Eurotopics.net

The row over Europe's migration policy continues: Poland and Hungary refused to sign a final declaration at the EU summit, which was broken off on Friday. The two countries argued that the obligation to admit refugees or pay penalties under the new rules would be an encroachment on their sovereignty. However they cannot prevent the new regulations that were agreed at the beginning of June from coming into effect.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has warned of the danger of a Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station and says that Russian forces have mined the cooling pond there. Moscow, for its part, claims that Ukraine is planning an attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has found no indications of mines or other explosives at the plant so far. Commentators discuss how dangerous the situation at Europe's largest nuclear power plant could become.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has formally apologised for his country's role in the slave trade 150 years after the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies. Members of the government did the same in Suriname and six Caribbean islands. The king's apology comes after that of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in December 2022.

There were fierce clashes between demonstrators and police in French cities on Thursday night, including in the Paris suburb of Nanterre after a march in memory of 17-year-old Nahel, who was shot and killed during a traffic check on Tuesday. Police checks in France have repeatedly resulted in deaths and riots. Commentators draw parallels and call for consequences.