Eurotopics.net

At the annual Conservative Party Conference, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday promised to scale back the UK's climate targets, crack down on illegal immigration and ease conditions for motorists. On the other hand, he announced that the HS2 high-speed rail link will end in Birmingham, rather than continuing to Manchester. The Tories are currently well behind Labour in the polls. Can these announcements reverse the trend?

The Bulgarian parliament decided at the end of September to phase out coal by 2038 - just in time to receive EU funds for the move away from fossil fuels. According to the plans, coal-fired power plants and coal mines will be gradually shut down and workers will receive compensation or be employed at a transitional state-run company. But miners and workers have been protesting for days now, blocking important motorways and demanding that the government resign.

For weeks, EU member states have been negotiating a reform of the bloc's asylum system which primarily foresees more stringent measures. Now the states have agreed on a common stance on the EU Commission's proposals for a Crisis Regulation. Under the new rules, in the event of sudden increases in the number of arrivals migrants can be detained for longer periods under conditions similar to detention. Europe's press focuses on national interests.