The diplomatic community in Brussels does not appear to be perturbed by the Belgian crisis, even though Belgium is scheduled to take control of the rotating presidency of the European Council on 1st July, reports Le Soir. The crisis has occurred "at the worst possible time for Europe" points out French business daily La Tribune, which adds that "hopes that the Belgian Presidency would make progress on budgetary issues, the formation of the European External Action Service, and a number of initiatives to regulate financial markets" have now been undermined. Le Soir takes a more positive view: "The reality is that the European machine does not break down in the event of political instability on the home turf of the rotating presidency. For proof, you only have to look to the Czech Presidency in 2009, which went off without any major hitches." If that is not sufficiently reassuring, the Brussels daily also notes that "the appointment of a permanent European Council President (Herman Van Rompuy) and a High Representative (Catherine Ashton) has made the rotating presidency less important than it was in the past."
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.