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Daily Press Summary German CDU/FDP Coalition lose Lower Saxony electionsThe SPD and Green party have together won a one-seat majority in the German Lower Saxony state elections with a combined 46.3% of the vote ahead of the governing CDU/FDP coalition on 45.9%. The current SPD mayor of Hannover Stephan Weil will now replace Angela Merkel's protege David McAllister as governor of Lower Saxony. The result is a boost for the SPD’s candidate to be German Chancellor Peer Steinbrueck ahead of elections in September and gives the SPD/Green alliance a majority in the German Bundesrat with 36 out of 69 seats. The biggest losers of the elections were the Pirate Party and the radical-left Linke, who failed to reach the 5% threshold to make it into the Lower Saxony parliament. FAZ 1 FAZ 2 Süddeutsche 1 Süddeutsche 2 Süddeutsche 3 Welt Der Spiegel Stern Handelsblatt FT WSJEUobserver Telegraph Hague: There’s a “strong case” for an EU referendum; British Chambers of Commerce: We must renegotiate our role in the EU William Hague has said that there is a “strong case” for the British public to decide on the UK's future relationship with the EU in a referendum. He confirmed that David Cameron’s EU speech would take place this week, the exact date is likely to be announced today. A new poll by YouGov shows that more voters now want Britain to remain in the EU than to leave, compared to a 6-point lead a week ago for those supporting a British exit. On Friday, US President Barack Obama reiterated that he “values a strong UK in a strong European Union.” In the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Wolfson, the CEO of Next, argued, “Those Europhiles who argue that we must either accept a federal Europe or lose our place in the EU unwittingly act as recruiting sergeants for their opponents who say we should leave. Before adopting either extreme, we should at least try to negotiate a middle way…The message is clear: single market yes, federal Europe no.” In the Observer, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, argues that David Cameron’s “renegotiation and referendum" strategy “chimes with the thinking of many pragmatic businesspeople whose primary interest in the European debate is ensuring that they can trade, hire, export and flourish.” Open Europe Director Mats Persson was quoted in Saturday’s Sun as saying that “Europe has to envisage a space for countries that do not want to join the euro.” On his Rzeczpospolita blog, Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki argues that Poland’s “preference for free trade and economic liberalisation, and concerns about EU over-reach in areas such as social policy and climate policy” should be the foundations of an alliance with the UK for EU reform. BBC Telegraph Euractiv Observer: Longworth Sunday Telegraph: Wolfson Spectator Sunday TelegraphRzeczpospolita blogs: Swidlicki Sunday Telegraph: Booker FT Times City AM Express Mail Welt: MurrayMail on Sunday: Forsyth Sunday Times: Lawson FT Weekend Saturday's Express Saturday's MailSaturday's Times Saturday's Independent Saturday's Independent: Leader Saturday's TelegraphObserver Sunday Telegraph Saturday's Express: O'Flynn Saturday's Independent: Grice Saturday's Telegraph: Moore FT Weekend: Rachman Independent IHT Guardian Guardian: Owen Guardian: HinsliffIndependent: Jones Open Europe blog Cypriot bailout unlikely until March The FT reports that a Cypriot bailout is likely to be delayed for two months, until after the country’s elections. This is partly due to the current government’s rejection of any privatisation but also because the IMF continues to push for a debt write-down, while Germany and other eurozone countries are keen to see bank creditors take losses. Separately, EUobserver reports that Germany is considering sending experts to Cyprus to help tackle money laundering. FT CityAM EUobserver Süddeutsche FAZ New poll: 56.9% of Catalans would be in favour of Catalonia becoming “a new state within the EU” According to a new GESPO poll published by El Periódico de Cataluña, 69% of Catalans are in favour of a referendum on independence. 62.9% of respondents said that the referendum should be held even without the Spanish government’s consent. The poll also shows that 56.9% of Catalans would be in favour of Catalonia becoming “a new state within the EU”. Separately, Expansión reports that eurozone finance ministers are today expected to release the second tranche of the Spanish bank bailout, worth almost €1.9bn. Expansión Cinco Días Cinco Días 2 La Vanguardia Periódico de Cataluña According to a new ISPO poll for Il Corriere della Sera, Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition is ahead in three big Italian regions – Lombardy, Sicily and Veneto. Due to Italy’s electoral law, the centre-left coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani would not win an absolute majority in the Italian Senate under this scenario – and would be forced to seek allies to form the new government.Corriere della Sera ISPO poll FT CityAM FT: Munchau Repubblica Il Sole 24 Ore Diário Económico notes that, at today’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers, the Portuguese government expects to hear the conditions attached to the financing of its EU-IMF bailout. Diário Económico The FT reports that European Council President Herman Van Rompuy is planning to put the same proposal he made in November to a new summit on the EU’s long-term budget negotiations on 7-8 February quoting an aide as saying “There’s a general feeling that the time is ripe.” FT The Sunday Times reports that the EU spent £69m a year on its diplomats' homes including£25,000 a month to rent a residence for the Spanish EU ambassador to Russia. Sunday Times In its latest assessment of the Greek bailout, the IMF warns that Greece could need up to €9.6bn more in financial aid by the end of the year and, if the reform programme falters, the eurozone and the IMF could need to take 25% losses on their loans to Greece to ensure the country stays afloat. FT In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann warned, “Some think that central banks are the only [ones able to solve the crisis]. I consider this thinking wrong and dangerous.”Helsingin Sanomat CityAM Reuters Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem is expected to be named the new head of the Eurogroup today, after France dropped its concerns over his candidacy. WSJ Rzeczpospolita Euractiv FAZ Reuters According to ORF, that at tomorrow’s meeting of EU finance mininsters a qualfied majority is expected to allow eleven member states to go ahead with introducing a common financial transaction tax.ORF