Eurotopics.net

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Muslim girls must take part in mixed school swimming lessons before they reach puberty. With this ruling the court rejected a complaint brought by Muslim parents living in Switzerland. Commentators welcome the decision but warn that its significance shouldn't be overstated.

After the attack on a Berlin Christmas market a debate is raging in Germany over how to deal with rejected asylum-seekers and "dangerous individuals". The government wants to speed up deportations of criminal foreigners. The media in other countries are closely following how Germany reacts to the Anis Amri case.

According to the findings of a report compiled by the US intelligence agencies Putin personally ordered hacker attacks to manipulate the US election campaign. Some commentators say this sets a dangerous precedent through which Russia has undermined trust in US democracy. Others argue that the cyberattack allegations lack substance.

As of 2026 the number of teams participating in the World Cup will rise from 32 to 48, the international football association Fifa decided at a meeting on Tuesday. The expansion of the competition to mammoth proportions is the result of the unbridled greed of Fifa officials, some commentators rail. Others see certain advantages to the move.

This week the Turkish parliament is debating a constitutional amendment that would establish a presidential system in the country. Under the amended constitution the president would be head of government as well as head of state and the office of Prime Minister would be abolished. Commentators take different views of the ruling AKP's plans.

Finland launched a globally unique experiment on 1 January: It is testing an unconditional basic income for the unemployed. For two years, 2000 randomly selected people will receive 560 euros every month. Payments like housing benefit will continue, and the test subjects will be allowed to earn money on top of their basic income without deductions. The press sees this as an exciting pilot project.