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“Ireland takes over the EU Presidency. The country has made progress in overcoming the financial crisis,” writes the daily, which reports that Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has pledged that his country “will be working to bring about a recovery in Europe.”

Irish-style cure – Frankfurter Rundschau

According to Red Cross Director-General, Yves Daccord, southern Europe will see protest and revolt on a scale similar to the Arab Spring in the Maghreb. The daily notes that the Greek branch of the Red Cross recently went bankrupt, while the latest collection by the charity in Spain was used to help Spanish citizens.

Red Cross: Europe to be world’s new hotspot – Politiken

For the Belgian daily, 2013 “will likely be as difficult as 2012” notably in terms of the job market. According to forecasts from the National Bank of Belgium, unemployment will reach 8.1 per cent, compared to 7.4 per cent last year.

Economy: What to expect in 2013 – Le Soir

Libération adopts a more optimistic tone than the prophets of doom who predict that the bid for national and European economic recovery will make 2013 a year of pain. “What if 2013 turns out to be free of depression, and neither drab nor painful. What if hope overcomes universal despair?”

2013: It will be fine – Libération

According to entrepreneurs consulted by the business daily, the Spanish economy will begin to recover, especially in the second half of 2013. The turnaround will be fuelled by increased economic competitiveness, easier exports, labour market reforms, controls on public spending and the stabilisation of the country’s financial system.

2013: A year of stabilisation – Cinco Días

Quoting economists’ predictions for 2013, Rzeczpospolita notes that unemployment in Poland may rise to 14.6 per cent (compared to 12.9 in November 2012), and GDP by only 1.5 per cent (2.1 per cent in 2012), while salaries will rise slowly, by not more than 3 per cent, or to 3,800 PLN (€934) per month on average, at the annual inflation rate estimated at 2.1 per cent.

Pre-heart attack state – Rzeczpospolita

After formalising his bid for premiership at the helm of a coalition of “reformists of the radical centre”, incumbent Prime Minister Mario Monti entered the election campaign ahead of the February poll with the promise to ease the fiscal burden. But under his government tax pressure has so far risen from 44.7 per cent to 45.3 per cent.

Monti: cut taxes by one point – La Repubblica