Eurotopics.net

After losing the parliamentary majority for his government in December, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger has failed in his attempts to rebuild the previous governing alliance and has now agreed to early elections, which could take place this autumn. The national press wonders whether this can stop the decline of the country's political culture.

In the wake of persistent criticism of her conduct in office, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht tendered her resignation on Monday, which was promptly accepted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. According to public broadcaster ARD, Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Boris Pistorius is set to replace her. Commentators discuss why Lambrecht failed and how important Germany's defence policies are for Europe.

The 53rd World Economic Forum began in Davos on Monday evening, with top representatives from politics and business traditionally gathering at the event. According to founder Klaus Schwab, the goal of the Forum is "improving the state of the world". Europe's press debates whether this is at all true, and if so, what it would take to achieve it.

The Italian police have arrested the country's most wanted Mafioso. Matteo Messina Denaro is considered to be the boss of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and is allegedly responsible for the murders of judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, among others. He was arrested in a private clinic in Palermo. The press remains sceptical about the extent to which his arrest will truly undermine Mafia structures.