Eurotopics.net

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader, died on Tuesday in Moscow at the age of 91. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for paving the way for the end of the Cold War, yet many people in his home country blame him for the collapse of the Soviet Union. European media comment on his death.

Very different versions of the fighting around the port city of Kherson in southern Ukraine are coming from Kyiv and Moscow. The reports cannot be independently verified. Commentators nevertheless see a turning point in the war.

In the first meeting of the French cabinet after the summer break, France's President Emmanuel Macron warned of an "end to abundance" and called for more frugality. In view of major upheavals, environmental disasters and armed conflicts, the carefree times are over, he said. Commentators take issue with his choice of terms.

In a speech at Charles University in Prague on Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke in detail about his vision for European policy for the first time. Among other things the chancellor advocated eastward expansion of the EU, the extension of majority voting among member states and expansion of the Schengen Area. What does this mean for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe?