The ruling Reform Party expects the speaker of the Riigikogu to take the lead in organizing discussions on the presidential election and believes the initiative in putting forward candidates should come primarily from the opposition.

A new survey on religion shows that traditional church‑based religiosity in Estonia is continuing to decline, and most Estonian residents do not consider themselves followers of any religion. The study also found that attitudes toward religion differ sharply between Estonians and Russian‑speaking residents.

The ruling Reform Party expects the speaker of the Riigikogu to take the lead in organizing discussions on the presidential election and believes the initiative in putting forward candidates should come primarily from the opposition.

Parliamentary parties will spend this week discussing ways to agree on a joint candidate in an effort to elect the president in the Riigikogu. Members of the European Parliament elected from Estonia believe reaching a consensus is possible.

A new survey on religion shows that traditional church‑based religiosity in Estonia is continuing to decline, and most Estonian residents do not consider themselves followers of any religion. The study also found that attitudes toward religion differ sharply between Estonians and Russian‑speaking residents.

Many women avoid traveling alone after dark and adjust their daily routines because of safety concerns. A recent master's thesis suggests that people's sense of safety is also shaped by whether others are present in public spaces and whether help is available if needed.

1908 – Siberis Podkamennaja Tunguska lähedal toimus plahvatus, mida tänapäeval tuntakse Tunguusi meteoriidiplahvatuse nime all.

Monaco kortermajas sai esmaspäeval toimunud plahvatuses haavata kolm inimest, kelle hulgas teismeline, teatasid võimuesindajad.

The male suspect who has been arrested was in a custody dispute over his baby daughter, police say.

The Russian president acknowledged Ukraine's attacks were "obviously creating problems" but denied the shortages were "critical".

Three in five homes listed for sale since January remain on the market, says property portal Zoopla.

The Fire (Financially Independent, Retire Early) movement sees followers save as much as possible.

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Vor dem wichtigen Koalitionsausschuss am Mittwoch wächst die Zuversicht auf einen großen Durchbruch bei der Steuer- und Arbeitsmarktreform. Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil hat zwei Entwürfe auf den Tisch gelegt. Noch aber gibt’s ein Problem: Die SPD fordert massive Entlastungen, während die Union auf Subventionsabbau pocht. Gordon Repinski analysiert, warum es trotzdem Chancen auf einen großen Wurf gibt. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview rät der ehemalige hessische Ministerpräsident Roland Koch (CDU) seiner Partei zu Härte. Die Union müsse auf echter Arbeitsmarkt-Flexibilisierung und einer Ausweitung des Kuchens bestehen, anstatt einer reinen Reichensteuer zuzustimmen, die am Ende dem Wachstum schadet. Eine Wahlkreisreform des Bundestages könnte brisante Folgen haben. Wie Rasmus Buchsteiner berichtet, könnte Baden-Württemberg einen Wahlkreis hinzugewinnen, während Sachsen und damit prominent der AfD-Abgeordnete Maximilian Krah einen verlieren könnte. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. ⁠Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren.⁠ Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: ⁠@gordon.repinski⁠ | X: ⁠@GordonRepinski⁠. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 ⁠information@axelspringer.de⁠ Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von Ørsted: Ørsted steht für Offshore-Windenergie – und das ist Energie für mehr: mehr Unabhängigkeit, mehr Sicherheit, mehr Stabilität für unser Energiesystem. Mehr erfahren:

