The Hungarian government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a move that coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Budapest. At a press conference with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Netanyahu, who has been subject to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC since last year, welcomed the decision. European commentators analyse the situation.
US President Donald Trump has announced a massive additional package of tariffs. In addition to a flat rate of 10 percent on all goods imported into the US, variable tariffs set at 20 percent for the EU and 34 percent for China will apply. As share prices plummet on the international stock markets, Europe's press debates how hard the blow will be and how it can be countered.
The US-led talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are in crisis: Donald Trump has declared that he is "very angry" and "pissed off" at Putin after the latter stipulated the lifting of sanctions and new elections in Ukraine under UN supervision as preconditions. And Kyiv, for its part, has rejected a new draft agreement on economic cooperation with the US as unacceptable. The media discuss the chances of a ceasefire.
As part of a wave of protests, supporters of the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, called on the public not to go shopping on Wednesday in a bid to up the economic pressure on President Erdoğan. Information about the impact of the boycott varies, but the authorities are now investigating citizens who reposted the boycott call.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Europe for the first time since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip. He arrived today in Budapest, where he will be received by Viktor Orbán - despite the fact that Hungary, as a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC), is obliged to arrest Netanyahu under an international arrest warrant. The Hungarian government has announced its intention to leave the ICC instead.
Three Yale professors, historian Timothy Snyder, Eastern Europe expert Marci Shore and fascism researcher Jason Stanley, have announced that they are leaving the US and moving to the University of Toronto, citing concerns over the political and social climate in the US. European academic institutions are also receiving an increased number of requests for positions from US scholars.
After a heated controversy in the Dutch parliament, the right-wing populist asylum and migration minister Marjolein Faber has survived a vote of no confidence but has been sharply criticised from within the government. Faber is boycotting the awarding of a royal distinction to five former asylum volunteers by withholding her signature. The national press comments.
After being convicted of embezzling EU funds, the right-wing populist leader Marine Le Pen has harshly criticised the French judiciary and called for protests at the weekend. The leader of the far-right Rassemblement National party says that the judges' decision was politically motivated and that millions of French people are incensed. Commentators see repercussions that reach far beyond France's borders.
Released in March, the British crime drama Adolescence about a 13-year-old called Jamie who murders a classmate takes a disturbing look at violence among young people and the impact of social media. The UK government has announced that the Netflix production will be shown and discussed in schools across the country. Europe's media take up the debate.
Five workers died and four others were seriously injured in an accident in a mine in Asturias on Monday. Initial indications showed the blast may have been caused by an explosive mixture of gas in the mine. In the past a lot of coal was mined in the north of Spain, but the shafts are now being used to search for minerals that can be extracted and are in high demand. The national press discusses the risks this entails.
Alexander Stubb made a surprise visit to Florida on the weekend, where he played golf with Donald Trump and spoke to him at length about the war in Ukraine. Shortly afterwards, Trump declared that he was "very angry, pissed off" at Putin for questioning the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leadership and threatened to impose new sanctions against Russia if it refused to show willingness to make peace. Did the visit make a real difference?
US tariffs against the EU, threats to take over Greenland, offensive remarks by high-ranking US officials in a Signal chat - the tone between Washington and Brussels is becoming increasingly sour. Commentators discuss what Europe's focus should be and whether massive rearmament is the right strategy.