Eurotopics.net

The decision taken by the EU home affairs ministers on 8 December to allow Croatia but not Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Area continues to fuel debate. Austria and the Netherlands had raised concerns about the migration policy of the rejected countries and thus blocked the necessary unanimity.

Electricity may be temporarily switched off in certain locations in France in January and February to avoid uncontrolled blackouts. The reason for potential shortages is that 18 of France's 56 nuclear reactors are currently off the grid due to maintenance measures which had so far been postponed. Sweden also fears power shortages and has put an oil-fired reserve power plant into operation. European commentators take different views of the measures.

Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu (CHP) was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Wednesday. The sentence for allegedly insulting the country's Supreme Election Council includes a ban from politics. İmamoğlu, who is expected to appeal, is seen as a promising opposition candidate for the presidential elections in June 2023.

The Estonian parliament passed a law on Monday under which Estonian will become the only language of instruction at schools in the country. The transition is to take place between 2024 and 2030. Commentators take very different views on how the move will affect the country's Russian-speaking minority.