European Union

Despite the health risks and lack of infrastructure, organisations in Paris are working hard to make swimming in the Seine a reality for the 2024 Olympic Games. EURACTIV France reports.

Wildfires have occurred in Turkey for thousands of years, but the amount of land destroyed increased significantly in 2021, an embarrassing situation for the government which decided to impose penalties on media outlets that did not appear sympathetic to its position, writes Alexandra de Cramer.

The situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous: the Taliban's deadline for the Western forces' evacuation operations expires tomorrow even though thousands are still stranded at Kabul Airport. France's President Emmanuel Macron has called for a safe zone around Kabul, and the EU will discuss the situation again on Tuesday. Europe's press examines whether - and how - it might be possible to negotiate with the Taliban.

The Taliban's rapid recapture of Afghanistan came as a shock and dealt a major blow to the West. Commentators in Europe's media examine the consequences for neighbouring countries and Europe.

In the village of Harskamp in the Netherlands, around 250 mostly young Dutch people demonstrated last week outside a local military base housing Afghan refugees. While conservative and right-wing populist politicians voiced sympathy with the demonstrators, members of the government condemned the protests. The press comes down hard on politics and society.

Former Austrian vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache has been given a fifteen-month suspended prison sentence for corruption in office. The former leader of the right-wing populist Austria Freedom Party (FPÖ) was accused of helping to change a law so a friend could secure public funding for his private clinic in return for party donations and holidays. The corruption case first came to light in the Ibizagate video. Strache plans to appeal the conviction.

The Russian people will elect their representatives in the State Duma on September 19. The election will have little impact on the power of Putin and his ruling party United Russia, commentators say. But for some observers the fact that in addition to repressive measures against the opposition the government has now introduced special payments for pensioners and soldiers is an indication of how nervous it is.