EUROPEAN HEADLINES
FT – Merkel’s office drawn into spy probe. Affair dents public confidence in leader
WSJE – UK goes to the polls in tight election. Voters in Britain began casting their ballots in the country’s most unpredictable national election in more than two decades.
INYT – Familiar Swing to Security Over Privacy After Attacks in France. For two years after the revelations by Edward J. Snowden, Europe was awash in talk about American excesses in mass surveillance, objecting to how the National Security Agency swept up emails and phone conversations — even of political leaders like Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany — in an American electronic net that seemed to envelop the Continent.
FRANCE
Le Monde – Familiar Swing to Security Over Privacy After Attacks in France. In a dynamic seen many times since the Sept. 11 attacks led the United States to strengthen its spy agencies, French citizens appear willing to give up privacy for more protection.
Les Echos – Phone tapping – Sarkozy’s telephone conversations can be used in trial.
GERMANY
Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ) – Lesser of two evils? The British now have the choice between two very different personalities. Politically Prime Minister David Cameron for the economic upturn, Labour leader Ed Miliband for social justice.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung – UK: The time of a clear majority is over. A neck-and-neck race between the conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and his Labour challenger Ed Miliband is expected today. Surveys predict about 33 percent of the vote for each of them.
ITALY
La Repubblica –Mattarella signs the Italicum. Thumbs up by Fitch and Moody’s. The international rating agencies quickly approve the new electoral law: Renzi’s high popularity “allowed him to use the possibility of new elections to push the measures through parliament”
Il Sole 24 Ore – The Reckless Bet of Athens’ Sorcerers. At this point, not even transforming Yanis Varoufakis into Iphigenia and sacrifice him like Agamemnon’s daughter will be enough to appease the Gods. The agreement expected in the next few days will not happen, as the confrontation between Athens and its European partners got harsh again.
POLAND
Gazeta Wyborczaza – Putin: We were internet trolls. The story behind the Kremlin Ministry of Truth.
SPAIN
El Pais –Púnica ringleaders hid €11 million in Switzerland and Singapore.Ex-Madrid official and friend thought to have charged commissions to award contracts
Expansion – The PP will win the election and the PSOE regains 2nd place from Podermos. The Popular Party will win the election and the Socialists will finish second after losing 7.5 points.
UK
The Times – Queen to take control of voting aftermath. The Queen will be thrust centre stage if David Cameron tries to hang on to power after the election without the backing of enough MPs. The Times can reveal that Buckingham Palace has had a change of heart.
The Guardian – UK market jitters after closest election in decades. Parties are neck and neck, but momentum with Labour.
