Eurotopics.net

SPD chancellor candidate Martin Schulz has called Germany's Agenda 2010 reforms into question: his campaign will focus on corrections to the social reforms introduced under the SPD-Green Party government between 2003 to 2005. Among other things Schulz plans to extend unemployment benefits. Can he beat Chancellor Merkel with this strategy? And what role will refugee policy play in the campaigning?

The EU finance ministers are continuing their crackdown on tax avoidance, resolving on Tuesday that multinational companies may no longer exploit differences between the tax systems of the EU and third countries. Instead, as of 2020 multinationals will have to pay their taxes in the countries where they earn their profits. Commentators welcome the move, although some fear it may hurt the EU's competitiveness.

Remarkable news from Portugal: the new left-wing government that was harshly criticised by several EU partners when it first took over for renouncing the stringent austerity policy has reduced the 2016 budget deficit to 2.1 percent of the country's GDP. It has taught its critics a lesson, Portuguese commentators gleefully observe, but point out that the country still has major problems to deal with.

Front National president Marine Le Pen cancelled a meeting with Lebanon's grand mufti on Tuesday after refusing to wear a headscarf. The French presidential candidate said later that she had been surprised to learn that wearing the headscarf was a condition for meeting the Muslim spiritual leader. The mufti's office, by contrast, stated that it had informed Le Pen on all matters of protocol. Was the incident just a clever stunt?

The Danish parliament is discussing a proposal by the Eurosceptic and xenophobic Danish People's Party (DF) to ban prayer rooms in schools. Several Social Democrats have also spoken out in favour of the ban, which would only affect Muslim prayer rooms. The majority in parliament is not yet sure how to vote. The press warns against ill-considered bans.

The US has upped pressure on European Nato states to increase their defence spending. Vice-President Pence and Secretary of Defense Mattis have demanded that Nato members honour their 2014 commitment to invest two percent of GDP in defence. Some commentators question whether Washington has got its own calculations right.