Eurotopics.net

After 15 rounds of voting, Republican Kevin McCarthy was finally elected speaker of the US House of Representatives late on Friday night. Following heated debates and disruptions, the Republican members who had repeatedly blocked his election eventually abstained from voting. Commentators fear McCarthy made too many concessions to the "Never Kevins".

Thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv last weekend to protest against the new Israeli government. The protesters are particularly angry about the plan to allow laws to be passed even if they are ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Government initiatives in the Israel-Palestine conflict have also provoked criticism. Commentators discuss the causes and necessary action.

One month after the baguette was added to Unesco's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, French bakers are facing a serious crisis. Many bakeries have been forced to close due to rising raw material and energy prices. The press underscores the important role of the bakery in French society.

Following a legal amendment last year, almost 20,000 permanent residents of Latvia with Russian citizenship must either prove by 1 September that they can speak Latvian at least at the A2 level, which means that they can perform routine tasks in the language, or present a psychiatric certificate exempting them from the test. Otherwise, their residence permit will not be extended. The national press is divided on the issue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Christmas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, has refused to give the order for his troops to stop firing, saying that the Russians just want to use Christmas as a pretext to stop the Ukrainian advance in Donbass. The press is also suspicious.