Eurotopics.net

Following the bankruptcy of the US bank Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which specialised in financing tech start-ups, the share prices of major European banks have also dropped, in some cases dramatically. Europe's press sees clear differences, but also certain parallels, with the situation that led to the global financial and economic crises that began in 2008.

The heads of government of the Aukus pact countries agreed at a meeting in San Diego on Monday that the Royal Australian Navy will acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The US, the UK and Australia founded the Aukus alliance in 2021 to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region. China has reacted with anger, saying that the deal will undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Commentators also see risks.

China's President Xi is due to travel to Moscow next week to meet directly with Ukrainian President Zelensky, media have reported citing unnamed sources. However, neither China nor Russia have confirmed this yet. Commentators assess the prospects of Chinese mediation being successful under the current circumstances.

The Dutch will elect their provincial parliaments and indirectly also the First Chamber of the national parliament today. New environmental regulations for agriculture which aim to slash nitrogen emissions and caused major protests last summer have emerged as the main topic in campaigns. But according to commentators this debate is just part of a much larger problem.

The influential Romanian president of Neamţ County Council, Ionel Arsene, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for abuse of power by the Court of Appeal in Brașov on Friday. However, he will not serve the prison sentence for the time being because he has absconded, presumably to Italy. Commentators see a dangerous trend.