The European papers give extensive coverage to the results of the Israeli elections, which indicated an unexpectedly strong showing by centrists. Their performance may expand the coalition options for the right-wing victor, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza, Spain's El País and Italy's Corriere della Sera are among the papers with reports.
The Czech papers are dominated by the decisive round of presidential elections this weekend. The election, the first direct election, is described as the dirtiest in Czech history. A commentator in Lidové noviny accuses the family of outgoing President Václav Klaus – Klaus, his wife and his oldest son – of a “distasteful” campaign against Karel Schwarzenberg, one of the two candidates, saying that they have combined xenophobia, nationalism and chauvinism. Another commentator focuses on the highly personal attacks on Schwarzenberg by Miloš Zeman, the leading candidate. Hospodářské noviny accuses Zeman of lies – and questions his financial accounts as well as his accounts of history. Separately, Lidové noviny reports that Zeman yesterday apologised – and then returned to airing personal attacks on Schwarzenberg and his family. Hungary's Népszabadság focuses on how the Second World War and the post-war expulsion of Germans, Austrians and some Hungarians have become central to the election. Slovakia's Sme says the battle is dividing the cultural world.
The French papers are full of celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Elysee treaty signed between France and Germany as a mark of their post-war reconciliation. A commentator in Le Monde diplomatique writes that the anniversary is “morose”.
Libération reports on emerging differences between France's political parties over its military intervention in Mali. The centre-right UMP of the former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, argues the government has left France isolated. Le Monde also explores the UMP's position.
Poland will decide on joining the eurozone only after elections in 2015, Slovakia's Pravda writes.
Catalonia yesterday approved a declaration on its right to self-determination, La Vanguardia writes.
Russia has begun to evacuate Russian women and children from Syria, the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny writes.
Switzerland's Neue Zürcher Zeitung looks at the developing efforts to establish an agreement between the Turkish government and the Kurdish rebel movement, the PKK. The UK's Independent reports that the suspected murderer of three PKK activists in Paris had no links to the PKK.s
Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania writes extensively on the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian whistle-blower who died in jail in November 2009 after uncovering a $230 million scam. The US Congress has now barred Russian officials implicated in his death, and the EU is coming under pressure to act. Lithuania will hold the rotating presidency of the EU's Council of Ministers in the second half of 2013.
Switzerland's Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports on “the hollow promise of peace” in Burma, a promise made hollow by ethnic conflict.
