Eurotopics.net

After proposing a new candidate for the post of economy and finance minister, the protest Five Star Movement and the right-wing Lega Nord have paved the way for a joint government under law professor Giuseppe Conte. Europe's commentators continue to discuss whether the experiment in Rome can work.

Contrary to expectations the US has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU, Mexico and Canada. In reaction several EU states and Canada have stated that they will take concerted action against the measures. Commentators discuss the risks of a trade war and believe Trump's protectionism could change the global economy for good.

In the run-up to Sweden's parliamentary elections in September the red-green government is seeing its support plummet in the polls. The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats, meanwhile, are gaining ground, particularly in the north of the country. Politicians have neglected the needs of people living outside the big cities, Swedish commentators criticise.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been toppled by a no-confidence vote after the parliament in Madrid voted in favour of a motion brought by the Socialists (PSOE). A corruption scandal in which Rajoy's conservative People's Party was deeply implicated led to the vote. Some commentators are delighted at the opportunity of a fresh start for Spain. Others, however, are deeply worried.

The US has now announced that it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU and that the exemptions that have applied so far will not be extended on June 1. While some commentators warn that Trump won't be able to significantly reduce the US trade deficit with these measures, others warn that Germany in particular must now meet Washington halfway.