Eurotopics.net

US President Donald Trump is causing a new furor in his last days in office. According to media reports he pressured the secretary of state of Georgia to change the results of the presidential election in his state retroactively in a phone call. Trump has also talked of election fraud in the Georgia runoff elections for two Senate seats. Commentators analyse his behavior.

In many European countries schools have remained partially or completely closed after the Christmas holidays. Decisions about when and to what extent classroom teaching will restart are generally being made contingent on current infection rates. The result is uncertainty and ongoing controversy - to the chagrin of parents, educators and a considerable number of commentators.

Criticism of the sluggish progress of the coronavirus vaccination campaign is growing in the countries of the EU. Biontech boss Uğur Şahin, for example, has said the EU was too slow in ordering vaccines. On a per capita basis, the EU states are currently lagging behind countries such as Israel, the US and Britain. International commentators examine the problem from different perspectives.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Monday, triggering speculation about early elections. The new interior minister is Makis Voridis, who before joining the ruling Nea Dimokratia party led several far-right movements and founded the ultranationalist Hellenic Front party. His appointment prompts mixed reactions in the press.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is not to be extradited to the US, a London court decided on Monday. The judge based her ruling on concerns that the 49-year-old could commit suicide if convicted of espionage in the US. The debate in Europe's media focuses on the question of whether Assange's actions were covered by press freedom.