Eurotopics.net

All eleven presidential candidates faced each other in the latest TV debate in France. In addition to the favourites in the polls, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the candidates of the left, Benoît Hamon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the conservative candidate François Fillon, six other candidates introduced themselves to the nation. After an debate lasting almost four hours commentators wearily ask themselves: who can govern this divided country?

Thanks to the Fidesz party's parliamentary majority Hungary's right-wing conservative government has succeeded in passing a new higher education law stipulating that foreign universities in Hungary must also be active in their home country. The new law means that the Central European University in Budapest, founded by US billionaire George Soros, is now facing closure. All the protests of the last few days were in vain, journalists lament.

On April 16 the Turks will vote in a referendum on the introduction of a new presidential system. The opposition parties are campaigning for a No to the reform, and even some of the ruling AK Party's core voters seem hesitant about supporting the change. A presidential system would destroy the separation of powers in Turkey, commentators warn.

The Russian protests have taken many observers by surprise. For the first time in years, this weekend thousands of predominantly young people took to the streets of numerous cities to demonstrate against corruption. The Putin generation is rising up to fight for its future, commentators observe. But some voice doubts that it poses a real threat to the government.

After their clear victory in the Saaarland state election the conservatives are discussing a continuation of the grand coalition with the Social Democrats. Commentators assess what the election results in in one of Germany's smallest states augur for the German parliamentary elections this autumn.

In signing the "Declaration of Rome", the leaders of 27 EU member states - without the UK - pledged their commitment to upholding the unity and common values of the community on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. Notwithstanding this demonstration of unity, some commentators express concern about the current state of the Union. Others praise the EU as a marvellous construct.