Eurotopics.net

In the wake of the far-right riots in Chemnitz, prominent politicians and the head of the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution are under fire for trivialising the scale of the violence. They are playing into the hands of the extremists, some commentators lament. Others stress that nationalism also feeds on legitimate demands.

One week ago Scotland Yard named and posted photos of two suspects in the Skripal case. Now President Putin has let it be known that while the men have been found, they are not Russian agents, have done nothing wrong and will make their own statements on the affair. The president's reaction only reinforces suspicions, Russian opposition media argue.

The EU Parliament will vote today on opening legal proceedings against Hungary. Whether this course of action will gain a two-thirds majority will depend largely on the EPP group, of which Viktor Orbán's party Fidesz is also a member. Hungary's prime minister on Tuesday harshly criticised the report by MEP Judith Sargentini calling for the activation of Article 7 proceedings. How should the parliament decide?

Damascus and Moscow have begun attacks on the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The offensive in Idlib could not only lead to heavy fighting in the area but also - in the event of poison gas attacks - to a military confrontation between Russia and the Nato states. Can an escalation be avoided?