Eurotopics.net

In the UK several women have accused high-ranking politicians of sexual harassment. Prime Minister Theresa May has responded by calling for a more stringent code of conduct for MPs. Commentators warn against generalisations but see certain politicians as prone to such misconduct.

The Lithuanian writer Rūta Vanagaitė has written that the former anti-Soviet partisan Adolfas Ramanauskas, codename Vanagas, belonged to the KGB and took part in the extermination of Lithuanian Jews during World War II. Historians dispute the accusations and Vanagaitė's publisher has withdrawn her books from the market. Lithuanian commentators would like to see a more level-headed debate.

The hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution will be celebrated at the end of October. After the removal of the czars from power and a civil war that claimed many victims the Bolsheviks took over the government of the country and in 1922 founded the Soviet Union. For almost 70 years the Stalinist one-party state ruled over its allies in Central and Eastern Europe. Commentators interpret the October Revolution from today's perspective.

The central government in Madrid is moving to suspend Catalonia's autonomy to prevent an illegal secession by the independence-seeking region. This could escalate the situation, commentators fear, doubting that the protagonists have the political skill to react appropriately.

A Polish man has set himself on fire in protest at the policies of the national-conservative government, sustaining serious injuries. Some commentators see him as a new symbol in the fight against the governing PiS party. For others the incident can be put down to media hype.