Eurotopics.net

Vladimir Putin has announced a constitutional reform. The Russian parliament will be given new powers and the State Council, a mere advisory body until now, will become a constitutional body. The government of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev promptly announced its resignation, and Michail Mishustin, the head of the tax authority, will become the new prime minister. Observers try to decipher what these changes mean.

The US and China on Wednesday signed an agreement which at least partially resolves the trade dispute that has been dragging on for months. Tariffs on both sides will be lowered and China is committed to purchasing 75 billion dollars worth of US manufactured goods. But the European press sounds anything but optimistic.

The French government has announced that it will withdraw a particularly controversial point in its proposed pension reform: employees will continue to retire with full benefits at 62 rather than having to wait until they are 64 as planned - provided unions and employers submit proposals for financing this by the end of April. Yet the protests continue unabated. Is France facing a fundamental crisis?

The so-called nitrogen crisis is propelling the Netherlands to take further action. After the introduction of a speed limit on motorways and restrictions for the livestock industry following the recommendations of a special committee, the airline industry is now being told to cut its emissions. This would hinder the expansion of Schiphol airport, however. The Dutch press is divided.