Eurotopics.net

After Britain's exit from the EU, both sides are positioning themselves for talks on a trade agreement. Boris Johnson has said that London does not want to commit in writing to certain standards. For her part, Ursula von der Leyen has stressed that there is no such thing as a "free ride to the single market". Commentators discuss what stance the EU should adopt.

Bashar al-Assad's troops and Russia have been bombing Idlib for two months. The province in the north-west of the country is the last bastion of the rebels and jihadists. According to the US, there have been over 200 air strikes in the last few days, many of them targeting the civilian population. Fights have also broken out between Turkish and Syrian soldiers. Commentators call for more European engagement.

This Monday and Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron is visiting Poland for the first time since his election as French president in the hope of improving his country's relations with the largest Eastern European EU member state. Differences of opinion particularly on the issues of climate protection, defence, the rule of law and refugee policy have led to friction between the two states. Europe's media have varying expectations for the meeting.

The Irish will elect a new legislature on Saturday. According to the polls, the left-wing nationalist Sinn Féin could emerge as the strongest party. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's liberal-conservative Fine Gael, on the other hand, faces the prospect of a rout - even though the Irish economy has been booming for several years now. Commentators speculate on the voters' motives and the consequences of a potential shift to the left.

In Russia, proposals for constitutional amendments initiated by Putin are currently under discussion. Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has requested that a reference to God be included in the preamble, even saying he is praying for this. The Kremlin has referred the matter to the working group charged with drafting the constitutional reform. The media's response to this proposal is rather negative.

Right-wing populist politician Thierry Baudet has caused outrage in the Netherlands, claiming on Twitter that four Moroccans had harrassed two women he knew on a train and calling on the Dutch to 'save the country'. However, the train company put the facts straight: the women had refused to show ticket inspectors their tickets. Commentators criticise Baudet for his half-hearted admission of having made a mistake.