“Cowen bows out with call for respectful election campaign,” headlines the Irish Times, following the 1 February dissolution of the Dáil (Irish parliament) ahead of the 25 February general election. After the announcement that he would retire from public life, Taoiseach Brian Cowen – the first European leader to fall over the eurozone crisis – called for “respectful” debate over the state’s future. In a farewell speech, the Taoiseach, who had presided over Ireland’s economic crash, its humiliating EU/IMF bailout and subsequent loss of sovereignty, said, “This election should not be about personalities but serious debate, reflection and the solemn business of democracy.” The national press, in a forgiving mood, hails Cowen’s “personal integrity”. As the Irish Independent leaders notes – “Napoleon wanted his generals to be lucky. As Brian Cowen's political career comes to what is undoubtedly a sad end, he can reflect that he did not have much luck.”
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.