Eurotopics.net

For the first time in 40 years, the Portuguese presidential election will go into a second round. On 8 February, the socialist candidate António José Seguro (31 percent) will face off against the right-wing populist André Ventura (23.5 percent). The candidate of the ruling conservative PSD party came in fifth in the first round of voting on Sunday. Portuguese media take stock.

US President Donald Trump welcomed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to the White House on Thursday to discuss the future of her country, Venezuela. At the end of the meeting, Machado presented the president with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she received last year, citing his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. Commentators are appalled.

After an unsuccessful meeting on the Greenland issue on Wednesday, several European Nato states will send military delegations to the Arctic island. There is now also disagreement about the objective of a working group set up at the Washington meeting: according to US President Donald Trump, it will merely clarify technical details for the US takeover of Greenland. This has been vehemently contradicted in Copenhagen and Nuuk.

The situation in Iran remains tense. After the security forces violently suppressed the protests, which had been ongoing since December, people are no longer taking to the streets for now. Information is scarce due to the internet blackout. Human rights organisations have reported thousands of deaths and more than 10,000 arrests. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has called on Iranians to continue protesting and promised assistance.