The European Union has concluded a new agreement with Egypt under which includes up to 6.8 billion euros in loans and investments to bolster the country's flagging economy and promote digitisation. Egypt will also receive 600 million euros in direct grants, 200 million of which are to be used to stem illegal migration. Commentators are largely critical of the deal.

The presidential elections in Russia have ended with the expected result: Vladimir Putin has been confirmed as the country's leader until 2030 - having secured almost 88 percent of the vote, according to the country's Central Election Commission. Observers reported well over 1,000 cases of irregularities, and opposition candidates were not allowed to stand. Europe's press discusses what the vote means.

A new party has emerged to challenge Viktor Orbán. On Hungary's bank holiday on Friday, Péter Magyar announced the founding of a centrist party in front of tens of thousands of supporters. The ex-husband of Fidesz politician Judit Varga, who resigned amid a scandal over pardons, says he wants to end Fidesz's rule and campaign for a "modern, European Hungary".

Russia's three-day presidential election begins today, Friday. In addition to Vladimir Putin there are three representatives of parties with seats in the Duma on the ballot, all of whom, however, generally support his policies. The vote will take place in the absence of both opposition candidates and independent international observers. Commentators discuss the election and how democratic Europe should respond.

The US House of Representatives has voted in favour of a bill that poses a threat to the future of the social media app TikTok. To be allowed to continue to operate in the US, the short-video platform would have to change ownership there, since its Chinese parent company Bytedance is considered to be bound by the directives of the Chinese Communist Party. The bill will now be discussed and put to vote in the US Senate, where its approval is less certain.

Freight traffic workers at Finnish ports have been on strike since Monday. The protest against labour market reforms planned by the conservative government threatens to cripple Finnish foreign trade. The reform proposals envisage various restrictions on labour rights, including the right to strike. There are voices for and against the action in the press.

The Dutch right-wing populist leader Geert Wilders has announced he will forego the job of prime minister in order to clear the way for a right-wing coalition. Now Wilders' PVV party, the conservative-liberal VVD, the farmers' party BBB and the centrist NSC will examine the possibility of forming an "extra-parliamentary cabinet" which would be staffed by external experts, among others. What does this mean for the Netherlands and the EU?

The world's first comprehensive AI law is now a reality: the EU Parliament on Wednesday approved the version of the Artificial Intelligence Act negotiated with the EU member states. Practices such as social scoring or emotion recognition in the workplace will be banned, with exceptions for law enforcement authorities in the case of facial recognition. For some commentators the law has been too watered down. Others see it as a pioneering success.

In Slovakia, Robert Fico's government has presented a draft law for the reform of the public broadcasting organisation RTVS which has triggered fierce criticism. RTVS is to be renamed Slovak Television and STaR and the supervisory bodies would in future be subordinate to parliament and the Ministry of Culture. RTVS Director General Ľuboš Machaj said he felt reminded of the times of communist censorship. Commentators also voice concern about press freedom in the country.

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were admitted to Nato a quarter of a century ago. This eastward expansion was a risk, but also a good investment, said Bill Clinton, who was US president at the time, on the occasion of the anniversary. Europe's press also highlights the significance of the decision.

The EU Commission has recommended opening EU accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country applied to join the EU in 2016 and gained candidate status in December 2022. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Bosnia and Herzegovina had made impressive steps forward since then. The member states will decide on 21 and 22 March whether to accept the recommendation.

In Portugal's snap parliamentary elections this weekend, the centre-right Aliança Democrática (AD) has won a narrow victory against the Socialists (PS), who have been in power in Portugal since 2015. However, the AD has fallen short of a parliamentary majority after the right-wing populist Chega party more than doubled its share of the vote to 18 percent and quadrupled its seats in parliament. The European press is concerned by Chega's success.

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