Eurotopics.net

For ten years now, the Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio has presided as Pope Francis over the Roman Catholic Church and its approximately 1.4 billion members worldwide. From the start, he presented himself as a pontiff whose priority is to help the poor. Europe's press takes stock of Bergoglio's achievements during his first decade.

The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Friday took control of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which specialises in technology startups. This is the biggest bank failure since the financial crisis of 2008/2009. The Federal Reserve has set up a new lending programme to prop up other banks in response. Commentators worry not only about the direct consequences of the collapse but also about the potential reactions.

The mass protests against the planned judicial reform in Israel continue unabated. Under the proposed legislation parliament would be able to overturn decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority. Media reports say the far-right government wants to push through parts of the reform in a fast-track procedure before the end of March. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies this. Commentators see the country at a crossroads.

The film Navalny has won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards. For the film, director Daniel Roher interviewed the Putin opponent in 2020 as he was recovering from the effects of Novichok poisoning. Navalny has been in prison since 2021, reportedly without access to proper healthcare. Not all commentators agree with the signal this award sends.

The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control on Friday of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which specialises in technology startups. This is the biggest bank failure since the financial crisis of 2008/2009. The Federal Reserve has set up a new lending programme to prop up other banks in response. Commentators worry not only about the direct consequences of the collapse but also about the potential reactions.