Eurotopics.net

March 29, 2019, is the deadline for the Brexit - yet there is no sign of a majority for either an orderly Brexit or a second referendum in the British parliament. As a result, both Brussels and London are preparing contingency plans for a no-deal scenario. For commentators the Brexit negotiations have been a fiasco - offering only one small glimmer of hope.

Ján Kuciak was murdered in Slovakia and fellow journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In Turkey many journalists are in prison, in Hungary critical media are being bullied and not only Trump but also politicians in European countries are stirring up anger against the media. Commentators concur that 2018 was not a good year for press freedom.

In 2019 a new European Parliament will be elected, Britain will leave the EU and the battle over climate protection will enter its next phase. Commentators see a year of transition and upheaval on several fronts ahead.

Leading politicians at home and abroad have lambasted Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. There are currently around 2,000 US soldiers stationed in the war-torn country. Many commentators fear the move will give the IS terror organisation a boost and shift the balance of power in the country.