Eurotopics.net

Freight traffic workers at Finnish ports have been on strike since Monday. The protest against labour market reforms planned by the conservative government threatens to cripple Finnish foreign trade. The reform proposals envisage various restrictions on labour rights, including the right to strike. There are voices for and against the action in the press.

The Dutch right-wing populist leader Geert Wilders has announced he will forego the job of prime minister in order to clear the way for a right-wing coalition. Now Wilders' PVV party, the conservative-liberal VVD, the farmers' party BBB and the centrist NSC will examine the possibility of forming an "extra-parliamentary cabinet" which would be staffed by external experts, among others. What does this mean for the Netherlands and the EU?

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were admitted to Nato a quarter of a century ago. This eastward expansion was a risk, but also a good investment, said Bill Clinton, who was US president at the time, on the occasion of the anniversary. Europe's press also highlights the significance of the decision.

The EU Commission has recommended opening EU accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country applied to join the EU in 2016 and gained candidate status in December 2022. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Bosnia and Herzegovina had made impressive steps forward since then. The member states will decide on 21 and 22 March whether to accept the recommendation.

In Portugal's snap parliamentary elections this weekend, the centre-right Aliança Democrática (AD) has won a narrow victory against the Socialists (PS), who have been in power in Portugal since 2015. However, the AD has fallen short of a parliamentary majority after the right-wing populist Chega party more than doubled its share of the vote to 18 percent and quadrupled its seats in parliament. The European press is concerned by Chega's success.