Le Figaro, 22 July 2010
"Paris and Berlin plan to harmonize taxation," headlines Le Figaro. In its analysis of the common position on European economic governance proposed by the 21 July meeting of the French council of ministers and the German Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schaüble, the daily notes that the "fiscal convergence" deemed "necessary" by Nicolas Sarkozy, will affect businesses and the general public. "Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, who are both faced with plunging approval ratings, will need to act quickly to overcome their recent disagreements," remarks Le Figaro, which emphasizes the French president’s desire to introduce a more German style model of governance in France.
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.