Eurotopics.net

The election of the successor to Italian President Sergio Mattarella is due to begin in the united chambers of parliament on 24 January. The centre-right parties have agreed on Silvio Berlusconi as their candidate. The ex-premier had all but disappeared from the political scene as a result of various scandals and was banned from office for years. His comeback would be a scandal, the press judges.

Electricity and gas prices have risen significantly over the last few months in Europe. They are now roughly a third higher than a year ago and are expected to rise further in 2022. Europe's consumers are increasingly feeling the pinch, especially because the higher energy prices are making food more expensive too. The fact that only very few governments have taken countermeasures does not bode well, warns Europe's press.

Despite intensive diplomatic efforts, the crisis in the Russian-Ukrainian border region continues. Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is now making new attempts to defuse the situation with meetings in Kyiv and Moscow. Europe's press makes suggestions and laments the EU's irrelevance.

The Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany, has sentenced Anwar R. to life in prison for crimes against humanity in the world's first criminal trial on state-led torture in Syria. The former director of operations at a Syrian secret service prison is alleged to have been responsible for the systematic torture of at least 4,000 people. Europe's press welcomes the verdict, but sees a need for further action.

Faced with high inflation, several European countries are taking steps to at least keep the prices of essential products from rising too high. Europe's press discusses strategies to solve the problem.