Eurotopics.net

Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas flew to Athens and Ankara on Tuesday to mediate in the dispute over gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. Both sides said they were willing to engage in dialogue but gave no indication that they were ready to make concrete concessions. Commentators discuss various approaches to defusing the conflict.

After German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth (from the Social Democratic Party of Germany) made critical remarks about Hungary in an interview, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to a meeting in Budapest to explain the remarks. Roth had said that rampant anti-Semitism in Hungary was one of the reasons for the opening of the Article 7 proceedings against the country. Is the accusation justified?

Doctors at Berlin's Charité hospital have found evidence that Alexei Navalny was poisoned. The exact substance which was used is not yet known, they said. The Russian opposition figure has been in a coma since Thursday, and was flown to Berlin on the weekend from a hospital in Omsk. Commentators are in no doubt as to who is behind this poisoning attack.

For months, containing the pandemic has been a top priority around the world. Commentators from across Europe worry that culture, education, social activities and treatment for patients suffering from other illnesses are being neglected.

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan also attended a dinner party which has plunged the Irish government into a major scandal. Hogan was among around 80 people from the Irish political establishment who attended the Irish parliamentary golf society event. He has apologised but has said he will not be resigning from his position. Commentators also see no reason for him to do so.