Eurotopics.net

In the aftermath of the attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow, for which Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility, fears of attacks by Islamist terrorists are growing in other countries. France has declared the highest terror alert level, while German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the threat posed by IS in Germany as "acute". Commentators discuss appropriate European responses.

In Portugal the liberal-conservative PSD under Prime Minister designate Luís Montenegro has only managed to get its candidate elected as house speaker in the fourth round of voting. The right-wing Chega party, which gained a number of seats in the elections, had also put forward a candidate - apparently in contradiction to what had been agreed - meaning that Montenegro had to compete for the votes of the Socialists (PS). Commentators see more difficulties on the horizon.

Originally the office of prime minister was to rotate between the liberal PP-DB and the conservative Gerb-SDS alliance. Now the cabinet formation process has failed completely in Bulgaria. Nikolai Denkov (PP-DB), who has been prime minister for the last nine months, immediately returned a renewed mandate to form a government on Wednesday. Since the populist ITN is also not expected to be able to form a government, the country now faces its sixth parliamentary elections in three years.

The US state of Florida under the conservative Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has passed a law banning children under 14 from having user accounts on social media. Children under 16 will require parental consent. The move has prompted a discussion about child protection and data security in Europe's press.