Eurotopics.net

France's military budget will rise by 40 percent, Denmark increased its defence budget this week, and the EU Parliament plans to invest 500 million euros to boost munitions production. Back in March 2022 Germany announced an additional 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr in response to Russia's war against Ukraine. Europe's press takes stock of the rearmament trend.

Amid rising tensions in Kosovo, Nato is boosting its KFOR peacekeeping force which has been stationed there since 1999. Violence flared in the country after local elections held a month ago which were boycotted by a majority of the ethnic Serbs in the north, resulting in Kosovo Albanians being elected as mayors on very few votes. Without external help the tensions in the region will never calm down, commentators fear.

A new anti-terror law comes into force in Sweden today. Any support, organisation or financing of terrorist groups, which at EU level also includes the PKK, is now punishable. Stockholm hopes this will dispel Ankara's opposition to Sweden joining Nato. Commentators are sceptical.

The large number of tourists poses numerous challenges for Greece's society: high rents, closures of traditional businesses, the disappearance of sensitive biotopes. Tourism plays a key role in the country's economy and the demand seems unlimited. But to what extent can it be allowed to change local structures? A look at the press suggests a tipping point has been reached.

In Spain, the conservative Popular Party (PP) won local and regional elections on 28 May with 31.5 percent of the vote, leaving Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists in second place with 28.2 percent followed by the far-right Vox party in third position. Faced with the heavy losses of the left-wing parties, Sánchez has brought forward the general election from December to 23 July. The press sees major upheavals in Spain's and Europe's party landscape.