Eurotopics.net

US President Barack Obama will meet with Donald Trump at the White House today to discuss the plan for handing over power to his designated successor. Commentators are still perplexed by Donald Trump's victory against Hillary Clinton, who was considered the favourite. Many see the election result as a protest vote against the establishment.

Using her Twitter account, Marine Le Pen was one of the first to congratulate Donald Trump. Like other far-right politicians in Europe she sees her chances as having improved after his victory. Does she now stand a better chance of becoming the next president of France? Or will she be unable to emulate Trump's success?

One day before the US presidential election, commentators take stock of the campaign. For many observers the past months have revealed deep rifts in the country. While some feel the divides are insurmountable, others stress that more justice could patch together US society.

With a wave of arrests against leading politicians of the pro-Kurdish HDP on Thursday night, President Erdoğan continued his crackdown against his critics. Kurdish communities demonstrated in Turkey and across Europe on the weekend. The opposition can't stop President Erdoğan, some commentators write. Others hope that economic developments will put a spoke in his wheel.

In Bulgaria the Socialist candidate Rumen Radev has won the first round of the presidential election, securing 25 percent of the vote. Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of ruling party Gerb lagged behind with roughly 22 percent. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had said prior to the vote that he and his cabinet would resign if the opposition candidate won, but he has now announced that he will wait for the result of the runoff vote. The press comments on Borisov's back-pedalling.