Eurotopics.net

After Boris Johnson's resignation as party leader, the 180,000 or so members of the Conservative Party have until September to post their votes to elect a successor who will lead the country. Until then ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Minister Liz Truss will engage in a number of TV debates, the first of which took place on Monday. Commentators take stock of the two run-off candidates' performances.

In a speech to representatives of the Hungarian minority in Romania last Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticised the sanctions policy against Russia and the supplying of weapons to Ukraine and called for peace negotiations instead. He also caused a stir with comments about the supposed purity of the Hungarian race. Incensed, Europe's press examines the potential consequences for Hungary.

After a week of wrangling EU energy ministers have reached a deal on a gas emergency plan for the winter. The EU, and Germany in particular, is anticipating major shortages after Russia responded to sanctions by throttling gas supplies. The initial goal was to reduce gas consumption in EU member states by 15 percent, but several opt-outs have since been conceded. This is just one of several reasons why the media has greeted the plan with scepticism.