Eurotopics.net

The Romanian parliament elected the former defence minister and retired general Nicolae Ciucă as the new prime minister on Thursday. His predecessor Florin Cîțu was removed from office in October. Ciucă heads a three-party coalition of his national liberal PNL, the social democratic PSD and the Hungarian party UDMR. The two major coalition partners, the PNL and the PSD, were bitter opponents until only recently.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which originated in the US, are also ushering in the Christmas season for more and more people in Europe. The press looks at how consumer behaviour affects working conditions, traditions, habits and national economies.

Germany's first "traffic light" governing coalition comprising the SPD, the Greens and the FDP has unveiled its coalition agreement. It includes an increase in the minimum wage and measures to accelerate the coal phase-out. It also foresees state pensions being financed through the capital markets. Europe's press discusses what to expect from the new government.

Whether it's mandatory vaccination, Covid passes or lockdowns - almost all European countries are introducing tighter measures in the fight against a new winter wave of the virus. And almost everywhere, a considerable chunk of the population views the measures as too harsh. Europe's press is also at loggerheads over the issue.