The paper clip, 12 November

French newspapers devote pages to coverage of yesterday's Armistice Day ceremonies in Paris. German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the occasion. Le Figaro says that Merkel's visit was a sign of attempts by Sarkozy to strengthen Franco-German co-operation and relations.

Kosovo is to hold its first elections – for mayors and town councils – since declaring independence from Serbia in February last year, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The poll on Sunday will be an important test for the government. Belgrade and the Serbian Orthodox Church have called on Kosovo's Serbs not to participate.

The website of Dnevni avaz reports that the convoy of Hashim Thaci, Kosovo's prime minister, was attacked with stones near the town of Decani last night. Thaci is reported to have been injured, although the police have not confirmed this, and gunshots were allegedly heard.

Many German papers cover the planned EU summit in Brussels on 19 November, at which EU leaders are meant to decide on top EU jobs. Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that Fredrik Reinfledt, the Swedish prime minister, is struggling to get 27 EU leaders to agree on a shortlist of candidates. Le Figaro lists  Herman van Rompuy, the Belgian Prime Minister; Tony Blair, former UK prime minister; Vaire Vika-Freiberga, Latvia's former president; and Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister, as candidates. Gazeta Wyborcza reviews the selection process and the Swedish EU presidency's rejection of a Polish idea that candidates should set out their vision for the EU at the summit.

Werner Faymann, Austria's chancellor, talked for three hours to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow yesterday, writes Die Presse, mostly about Russia's South Stream pipeline project. The Austrian government decided in late October that Austria should support South Stream, but Putin wants to accelerate the schedule. Die Presse reports that Putin suggested that South Stream could also take an alternative route through Slovenia. Borut Pahor, Slovenia's prime minister, is expected in Moscow next week.

Poland's foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, has expressed concern at current exercises by the Russian military near Poland's borders, Gazeta Wyborcza writes.

The Irish Times says the Irish government is to press ahead with its plan for severe cuts in next month's budget, despite further planned disruptions by public sector workers and a one-year extension by the European Commission in the timetable for restoring the public finances.

Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's finance minister, has ruled out a radical reform of Germany's tax system, saying strained public finances do not allow it. The Free Democratic Party (FDP), one of the three parties in the governing centre-right coalition, campaigned for a radical simplification of Germany's complex tax system. Die Welt also covers the story.

The Bank of England has warned that Britain's economic recovery will be long and difficult, the Guardian reports. The bank's governor, Mervyn King, said that inflation is likely to stay below its target for most of the next two years. 
 
FT Deutschland reports on the EU's plans to negotiate an agreement to share banking data with the US authorities, saying the plan has angered MEPs.

Peter Mandelson looks set to gain more powers, according to the Daily Telegraph, which reports that the ex-European commissioner, now the UK's business minister, will take charge of getting the government's message across and could be called on to make weekly television briefings. The paper interprets this as an admission that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has failed to communicate to the public.

Brown's authority is under challenge from another quarter: the Independent reports that four ex-ministers have called for a parliamentary debate on the war in Afghanistan and why British forces are there.

Meanwhile, the Labour government is expected to hang onto a 10,000 majority in Glasgow in a by-election taking place today, see a report in the Guardian.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to admit that the Labour party has made mistakes on immigration, the Times reports. Brown is expected to echo remarks by Alan Johnson, the home secretary, who said last week that some parts of the UK are disproportionately affected by the inflow of foreigners.

Süddeutsche Zeitung reports on a surprise visit of Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, Germany's newly appointed defence minister, to Afghanistan.

The Maltese government is being urged to support a ban on the fishing of bluefin tuna, the Times of Malta reports. Din l-Art Helwa, an environmental non-governmental organisation, says Malta and other Mediterranean nations should change their minds and support a proposal from Monaco to list the fish as an endangered species.

Spain has seen an unprecedented series of corruption cases, mostly in the construction sector, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

Unemployment in Romania will peak in the first or second quarter of 2010 at around 10%, the Romanian Bank has said. Ziarul Financiar reports that the number of people without work currently stands at nearly 654,000, with the worst-hit group being graduates.

The German newspapers devote many column inches to the suicide of Robert Enke, a goalkeeper with the national team, at the age of 32. Enke, who played for first division side Hannover 96, had been suffering from depression for many years and was worried about losing his daughter in a custody dispute. The German football federation has cancelled a friendly match against Chile planned for Saturday as a mark of respect. Süddeutsche Zeitung asks whether there is enough emotional support for public figures. Die Welt charts his rapid progression through some of Europe's top clubs, but also highlights the pressure of performing at such a high level.