Eurotopics.net

Apart from the rout suffered by President Macron's LREM party, the most striking feature of the French local elections at the end of June was the excellent results of the Greens. A Citizens' convention had previously drawn up a series of climate protection measures. In other European countries, too, environmentally friendly measures such as wider cycle paths have met with widespread approval during the pandemic. Has the time come for green ideas to become tangible policies?

According to official figures, 78 percent of voters cast their ballots in favour of the reforms set out in Russia's controversial constitutional referendum on 1 July, while 21 percent voted against. Observers say the vote was rigged. But did the Kremlin do everything right after all?

The US government has bought up nearly all stocks of the drug Remdesivir for the next three months. Remdesivir is currently considered one of the most promising treatments for severe coronavirus symptoms. Some commentators are furious and accuse Washington of selfishness. Others advise Europe to prepare to go to battle for medicines.

The British government on Wednesday offered three million Hong Kong citizens the right to settle in the UK, with the option to obtain citizenship later on. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had threatened to take this step a month ago if China went ahead and introduced its new security law. Commentators doubt that the UK is doing itself any favours.

Turkey's President Erdoğan has announced plans for tight controls on social media, with the possibility of them even being shut down. He explained the move saying it was necessary to protect citizens from hate, threats and terror propaganda. Opponents of the government fear a new phase of censorship. Press voices in the country are divided.