European Union

Twenty-seven people, including several children, drowned trying to cross the English Channel to the UK on Wednesday, most of them refugees from Iraq and Iran. This is the largest single loss of life in the English Channel since the UN migration agency IOM started recording data in 2014. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the incident shocking and promised even tougher action against smugglers. Commentators are adamant that this is not enough.

Germany's first "traffic light" governing coalition comprising the SPD, the Greens and the FDP has unveiled its coalition agreement, and the future cabinet is also taking shape. The press discusses what Europe's capitals can expect from social democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the liberal FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

The Romanian parliament elected the former defence minister and retired general Nicolae Ciucă as the new prime minister on Thursday. His predecessor Florin Cîțu was removed from office in October. Ciucă heads a three-party coalition of his national liberal PNL, the social democratic PSD and the Hungarian party UDMR. The two major coalition partners, the PNL and the PSD, were bitter opponents until only recently.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which originated in the US, are also ushering in the Christmas season for more and more people in Europe. The press looks at how consumer behaviour affects working conditions, traditions, habits and national economies.

Committee meetings, Brussels

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