolojan had announced his intention of naming his successor. However, President Nicușor Dan appointed a second candidate at the weekend, Adrian Veștea, without consulting the parties, after it became clear that the first candidate would be unlikely to secure a majority. Romania's media call for an end to the president's unilateral moves.

With a valuation of around 1.8 trillion US dollars, the space technology company SpaceX is going public today, June 12. Founder and majority shareholder Elon Musk – already the richest person in the world by far – is expected to become the first ever trillionaire. The staggering figures provoke some admiration and a lot of consternation in Europe's press.

After ten years of negotiations and preparations, the Common European Asylum System comes into force today. The system is meant to centralise data collection, distribute the burden more fairly among EU member states and limit immigration overall – for example by setting up centres for fast-track asylum procedures at the EU's external borders. Media reactions are for the most part sceptical.