Eurotopics.net

Opposition to the EU's planned copyright reform is growing. Critics argue that it amounts to censorship. The main point under attack is Article 13, under which online platforms may no longer direct users to copyrighted content. The German-language Wikipedia page went offline on Thursday in protest. Does the directive really protect those it is supposed to?

A bus driver hijacked a bus carrying 51 schoolchildren near Milan on Wednesday and threatened to douse them with fuel and set them alight. The police were able to prevent this. The perpetrator, an Italian citizen of Senegalese origin, apparently uploaded a video beforehand with the message: "Africa, rise up!" Commentators discuss to what extent the crime is linked to Italy's immigration policy.

The European People's Party has suspended the membership of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party. An expert commission must now decide whether the party is still fit to remain in the EPP. Orbán has accepted the suspension, but made a point of not ruling out the possibility of leaving the group at a later date. Commentators flesh out the motives behind the EPP's decision.

Just a few days before the official exit date British Prime Minister May has asked EU Council President Donald Tusk for a postponement until the end of June. The matter will be addressed at the EU summit due to start today in Brussels. Journalists discuss the tense situation and the options still open.

President Erdoğan has repeatedly shown video footage of the Christchurch attack in New Zealand at rallies in the run-up to local elections in Turkey. He explained that he was using the video to show how hatred against Muslims is growing, and also made historical references to the First World War when Australian and New Zealand troops fought against the Ottoman Empire. His use of the footage has drawn harsh criticism in the media.