Eurotopics.net

The European Commission ruled on Tuesday that US company Apple must pay Ireland up to 13 billion euros in back taxes after receiving illegal tax benefits from Dublin. Apple and Ireland have both announced they will appeal the decision. The ruling will boost the citizens' confidence in the international tax system, some commentators write. Others fear it will only create more legal uncertainty.

The citizens of Hungary will vote in a referendum on October 2 on whether to accept mandatory quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejects the quota system approved by Brussels. The leftist opposition is in disarray over the issue, commentators note, and fear that the government is manipulating voters with unfounded panic-mongering.

The Brazilian Senate voted on Wednesday in favour of impeaching President Dilma Rousseff. After a power struggle that went on for months former vice president Michel Temer has now taken over as head of state. The political crisis is far from over, some fear, while others see a major opportunity opening up for the Brazilian left.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Estonia, the Czech Republic and Poland this week in preparation for the EU summit in mid-September. She will also receive other EU heads of government in Germany on Friday and Saturday. Commentators ask whether the chancellor will be able to reunite Europe in view of the Brexit referendum, the Syrian war and the refugee crisis.

Turkish troops and Syrian rebels drove the IS out of the strategically important border city of Jarabulus in northern Syria on Wednesday. With this US-backed offensive Ankara is above all hoping to stop the advance of the Kurds, commentators conclude, taking different views on whether this objective is justified.

The former chief of the Greek national statistics authority, Andreas Georgiou, is on trial in Athens, charged with having tweaked budget data that were relevant for calculating the Greek bailout packages. The European Commission issued a statement backing Georgiou on Wednesday. Some commentators are incensed over what they see as interference by Brussels in Greek domestic affairs. Others warn against sparking further tensions between Greece and the EU.