“Wilders claims historic breakthrough,” headlines Trouw after yesterday’s three-way handshake between Christian Democrats (CDA), Liberals (VVD) and the Freedom Party (PVV). The CDA and VVD, which have been trying to find common ground since the 9 June general elections, have finally forged a right-wing coalition buttressed by a deal with the PVV, Geert Wilders’ Islamophobic party. The latter, having swept aside the parties on the left, will have 24 seats at their disposal (the other two coalition partners have 52 seats), sufficient leverage to play a pivotal part in policymaking in the new coalition. The government will probably be piloted by Liberals leader Mark Rutte. The Christian Democrats’ convention this Friday will decide whether to share power with the Freedom Party or not.
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.