Eurotopics.net

Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has announced that MEPs from his Fidesz party will resign from the EPP group in the European Parliament if it approves an amendment to the rules of procedure proposed by the group's leadership on Friday. The change would allow the suspension of the Fidesz MEPs, which has been impossible so far. Who is putting whom under pressure - and who is in the right?

The human rights organisation Amnesty International (AI) has stripped Putin critic Alexei Navalny of his non-violent 'prisoner of conscience' status following complaints about comments he had made in the past. AI was referring to discriminatory statements made by Navalny more than ten years ago against migrants and certain regions and countries which he has never retracted. Whom does Amnesty's decision hurt most?

First Hungary purchased the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and now Slovakia has followed suit, acquiring two million doses even though it has yet to be approved by the EU. In the Czech Republic, President Miloš Zeman has been promoting the Russian vaccine for a some time now. Commentators in both countries are less than enthusiastic.

In Italy, the Five Star Movement is now also willing to join a government led by the former ECB chief Draghi. The members of comedian Beppe Grillo's party voted on the move on Thursday, with 59.3 percent in favour. But commentators doubt that the risk of instability and blockades has been banished, and are already sizing up the next elections.

The Catalans will elect a new regional parliament on Sunday. Now the parties that advocate independence for Catalonia have signed a joint manifesto affirming that they will not form a coalition with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). The latter, however, not only govern in Madrid but are also leading the polls in Catalonia. Even separatist commentators shake their heads in dismay.