Eurotopics.net

In her State of the Union address today, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented proposals for alleviating the consequences of rising electricity prices. They include making energy companies share their excess profits and setting compulsory electricity-saving targets for member states. Commentators discuss whether these demands make sense.

In the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, around 100 people have been killed in a new spate of attacks. Commentators see this as a consequence of the changed balance of power due to the war in Ukraine and fear further escalation.

Not my king - with these words a woman protested against the British royal family on Monday. Like her, other anti-monarchists have been prevented from protesting by the police and accused of causing a public nuisance. This has triggered a debate about whether such protests should be allowed at this time of national mourning.

Amnesty International has defended its controversial report on the Ukrainian army's conduct of the war. Kyiv, for its part, has accused the human rights organisation of confusing perpetrator and victim. The head of the Ukrainian chapter has justified her resignation, saying that Amnesty is parroting Russian propaganda. This dispute is also reflected in the media.

Around 90,000 people in the UK have joined Don't pay UK, a movement against high energy prices. Their plan: to join forces in refusing to pay their bills starting October. Commentators speculate on whether this will lead to a larger wave of protests.