Israel’s election puts ex-army chief Eisenkot within reach of Netanyahu’s job
Israel is voting for a new parliament. According to ZDF, polls give former armed forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot good chances of beating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A change of government would decide who controls war policy, regional diplomacy and the defence budget. European capitals that deal with Israel on trade, arms and Gaza-related aid would then be negotiating with different people.
Russia declares a local ceasefire around occupied Oleshky
Russia’s defence ministry said (via ZDF) that its forces stopped firing in the Oleshky area of Kherson region at 04:00 Moscow time on Tuesday. It described the pause as preparation for a humanitarian operation. ZDF’s correspondent reported that it remained unclear whether the pause would hold. A pause confined to one occupied town gives Moscow a way to present itself as cooperative without conceding anything on the wider front.
Energy costs are now reaching shop prices in Germany
The ifo institute’s price expectations index, which tracks how many firms plan to raise prices, rose to 22.7 points in September from 21.4 in August (ifo). Crude oil rose again after the Bab al-Mandab strait was blocked. Gas and power prices hit their highest since late 2022 in mid-September. ifo expects inflation to pass 3% in the coming months, with utilities raising electricity and gas tariffs this winter. Le Monde adds that French savings accounts carry promotional rates, but accelerating prices erode their real return. Households holding cash lose out, while borrowers gain.
Von der Leyen’s plan to shrink the Commission gains outside backing
According to Politico, outside advisers back a stronger centre and fewer separate departments. They also propose possible far-reaching changes to some of Brussels’ most powerful directorates. Power would move toward the president’s office and away from commissioners’ own portfolios. Politico also reports that Serbia’s opposition has defeated Aleksandar Vučić, which reopens questions about the country’s stalled EU membership path.
Non-obvious angle: social care may beat health spending on cost
CEPR research on Spain’s 2007 long-term care reform found that cash subsidies and publicly funded home help raised life satisfaction, cut loneliness and increased survival. The cost per quality-adjusted life year (a standard measure of health gained per euro spent) was well below the thresholds applied to health programmes. The authors suggest that some health programmes could be replaced with social care to fund a national care service.
Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.
