Eurotopics.net

In the wake of an internal dispute in the Five Star Movement over arms deliveries to Ukraine, Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has quit the party to form a new parliamentary group with around 60 MPs. The row started because he supports Prime Minister Mario Draghi's policy of delivering arms to Ukraine while party leader Giuseppe Conte opposes it. Before the split the Five Star Movement was the strongest group in the Italian parliament. Is this the end of the line for the party - and perhaps even for the country's fragile government?

An EU summit on Thursday and Friday will decide whether Ukraine and Moldova become official candidates for EU membership, after the EU Commission recommended granting the two countries candidate status. Just before the summit starts meetings will take place with the heads of state and government of the Western Balkan countries. Europe's press examines in what form and at what pace EU enlargement should take place.

Since last week the amount of gas flowing to Western Europe through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline has dwindled significantly - due to technical problems, the Kremlin claims. To reduce their dependence on Russian gas, several countries are increasingly turning to environmentally harmful alternatives such as coal-fired plants. Europe's press follows the developments with a critical eye.