Today's front pages

Several hundred thousand people demonstrated in 23 European countries in response to trade unions’ call for a day of coordinated protests against austerity measures to address the economic crisis. General strikes were announced in both Spain and Portugal.

A wave of protests across Europe – International New York Times

Meeting the Polish PM Donald Tusk in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that Poland will not lose much as a result of the expected cuts in the new EU budget for the years 2014-2020. The two leaders agreed to work together to avoid a fiasco at the 22-23 November EU summit, but they did not talk about concrete amounts, notes the daily.

Merkel won’t cut off our money – Gazeta Wyborcza

The new proposal for 2014-2020 EU budget aggravates the cuts in the funding of the EU27. Portugal will probably suffer cuts of 4.5 billion euros in structural funds to support poorer regions and in agriculture aid. Quoting a EU source, the daily says that "the damage could be even bigger because the new proposed cuts affect particularly some of the traditional Portuguese cultures, such as wine, fruit and vegetables, along with the aid to outermost regions which include the Azores and Madeira".

Portugal risks losing €4.5 billion in EU funds – Público

The death on October 28th of a 17 weeks pregnant woman who was refused an abortion has reignited the debate over Ireland's near-total ban of the procedure. 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar had asked several times for her pregnancy to be terminated because she was miscarrying. She was refused because there was a fetal heartbeat. According to her husband, doctors informed her that Ireland was "a Catholic country." In Dublin more than a thousand people staged a demonstration outside the Irish parliament.

Public inquiry demanded into death of woman refused abortion – The Irish Times

The European Commission has presented a draft directive that will impose a 40% quota for women on corporate boards of directors by 2018 for public companies and 2020 for private publicly quoted companies. In Germany, both the political and business communities are opposed to the measure.

40% women – Frankfurter Rundschau

Starting in January 2013, salaries in the Dutch public and semi-public sector will no longer be allowed to exceed 228,599 euros per year, which is 30% more than government ministers are paid. The law voted by the Upper House will concern 700 high-level executives in administration, public health, health insurance companies and housing organisations. In the future, it may be extended to include other professions such as doctors and public television presenters.

Large public service salaries are reined in – De Volkskrant

Notwithstanding what was considered to be a successful performance before the European parliament earlier this week, MEPs in the socialists and democrats parliamentary group are divided over the appointment of Maltese conservative Tonio Borg to the post of European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. Parliament is set to vote on the appointment on Friday 16 November.

Socialists unconvinced by Borg’s values pledge – The Times of Malta