Eurotopics.net

Campaigns for the European Parliament elections slated for May 23 to 26 are launching across Europe. Forecasts see the Eurosceptics making gains while the established parties could lose a substantial number of seats. It is still unclear whether the British will take part. Commentators call on voters and politicians to take the elections seriously.

Turkey's President Erdoğan wants to stick to his plan to buy Russia's S-400 missile defence system, as he stressed after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The plans are causing tensions within Nato because Russia could potentially obtain sensitive data about the military alliance as a result of the transaction. Commentators also express concern.

The EU member states have granted Britain a new extension until the end of October for Brexit. The majority wanted to extend the deadline until the end of the year but Paris insisted that the delay had to be as short as possible to avoid harming the functioning of the EU. Is the decision a relief or will it only prolong the torment of the Brexit drama?

Following parliamentary elections in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative Likud party and its right-wing and religious coalition partners have won a majority of seats in the Knesset, prevailing against challenger Benny Gantz's centrist Blue and White alliance. The Israeli prime minister is facing charges in three cases of corruption, however. Commentators explain Netanyahu's latest election victory.