Eurotopics.net

Germany has a new government. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his cabinet comprising members of the coalition with the Greens and FDP were sworn into office on Wednesday. Europe's press is eager to see how the change of leadership in Berlin will impact the EU's course.

On Wednesday the EU Commission presented a new "anti-coercion instrument". In future Europe will be able to respond to trade boycotts or punitive tariffs by third countries against a member state or the EU as a whole with counter-sanctions. The aim of the instrument is to prevent such aggressive actions from the outset. In view of recent developments, commentators approve of Brussels' approach.

Ever since the protests against Lukashenka began, Lithuania has sided with the Belarusian opposition and given asylum to many activists. But now it has emerged that Lithuanian Railways has been transporting Belaruskali fertiliser despite US sanctions against the Belarusian state-owned producer. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and Transport Minister Marius Skuodis have already announced their resignations.

The dramatic situation on the Belarusian-Polish border appears to be easing somewhat. Belarus has provided shelter for some of the migrants suffering from hunger and freezing temperatures. Precisely what role phone calls between Chancellor Merkel and Belarusian ruler Lukashenka and between French President Macron and his Russian counterpart Putin played in this is unclear. Europe's press is divided over the merits of this telephone diplomacy.

Several countries are once again reacting to surging Covid infections with drastic restrictions. This is exacerbating social tensions between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, as well as between supporters and opponents of new lockdowns. Commentators from Slovenia, Estonia, Slovakia and Spain, which is unusually united on this issue, have their say.