Today's front pages

Designated to succeed John Dalli as European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, the Maltese Foreign Minister will be questioned by a European parliamentary committee tasked to evaluate his application on 13 November. A large number of MEPs are opposed to the appointment of Borg who is noted for his conservative views on divorce, abortion and gay marriage.

Tonio Borg faces tough hearing today – The Malta Independent

Spanish banks have accepted a moratorium on the eviction of mortgage holders who are unable to reimburse their loans in cases of “extreme need”. The conservative government and the socialist opposition are in the process of negotiating the details of the measure, which will take the form of a decree. "The social mobilisation has obtained its first success", announces the daily, which has campaigned against evictions.

Two-year truce – El Periódico de Catalunya

On a six hour visit to Lisbon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the “excellence” of Portugal’s economic readjustment since its bailout and wished for “a happy outcome”. On the streets, a few hundred turned out to protest a visit from the Chancellor which the Lisbon daily calls "nothing more than a charm operation more about showing Germans that their government is the power that determines the European agenda than telling the Portuguese she understands their troubles and is willing to address them".

Merkel brings compliments and hears chorus of protests – Público

The Bucharest court of appeals has sentenced eight people from the world of football, including the managers of major clubs and well-known impresarios, for their participation in illegal football transfer deals worth 7.8 million euros, which involved four clubs and deprived the state of 1.17 million euros in taxes between 1999 and 2005. The daily also reports on the story of a Democratic Liberal MP who has been caught red-handed by prosecutors from the national anti-corruption agency. The MP was offering major public contracts in exchange for commissions of up to 150,000 euros.

Justice system demonstrates understanding of football and politics! – Evenimentul zilei

According to a confidential note from the French Ministry of Labour, 110,000 foreigners from countries like Poland, Romania, Spain and Portugal are officially working in France for wages that are well below the local market rate, However, some estimates evaluate the number of “low-cost” workers, who are under contract to companies based in their home countries elsewhere in Europe, at more than 300,000. The workers are mainly employed in construction and public works.

Business flourishes for “Polish plumbers” – Aujourd'hui en France - Le Parisien

Scandinavian airline SAS, which is partially controlled by the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian states and which has been losing money since 2007, has announced its fourth cost-cutting plan in 10 years. This time around, SAS employees will have to accept a 15% pay cut, and less favourable working conditions. SAS has also pledged to liquidate some of its assets and reduce its workforce by 40%.

Back to the wall – Jyllands-Posten

Controversial Muslim religious leader Abu Qatada is to be freed from a UK prison after he won an appeal against his deportation to Jordan, where he faces convictions over terrorist offences related to two alleged bomb plots in 1999 and 2000. “The decision means that the security services and police will now have to watch him around the clock in a surveillance operation that is likely to cost the taxpayer more than £5 million [€6.26m] a year.”

Qatada allowed to roam free, and it will cost us £5m a year – The Daily Telegraph