Eurotopics.net

Namejs 2021, Latvia's largest military exercise of the year involving around 10,000 soldiers, is taking place between the end of August and 3 October. Urban drills with soldiers shooting blanks drills were staged in the centre of Riga on the weekend, causing fear and confusion among passers-by who had apparently not been informed and triggering outrage on social media. Latvia's press shows understanding for the anger but stresses the need for such simulation exercises to prepare for the future.

A week before the elections to the German Bundestag the outcome is still open but one thing is for sure: once the voting is done, for the first time in 16 years Angela Merkel will no longer lead the Federal Republic. Commentators see stability as the chancellor's main achievement - but note that she also leaves behind a country shaped by her less desirable qualities.

An alliance of Hungarian opposition parties has come together with the goal of nominating a joint candidate to unseat Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party in the 2022 parliamentary elections. But on Saturday, the very first day of the week-long first round of voting, the process had to be interrupted due to problems with the IT system. The ruling party denies accusations that it hacked the computers. Commentators are divided.

The US, UK and Australia have signed a defence alliance pact for the Indo-Pacific: the Aukus deal. Among other measures Australia is to receive nuclear-powered submarines featuring US and British technology. The alliance is seen as a move to join forces against China, but it cancels a contract under which France would have supplied Australia with submarines. Paris has spoken of a "betrayal of trust". Commentators fear spiralling destabilisation.

The Russian people will elect their representatives to the State Duma from September 17 to 19. All the stronger opposition candidates have been excluded from the election, and the OSCE has decided not to send observers because of Moscow's strict requirements. Commentators explain why the election is unlikely to have any impact on Putin's power and that of his United Russia party - even if on paper there are a few alternatives.