Eurotopics.net

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has presented a military strategy that aims to make the Bundeswehr "Europe's strongest conventional army", and explicitly named Russia as a threat. The number of active-duty soldiers is to rise from the current 185,000 to 260,000 by 2035, with the number of reservists increasing to 200,000.

At the Delphi Economic Forum Europe's Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi spoke about tensions between the Greek government and European prosecutors investigating alleged misuse of European funds. A number of Greek officials have accused her of political interference. At the same time Kövesi rejected statements by government officials saying that Greeks accept corruption as a way of life.

EU leaders have given the green light for a 90-billion-euro loan for Kyiv at their summit in Cyprus after Ukraine repaired the Druzhba pipeline and Hungary dropped its veto. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky praised the decision and called for his country to receive EU membership as quickly as possible.

Spain is facing a severe housing shortage and the government has now approved a housing plan that aims to triple the number of affordable homes and protect them from property speculation. Meanwhile, Ireland is taking a different approach: under a proposed bill, garden sheds could soon be built and rented out without planning permission. The media in both countries take a closer look at the initiatives.

Romania's four-party governing coalition has collapsed after six ministers and the deputy prime minister from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) resigned over austerity measures planned by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and his PNL party. Bolojan has rejected the PSD's demands for his resignation and said that he will lead a minority government. Bucharest is under pressure to reduce its budget deficit and debt, and it faces the prospect of cuts to EU funding if it fails.