European Union

The European Parliament on Thursday voted against starting negotiations on a controversial new copyright directive. At their Strasbourg plenary, 278 MEPs voted in favour of giving centre-right German MEP Axel Voss a mandate to start negotiations with national governments and the European Commission on the issue, 318 voted against. This opens up the text for additional amendments. Opponents feared it could lead to restrictions of internet freedom.

Europe's politicians and civil society are caught up in a row over how to deal with refugees. Commentators complain that the debate has failed to address key questions and sketch out what must be done for Europe to overcome the crisis sparked by migration.

In defiance of a new law that obliges 27 of the country's 73 Supreme Court judges to retire, the latter turned up for work as usual on Wednesday morning. The EU has accused Poland of seeking to "systematically weaken the rule of law". The law is part of the government's judicial reform project. While some journalists ask how the pressure on Poland can be increased, others believe that change is already on the way.

The Hungarian oligarch Lajos Simicska, once one of Viktor Orbán's confidantes but now his opponent, has announced that he is selling his companies to the pro-government oligarch Zsolt Nyerges. His empire encompasses media outlets that were closed down immediately after Orbán's re-election. Commentators now also see the anti-government TV broadcaster HírTV in danger and voice their dismay.

According to a report compiled by the Academy of Sciences in Sofia Bulgaria's population will have shrunk by 20 percent by the year 2040. There are no precise figures for Romania currently, but observers fear a similar decline in Bulgaria's neighbouring country. Commentators from both countries describe the devastating consequences of this trend.