The mass demonstrations against Ekrem İmamoğlu's imprisonment and dismissal as mayor of Istanbul continued over the weekend. Hundreds of thousands responded to the opposition party CHP's call to protest in Istanbul on Saturday. The CHP has chosen İmamoğlu, who is considered long-term President Erdoğan's most promising rival, as its candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
A French court has found Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling millions of euros in EU funds. The leader of the far-right Rassemblement National party now faces a prison sentence and a fine, as well as being declared ineligible to run for five years. France's media discusses the political implications for the three-time presidential candidate.
Donald Trump has made good on his threat: from the start of April the US will impose a 25 percent tariff on cars and car parts imports. With this move he hopes to generate additional revenues, strengthen the domestic car industry and create jobs by encouraging foreign carmakers to open factories in the United States. Commentators voice doubts.
The leaders of around thirty countries convened in Paris on Thursday to discuss further support for Ukraine. Although there was no consensus on the deployment of peacekeeping troops to secure a potential ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a Franco-British mission was being put together and emissaries from both countries would be travelling to Ukraine in the next few days to discuss the plans. What can this achieve?
Shortly before the change of government in the US, Washington had promised Bucharest visa-free travel for Romanians. Now the Department of Homeland Security has announced that instead of coming into force at the end of March as planned, the exemption will be postponed indefinitely. It wants to reassess whether the country fulfils the security standards for the visa waiver programme, the Department said. The national press sees other reasons for the decision.
