Eurotopics.net

In the first provincial parliament elections to take place since the ÖVP-FPÖ government took over in Austria, the right-wing populist FPÖ saw its share of the vote rise - despite a scandal in which its leading candidate Udo Landbauer allegedly sung songs glorifying the Nazis as a member of an academic fraternity. While some journalists are appalled, others take a more positive view, noting that at least the FPÖ wasn't able to celebrate a major triumph.

Leading German and French economists have presented their proposals for the reform of the Eurozone in Berlin and Paris. One notable aspect here was that both proponents of market discipline and austerity and economists who favour more solidarity and risk-sharing formed part of the work group - i.e. representatives of the two camps that often seemed irreconcilable in the euro crisis. Are their ideas any good?

One month after the formation of Austria's right-wing conservative government Chancellor Sebastian Kurz visited Angela Merkel on Wednesday. In view of Kurz's criticism of Berlin's refugee policy and his aim of limiting Brussels' power the meeting had been eagerly anticipated. But there's little evidence of conflict, commentators conclude.

Skopje and Athens are apparently close to finding a solution in the 27-year-old conflict over the name Macedonia. UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has said that a proposed compromise could take the process "in a positive direction", without indicating what precisely that direction may be. In the two countries in question, however, there is little sign of a willingness to compromise.

Just six months after its last prime minister took office Romania is getting a new prime minister: President Klaus Iohannis tasked MEP Vasilica Viorica Dancilă with forming a government on Wednesday. She is widely seen as a close confidante of PSD leader Liviu Dragnea - who was convicted for attempting to rig an election - and takes over from Mihai Tudose, who resigned in a dispute with Dragnea. Romania's media display resignation.