Eurotopics.net

After the shock political development in Thuringia, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced on Monday that she will step down as CDU leader and not seek to be chancellor candidate in the next general election. She said she could not accept cooperation with either the AfD or the Left Party. Europe's press discusses what direction the CDU will now take - and what a post-Merkel power vacuum could mean.

Athens has announced plans to close overcrowded camps such as the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos and start building closed refugee camps on five Aegean islands in March. Those living in the camps will no longer be able to come and go as they please, and their asylum procedures are to be processed within 90 days. Greek media are harshly critical of the plans.

The Finnish government granted Terrafame mining company in Kainuu permission to mine and process uranium last week. If put into practice, the decision will make Finland the only producer of uranium in the EU, but Terrafame must overcome legal hurdles before it can go ahead with the project. The country's press stresses that it's only right for such a project to be subjected to close scrutiny.

The film Parasite and its director Bong Joon-ho are the big winners of the 2020 Oscars. For the first time in the history of the world's most coveted film awards, a non-English-language film won in the main category of best picture. European media celebrate the decision.