Eurotopics.net

In defiance of a new law that obliges 27 of the country's 73 Supreme Court judges to retire, the latter turned up for work as usual on Wednesday morning. The EU has accused Poland of seeking to "systematically weaken the rule of law". The dismantling of democracy could harm Poland for years to come and be copied in other countries, journalists fear.

Europe's politicians and civil society are caught up in a row over how to deal with refugees. Commentators sketch out the changes needed for the EU to overcome the crisis sparked by migration.

The 28 EU heads of state and government want to strengthen the border control agency Frontex and establish processing centres for boat refugees in EU member states that are willing to have such centres. Some journalists are delighted that Europe is finally countering threats to the continent's civilisation. Others criticise what they see as a rotten compromise.

In the conflict over the reception or rejection of asylum seekers on Germany's borders, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) offered to resign from all offices on Sunday evening. Now, however, he says he wants to discuss matters with Chancellor Merkel (CDU) before taking further steps. Merkel had called for European arrangements on repatriation, and received the support of 14 countries at the EU summit. Commentators furrow their brows over the row in Berlin.

Journalists working for the Austrian public broadcaster ORF are to refrain from posting comments on social media "that can be interpreted as approval, rejection or evaluation of statements or as expressing sympathy, antipathy, criticism or 'polemics' towards political institutions or their representatives". Draft social media guidelines to this effect were leaked last week. Journalists are incensed.

A year after her death the French Auschwitz survivor and women's rights activist Simone Veil has been given the rare honour of being buried at the Panthéon in Paris. France's media also honour Veil's commitment to Europe - she was a president of the EU Parliament from 1979 to 1982 - and examine the continuing relevance of her ideas on European policy.