European Union

With France's regional and presidential elections already looming on the horizon, Marine Le Pen's right-wing Rassemblement national (RN) seems to want to rework its roadmap. On the agenda: more ecology, but no more return to the franc.

Colonial era policies in northern Scandinavia continue to affect Sámi life, culture and land use. Meanwhile, truth commissions are being set up and aim to investigate injustices against Indigenous people carried out by the states. There are an estimated 100,000...

Russia has concentrated troops near the Ukrainian border and positioned heavy artillery in annexed Crimea - prompting worried statements from Nato and words of support from Joe Biden to Kyiv. Commentators discuss whether the war in eastern Ukraine is about to flare up once more.

Ten retired admirals have been arrested in Turkey for criticising the government's Istanbul Canal project. A total of 104 retired admirals had spoken out against the project, which foresees the construction of a new 45-kilometre waterway to relieve the strain on the Bosphorus strait. Critics fear it will lead to environmental damage and Turkey's withdrawal from the Montreux Treaty, which regulates free shipping traffic across the Bosporus.

The Council of Europe's Commission for Democracy through Law (or Venice Commission) has strongly criticised the 2020 reform of the Russian Constitution. Among other things, the reform enables Vladimir Putin to govern until 2036. According to the Commission's experts, "the changes go far beyond what is appropriate according to the principle of separation of powers" and threaten the rule of law in Russia. The media agree.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has proposed the introduction of a global minimum tax rate on corporate profits - also in view of Joe Biden's plan to increase corporate tax in the US from 21 to 28 percent. Does the proposal have the potential to rein in multinationals that artificially shift their profits to countries with low corporate taxes? European commentators say this is a promising initiative.

In mid-January the EU Commission announced ambitious goals according to which at least 80 percent of people aged over 80, as well as of those working in health and social professions, were to be vaccinated by March. However, by the end of March just under 60 percent of people over the age of 80 had received the first dose across the EU. Many are pinning the blame on the bloc's unwieldy bureaucracy, but is this justified?