Eurotopics.net

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met the President of the Government of Catalonia Pere Aragonès in Barcelona on Wednesday to resume the dialogue on Catalan independence dispute after an 18-month break. However, the only result of the meeting was the announcement that the parties would continue the talks despite their opposing positions. The Junts party, the more radical junior coalition partner of the Catalan separatist government, boycotted the meeting.

Electricity prices have soared in EU countries since the beginning of the year. The electric baseload - the minimum amount of electricity required by the power grid - currently costs more than twice as much on the electricity exchange platforms as it did in the summer of 2020, while natural gas prices have increased ten-fold in the same period. Increased demand in Asia and less input from wind power are among the reasons for the surge in prices.

A row appears to have broken out among the Taliban leadership between the more "moderate" camp and the hardliners: Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting first deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and number two in the Islamist movement, disappeared several days ago. Rumours of his death or escape are circulating. Whether the Taliban's denials are credible remains to be seen.

Jonas Gahr Støre's social democrats have won Norway's parliamentary elections. After eight years of conservative government the centre-left is now taking over power in the country - as has already been the case throughout Scandinavia. But the coalition negotiations could prove difficult because the potential partners are far from united on the dominant issue of the election campaign - the future of state oil production.

Angela Merkel has made her final visit to the Western Balkans in the role of German chancellor. In Tirana she spoke with the heads of government of Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Kosovo. Commentators credit Merkel with a sincere interest in the Western Balkans, but criticise her for the fact that neither Germany nor the EU have offered the region any real prospects in recent years.