Eurotopics.net

Just weeks after his inauguration as Slovakian prime minister, Robert Fico has announced plans to abolish the Special Prosecutor's Office that deals with corruption and serious crime, as promised during his campaign. The office's head, special prosecutor Daniel Lipšic, was the lawyer who represented the parents of murdered journalist Ján Kuciak in 2018. Fico's move has prompted a warning from Brussels and demonstrations across the country.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan travelled to Greece for talks on Thursday. Just a year ago, Ankara and Athens were threatening each other with war, but now there are signs of a rapprochement and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Erdoğan have signed a joint declaration for "friendly relations and good neighbourliness". Commentators' views on whether real progress has been made differ widely.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Buenos Aires on Sunday to attend the inauguration of ultra-liberal Argentinian President Javier Milei. There he also met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who only recently reiterated his threat to veto further EU support for Ukraine. Commentators discuss the ramifications of both encounters.

The US Senate has blocked President Joe Biden's request for a financial aid package of more than 110 billion dollars (almost 102 billion euros) for Ukraine and Israel. All Republicans as well as the independent democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders, who had expressed concerns about Israel's actions in Gaza, voted against the corresponding bill. With further EU aid for Kyiv also hanging in the balance, Europe's press examines the options for Ukraine.