Eurotopics.net

The right-wing conservative camp has won a narrow victory in Sweden's parliamentary elections with 176 seats to 173. The Social Democratic head of government Magdalena Andersson tended her resignation despite the good results achieved by her own party. The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats made huge gains, becoming the second strongest group in parliament.

The film director and pioneer of the French New Wave film movement Jean-Luc Godard died aged 91 on 13 September. Godard died in Switzerland by assisted suicide, which is legal there. Commentators praise Godard and his work, noting their enormous significance for the development of European cinema.

Hungary has introduced a new requirement for abortions: pregnant women must now first listen to the heartbeat of their embryo before applying for an abortion with a gynaecologist. This step is meant to "unequivocally draw their attention to the presence of the embryo's vital functions". Both sharp criticism and applause for the measure can be found in Hungary's media.

Critical voices are growing louder in Russia: local politicians are collecting signatures demanding Putin's resignation and even pro-Kremlin media are somewhat sceptical about the conduct of the war. Yet according to official data, the candidates of Putin's party won a clear victory in regional elections last week, although observers see numerous indications of fraud. Commentators discuss the significance of these developments.