Eurotopics.net

At the Mazan rapes trial in Avignon, the public prosecutor has demanded the maximum sentence for the main defendant Dominique Pelicot. The sentence is to be handed down in December. The plaintiff Gisèle Pelicot, celebrated as a heroine by many, had demanded that the proceedings be open to the public and that the videos of the crimes be shown. The shock waves reverberate beyond France, as a glance at the press shows.

For weeks now, businesses have been advertising their Black Friday discounts via emails, ads, posters and brochures. The day has become practically synonymous with a highly consumer-oriented time of year, the pre pre-Christmas period. Commentators pause to reflect.

The European Parliament has given its final approval for Ursula von der Leyen's second EU Commission. MEPs voted 370 to 282 in favour of the 26 Commissioners selected in a complex procedure involving national governments, the EU Parliament and the Commission president. "Von der Leyen II" is now set to commence its work on Sunday.

After the surprise victory of far-right outsider Călin Georgescu in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, the Constitutional Court will deliberate today, Thursday, whether the election should be annulled following complaints about illegal campaign financing and other irregularities. With the parliamentary elections due to be held on Sunday, the press sees a highly precarious situation.