Eurotopics.net

The Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei died "a sudden death" on Saturday, according to the state news agency Belta. Makei had been in office under Lukashenka since 2012. Europe's press examines the potential political fallout and, given the unclear circumstances of his death, the question of whom it might benefit.

At the next meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 December, a vote will be taken on whether Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania should be admitted to the Schengen Area from 2023. Schengen enlargement requires a unanimous decision. However, due to concerns about migration policy and the fight against corruption, some EU member states have voiced reservations about admitting Bulgaria and Romania.

The protests against the government's strict zero-Covid policy continue in several Chinese cities. There have also been calls for the resignation of President Xi Jinping. The protests were preceded by a fire in a residential building in the Xinjiang region that killed ten people. The strict lockdown currently in force there is likely to have delayed the rescue operation. Europe's press assesses the significance of the protests.