Eurotopics.net

Since its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Russia has undergone significant internal changes, with the Kremlin regime tightening its grip on power. However, the economy, which initially boomed thanks to massive government contracts and high oil prices, is now faltering, and according to estimates around 300,000 soldiers have been killed in action.

In 2018, the Swiss clearly rejected a complete abolition of public broadcasting fees. Now, a new initiative by the national conservative party SVP, the Young Liberals and the Swiss Trade Association aims to halve the budget of public broadcaster SRG to ease the burden on citizens and businesses. But according to the national press, this is not the real issue. The vote has been set for 8 March and the outcome is still open.

The killing by the Mexican military of Mexican drug lord Nemesios Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho", has triggered a violent backlash from his powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Dozens of people have already been killed in the clashes. Europe's press discusses how the conflict will affect the country's stability.

The election campaign in Hungary is becoming increasingly heated in the run-up to the parliamentary elections on 12 April. While opposition leader Péter Magyar has said that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is capable of nothing more than "incitement" and "threats", Orbán has described Magyar's conservative Tisza Party as a "creation of foreign powers". Orbán has been endorsed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told him: "Your success is our success."

Pedro Sánchez's government is pushing for Spain to introduce a social media ban for under-16s like the one that came into force in Australia in December. Similar legislative initiatives are underway in France, the UK, Romania and Turkey – as is a fierce debate in Europe's press.