Eurotopics.net

Poland's government allegedly used Pegasus software to hack the phones of members of the opposition in the run-up to the 2019 parliamentary elections. Among those spied on was then head of the liberal-conservative Civic Coalition, Krzysztof Brejza. At the time, manipulated text messages sent by Brejza were published in PiS-affiliated media and he was forced to step down in the ensuing scandal. Brejza is convinced that without Pegasus the elections would have had a different outcome.

Serbian tennis player and world number one Novak Djokovic has been holed up in a hotel in Melbourne since Wednesday. He was travelling to the Australian Open using a controversial exemption from Covid vaccination requirements, but was detained by border guards for not having had the jab. The player has lodged an appeal and the decision is expected on Monday. Not all media are on his side.

After violent mass protests against rising gas and fuel prices, the government in Kazakhstan has resigned. The country's long-time former president Nursultan Nazarbayev also lost his post as national security chief. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had asked the Russian-led military alliance CSTO for help to bring the situation under control. Europe's press also examines the situation in the light of the troops now being mobilised by Moscow.

French President Emmanual Macron made headlines on Tuesday after saying in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien that he "really wants to piss off the non-vaccinated" and drastically restrict their social life. New Covid restrictions are to apply from mid-January under which the unvaccinated will be denied access to restaurants and theatres and other public spaces. Europe's media accuse Macron of callous electioneering.