Eurotopics.net

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.

After Germany's CDU and CSU proposed setting up "transit centres", Vienna has announced that it will introduce tighter controls on its borders with Italy and Slovenia should the government in Berlin agree to the proposal. Commentators see a paradigmatic change of course in Germany's migration policy and believe that the repercussions will be felt throughout Europe.

How could Europe come so close to splitting up over the question of how to deal with immigrants? Commentators examine the reasons, looking to the past but also analysing potential solutions.