🇬🇷Week of September 14

Friedrich Merz described the election result in Mecklenburg as catastrophic and said he would continue as CDU leader and chancellor. He also said he would take responsibility for the outcome.123

The far-right AfD took first place in Mecklenburg, while the CDU collapsed to 5.5 percent there. In Berlin, the Left won, and the CDU lost the capital.456

The results were described as a dead end for Germany, with the far right surging and causing alarm. The CDU's loss in Berlin and its 5.5 percent in Mecklenburg were seen as a heavy blow.75

European intelligence chiefs are warning of a possible Russian "test" of NATO within months, according to reports carried by Greek outlets. The warnings describe scenarios of a Russian attack on NATO, as reported by Ethnos and Kathimerini.123

Governments across Europe are preparing their citizens for an escalation of the Russian threat, according to Skai.gr. The outlet reported that European governments are taking steps to ready the public for a potential worsening of the security situation.4

Attributed claim: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that some in the West are seeking a war between Russia and NATO, according to ProtoThema. The right-leaning outlet highlighted Fico's statement as a counterpoint to the intelligence warnings.5

Ukrainian forces carried out a large-scale drone attack on Moscow and its suburbs, with Russian parliamentary elections entering their third and final day. The attack was described as the largest Ukrainian drone assault since the start of the war.123

Attributed claim: The number of drones involved varied across reports: one outlet cited over 1,000 drones, another reported 1,600 drones, while a third said more than 390 drones targeted Moscow. The attack caused damage to residential buildings and triggered alerts at airports.435

Ukrainian missiles struck a refinery and a logistics center in Moscow, and a ballistic missile was used for the first time in the attack. Two people were killed and others injured in the mass attack.6748

Russia stated it would intensify attacks on Kyiv in response to the Ukrainian drone strikes during the elections.9

Greece's out-of-court debt settlement mechanism will apply a new protection for primary residences starting September 21. The change is described as a new "shield" for the first home, with the mechanism allowing debts to be repaid in 72 or 240 instalments.1234

The out-of-court mechanism is set to undergo two major changes to debt regulation, according to enikonomia.gr. The outlet reports that all the latest information concerns the adjustment of debt settlement rules under the mechanism.5

Coverage of the change highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of the instalment arrangements and the out-of-court mechanism. The repayment options of 72 or 240 instalments are presented alongside an assessment of the pros and cons of the regulations.4

A large wildfire is burning uncontrolled in Chonos, near Sitia in the Lasithi region of Crete, with difficult hours for residents. The fire is described as raging at close range to Karydi, and a new 112 emergency message was issued for five settlements.123

The 112 emergency service sent alerts for readiness in multiple areas and ordered the evacuation of Karydi. The fire is burning at close range to Karydi, and a new 112 message covered five settlements.143

A major flare-up of the fire occurred in Sitia, and only ground forces remain in the battle against the flames. The fire in Chonos, Sitia, is burning uncontrollably, creating difficult hours for residents.25