European Union

The European Union’s Green Deal could be a glue that brings us together: it should be used to build peace in neighbouring countries, writes Peter Läderach.

The EU has launched legal action against the UK after London failed to meet its ultimatum to withdraw its controversial Internal Market Bill. If signed into law the bill would override key sections of the existing Brexit Withdrawal Agreement with Brussels. Europe's press is divided on whether this will escalate the tensions or whether it is just a formality.

The Polish government is being restructured and reduced in size. There will now be 14 instead of 20 ministries. Jarosław Kaczyński, head of the national-conservative governing party PiS, will become deputy prime minister. The new minister of science and education will be Przemysław Czarnek, who is being criticised for his anti-LGBT statements. What impacts will the restructuring of the cabinet have on relations with the EU?

In view of the situation in Belarus and the repressive acts against prominent IT professionals, Latvia and Lithuania see the chance to attract companies that no longer feel safe there. Latvia, in particular, has low bureaucratic hurdles and, according to the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), some companies have already committed to relocating there. Nervous anticipation can be seen in the Baltic press.

Navalny has given the news magazine Der Spiegel his first extensive interview after being poisoned. He accuses Putin of being personally responsible for the attack and announced that he would return to Russia and continue his political struggle. Putin's press officer Dmitry Peskov reacted with the counteraccusation that Navalny was receiving instructions from the CIA.

The EU published its first report on the situation of the rule of law in its member states on Wednesday. The Commission sees shortcomings in areas such as press freedom, the separation of powers and the fight against corruption, not only in Poland and Hungary, but also in countries like Bulgaria, Spain or Malta. However, commentators do not believe that this will have serious consequences for the states concerned.

Twenty-six years after the sinking of the MS Estonia, new footage is fuelling speculation about the cause of the disaster. It shows a four-metre hole in the starboard side of the ship's hull which, according to the chairman of the Estonian investigative committee, points to a collision with a submarine. The ferry sank in 1994 on its way from Tallinn to Stockholm, killing 852 people.