Eurotopics.net

In the Czech Republic the grades of this year's school leavers are worse than ever before. In Czech and maths in particular, many failed the exam altogether. Commentators express concern for the state of the education system as a whole, noting that a negative trend has been noticeable for years.

In Italy the process of government building has failed at the last minute over a prospective minister. Cinque Stelle and Lega Nord wanted to appoint Paolo Savona, considered a eurosceptic and critic of Germany, as finance minister, but President Sergio Mattarella vetoed the move. A look at the commentaries shows that the crisis in Italy could widen the rifts in Europe.

A landslide and unexpected victory for the Yes camp: two-thirds of voters in once strictly Catholic Ireland cast their ballots for the liberalisation of the country's abortion laws. At 64 percent, voter turnout was higher than for the referendum on gay marriage. Journalists take differing views of the result and examine the repercussions it may have elsewhere.

Spain's Socialists want to topple the head of government Mariano Rajoy with a no-confidence motion. His conservative People's Party (PP) was ordered to pay a fine of 245,000 euros last week as a result of a ruling in the Gürtel corruption scandal. Will Spain's prime minister survive this latest challenge?

After strikes that have gone on for two months, France's government has pledged to absorb 35 billion euros of the state rail company SNCF's debt and raise annual investment by 200 million euros. In return, the company must agree to reforms. Commentators are not convinced the deal will work.