For more than two decades, EU Regulation EC261 has been one of Europe’s clearest consumer success stories. It transformed air passenger rights from vague promises into enforceable protections, while creating powerful incentives for airlines to improve operational reliability. The results are measurable: EU passengers today are 70 percent less likely to face delays exceeding three hours and face 20 percent less same-day cancellations than travellers in the United States, where no comparable system exists. It is a framework that successfully prevents an estimated 8,400 hours of flight delays every year. Such changes would amount to one of the most significant rollbacks of existing air passenger rights in history. That is precisely why the European Parliament is right to stand firm and draw a definitive red line against weakening these protections. Moving beyond false compromises As legislative discussions continue, the European Parliament has consistently resisted regressive proposals, including those advanced during the Cypriot Council Presidency, which sought to drastically reduce compensation levels. Under the proposal, baseline compensation for delays over three hours could fall from €250 to as little as €83, cutting payouts for delays between three and seven hours by up to 66%. Such changes would amount to one of the most significant rollbacks of existing air passenger rights in history. By holding firm on its red line and defending the existing three-hour delay threshold, Parliament is protecting one of Europe’s most important consumer rights frameworks. If the goal is genuine modernization, the focus should be on strengthening the effectiveness of passenger protections, not weakening them. Restoring the real value of EC261 The real value of EC261 compensation has eroded substantially since the regulation entered into force in February 2005. Cumulative inflation over this period has been 58.6 percent, according to the European Central Bank. In 2005 values, the current €250 compensation is now worth less than €160 and the €600 compensation is worth just under €380. Passengers therefore already receive significantly less effective protection than when the regulation was introduced, while airlines have benefited from the declining real cost of compensation over time. Compensation levels must be indexed to ensure EC261 remains effective. The economic reality of diluted rights Reducing compensation to symbolic amounts strips the regulation of its primary purpose: consumer protection and accountability. An independent economic analysis by Dr. Hinnerk Gnutzmann and Dr. Piotr Śpiewanowski confirms the scale of this risk. Their study concludes that under these proposed changes, total compensation actually paid to passengers would fall by 74 percent, while approximately 83 percent of delay claims would become effectively unenforceable. EC261 is effective because it creates a clear financial incentive for airlines to minimize avoidable disruption and resolve claims properly. This is not a theoretical concern. Airlines already reject 52 percent of valid initial claims, forcing many passengers to rely on legal representatives or consumer bodies to enforce their rights. If compensation levels fall to €83, pursuing claims would become economically unviable at scale, effectively shutting passengers out of meaningful enforcement. Rights may remain on paper, but access to justice would steadily disappear in practice. But the consequences would extend far beyond compensation itself. EC261 is effective because it creates a clear financial incentive for airlines to minimize avoidable disruption and resolve claims properly. Weakening that deterrent would reduce pressure on airlines to maintain punctuality, while increasing the incentive to reject valid claims in the expectation that few passengers will be able to challenge those decisions. The illusion of automated forms To offset these reductions, the Council has placed significant political faith in automated compensation forms, framing them as a technological solution that can simplify claim filings. While digitization is a welcome step, automated paperwork cannot replace substantive legal rights. Even if these forms could make a positive impact, they lose all efficacy if compensation amounts decrease. Simplifying the filing process is entirely meaningless if the underlying claim is financially unviable to pursue; if compensation is cut to symbolic levels, meaningful enforcement becomes impossible, rendering any new paperwork system useless. Preserving a global standard EC261 has become the global gold standard for air passenger rights because it successfully balances strong consumer protection with a thriving aviation market. Its principles have been mirrored worldwide by nations seeking to replicate Europe’s high standards of punctuality and accountability. The European Parliament’s unified resistance is the only barrier protecting passengers from a severe loss of rights. If the EU council refuses to put citizens first and continues to offer trade-offs that favor airline balance sheets over consumer protection, the path forward is clear: it is better to let this regressive proposal fall entirely and maintain the current, working rules of EC261. Weakening a global benchmark is a step backward that Europe’s travellers cannot afford. About APRA The Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA), founded in 2017 by the world’s leading air passenger compensation companies, represents the interests of air passengers to provide maximum protection. The association actively engages in constructive dialogue with European and national institutions, airlines, airports, national law enforcement agencies and other key stakeholders. APRA offers a combination of robust data, in-depth analysis and collective knowledge to inform policymakers and promote the interests of European air passengers. www.apra-eu.com POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT The sponsor is Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA) The entity ultimately controlling the sponsor is Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA) The political advertisement is linked to advocacy regarding EU Regulation EC261 – opinion. More information here.

Ukrainian oligarch reported to be among injured in explosion at residential building in the Mediterranean principality.

Residents lit candles on Monday evening near the site of a shooting that killed six staff members at a German shelter.

Two people said to be in critical condition after CCTV shows man dropping backpack at residential building lobbyAn explosion in Monaco has triggered a police hunt for a man suspected of detonating a makeshift bomb that injured three people.The blast occurred on Monday evening in the semi-enclave famous for casinos and superyachts, French media reported. Continue reading...

Two sides agree to try to make bilateral relationship ‘more balanced’ after weeks of threatsThe EU and China have agreed to enter three months of talks to try to avoid a trade war over the bloc’s €360bn (£310bn) annual import/export imbalance.In their first joint statement in seven years, the two sides agreed in Brussels to open a formal trade consultation after weeks of threats and recriminations from China if the EU imposed any measures to stop the flood of goods and components into the bloc. Continue reading...

Explosion rocks residential building in wealthy Mediterranean principality

Government accepts proposal to appoint a national maternity and neonatal commissioner