Eurotopics.net

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged member states to drastically increase their defence spending to guarantee Europe's security. Two percent of GDP will not be enough to function as a deterrent in the long term, the head of the military alliance admonished in his inaugural speech in Brussels. Commentators analyse his statements.

If Vienna fails to get its finances under control, it could face penalties from Brussels. With its deficit at 3.9 percent of GDP and set to rise to 4.1 percent next year, it is in breach of the Maastricht criteria which stipulate an upper limit of 3 percent. In addition, Austria's debt ratio could rise to over 80 percent, although according to the rules it should not exceed 60 percent. The national press is divided on how to avert a crisis.

The Assad regime is history, but the HTS militia that overthrew it is an Islamist group that, although it promises to uphold the rule of law, is classified as a terrorist organisation by many Western states. The G7 countries want to support a transition process, and the EU foreign ministers met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss how they plan to work with Damascus. Europe's press is divided.

With the fall of President Assad, the gates of prisons and torture chambers have opened. Saydnaya Prison in particular, where tens of thousands of people have disappeared or been tortured and murdered, has exposed the full cruelty of the regime. Commentators share their observations and ask what comes next after these findings.

On December 4, Brian Thompson, CEO of the health insurance company United Healthcare, was shot dead in broad daylight outside the New York hotel where the group's annual investor conference was due to take place. The alleged perpetrator, 26-year-old Luigi M., was arrested on Monday, and is now being celebrated as a national hero by many Americans who are deeply frustrated with the country's healthcare system. Commentators seek explanations.