Eurotopics.net

The candidate of the populist Movimiento 5 Stelle (M5S), Alessandra Todde, has narrowly won the regional election in Sardinia after securing 45.3 percent of the vote against the 45 percent of Paolo Truzzu, the candidate of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia. Todde was also backed by the social democratic Partito Democratico (PD). The election was seen as a test for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and was the first of five regional elections to be held this spring.

This Saturday marks the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Initially, Ukraine surprised the world with its stalwart defence and managed to regain some of its territory, also thanks to Western military aid. However, the Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023 was unsuccessful. What are the prospects now? And how to deal with the fact that according to new studies ever fewer Europeans believe Ukraine can win?

If re-elected, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to appoint an EU defence commissioner and better coordinate the defence policies of the member states in response to the threats posed by Russia's aggression and Donald Trump's possible return to the White House. The press asks whether the EU has what it takes to become a security alliance.

Potentially decisive hearings in the Julian Assange case are under way: the High Court in London is examining whether Assange can appeal against last June's decision to extradite him to the US. If his appeal is rejected, the legal process will be exhausted in the UK. Assange's supporters have announced that they would then take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.