"Zapatero proposes a pact but Rajoy doesn't believe him." El Mundo reports on the Spanish government leader's announcement that he is ready to negotiate terms for a unity pact with opposition leader Mariano Rajoy and representatives of other parties in a bid to boost efforts to combat the economic crisis. In an editorial which describes Zapatero's speech as "an exercise in Panglossian optimism," El Mundo criticises the Prime Minister's "dogmatic insistence on certain magic recipes, and his refusal to envisage cuts in welfare spending." However, the conservative daily also notes that José Luis Zapatero has made a "extremely precise" proposal, which constitutes "the only viable option" for Spain. If the government leader sticks to his guns, Mariano Rajoy will be "forced to adopt the plan," which aims to prevent the country "from sliding into economic quicksand." The daily notes that 80% of Spanish voters are in favour of an agreement of this kind.
The leader of Greece’s leftist alliance SYRIZA is the new bright hope of Greek politics. Steering a course between pragmatism and the rhetoric of class warfare, he has unsettled Berlin, and not just those who back Angela Merkel's austerity policies. 
Europe’s economic woes have forced us to try to understand the secret Olympian world of global finance. But now that we pay more attention to bond yields and stability mechanisms, isn’t it clear that the experts up on their lofty peaks don’t know what’s going on either? 
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is hosted by Azerbaijan, a country that is far from being a model democracy. An Estonian journalist takes a critical look at the deferential treatment enjoyed by the regime in Baku.