Eurotopics.net

The parliamentary elections in Poland have given the PiS the majority it needs to govern the country alone, but it lost its majority in the upper house, the Senate. Now it has announced that it wants a recount of votes in six districts where it lost. Is Poland's ruling party attacking yet another pillar of democracy?

The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats have made strong gains. Current surveys put them almost neck and neck with Prime Minister Stefan Löfvan's Social Democrats, with both parties polling at around 25 percent. Swedish media feel they know what is behind this shift in electoral support.

Putin and Erdoğan have worked out a 10-point plan for Syria at a meeting in Sochi. Among other things they agreed to extend the ceasefire by 150 hours and establish a buffer zone near the Syrian-Turkish border out of which the Kurdish YPG militia are to withdraw. After that Russian, Turkish and Syrian units will take control. Commentators discuss who will be calling the shots in Syria now.

After parliamentary elections in Canada, Justin Trudeau looks set to remain prime minister. His Liberal party is still the strongest party although it lost its absolute majority. Commentators also factor Donald Trump into the election results.

The EU Commission has warned the governments of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium that their draft budgets for 2020 may be in violation of EU rules. Brussels has now ordered these countries to provide further information on how they intend to keep their finances under control. A justified move, observers from Italy and Spain say.

The House of Commons has rejected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit timetable. Prior to that it had agreed on Tuesday evening to the deal he negotiated with the EU. Johnson put the exit procedure on hold pending reaction from the EU. Now the question is whether the EU will comply and grant the extension that was already requested on Saturday.