Eurotopics.net

Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has become the first woman to be appointed director-general of the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation. The 66-year old is also the first African to hold the post, which was previously held by Brazilian diplomat Roberto Azevêdo. Expectations are accordingly high.

After this weekend's elections in Catalonia the Vox party has entered the regional parliament, marking the first time a far-right party has done so since 1982. Vox won 7.7 percent from a standing start, securing eleven seats and also overtaking the conservative People's Party (PP), which received only three seats. Vox's campaign focused among other things on countering the "Islamisation of Catalonia". Commentators discuss the reasons for the party's success.

Germany partially closed its borders with Austria and the Czech Republic on the weekend due to concerns about the spread of new coronavirus variants. Only people working in Germany or visiting close relatives are allowed to cross the border, and they must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test and self-quarantine once they are in the country. While some commentators criticise the tone of the debate, others stress the need for regional measures.

The British government has announced a new initiative aimed at protecting freedom of speech at universities. Among other things, people who have been denied participation in panel discussions are to be able to appeal the decision. The creation of a post called "free speech and academic freedom champion" with a supervisory function is also planned. Is there really a need for such an initiative to defend opinions that are comparatively conservative in a university context?

On 15 February 1991, when it was clear that the Warsaw Pact was coming to an end, the then presidents of Poland (Wałęsa), Czechoslovakia (Havel) and Hungary (Antall) met in Visegrád, Hungary with the objective of forming a new alliance and joining the EU and Nato together. In recent times the V4 have formed a tight bloc in the EU, particularly in the area of migration policy. The press takes stock of the alliance's relevance in today's context.