Eurotopics.net

Turkey will hold parliamentary and presidential elections in June - unless they are brought forward. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is being challenged by a six-party alliance that plans to field a joint rival candidate. The opposition also wants to abolish the current presidential system, which gives Erdoğan enormous power. The press weighs up the odds.

The US Republicans, who have held the majority in the House of Representatives since the midterms, failed to elect a speaker on Tuesday. Kevin McCarthy, seen as the more moderate candidate, failed to secure the necessary support after three rounds of voting due to the opposition of 19, and ultimately 20 party colleagues. The House of Representatives cannot function without a speaker. For commentators the GOP is facing a major crisis.

More than a dozen foreign heads of state and government travelled to Brasilia on Sunday to attend Lula da Silva's inauguration ceremony. Expectations are high for the new Brazilian president, who has set his sights on protecting the country's vast Amazon region. But commentators caution against too much optimism.

China has seen a surge in Covid cases after lifting its zero-Covid policy, increasing the risk of mutations. Many countries including Italy, France and Spain have introduced compulsory testing for travellers from China, but Germany is pinning its hopes on the high vaccination rate among its population. Europe's press discusses whether the time has come for a pan-European strategy.

Russia has resumed its missile and Shahed drone attacks against Ukraine in the last few days. For its part, Ukraine launched two massive strikes against Russian military bases near the front, reportedly killing hundreds of soldiers. Europe's press discusses whether there is any real chance that Russia's war against Ukraine will end this year.