Eurotopics.net

The United Nations has released a shocking report to mark World Refugee Day on July 20. For the first time, the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR counted over 70 million refugees worldwide in 2018. At the same time the EU is increasingly sealing itself off, observers criticise. Commentators present constructive ideas for the refugee debate.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will face off against Boris Johnson in the race for the Tory leadership and post of British prime minister. The final word will be had by party members in a postal ballot with the winner will being announced at the end of July. Ten candidates ran to succeed May as Tory leader. Brexit hardliner Johnson is viewed as favourite, but Hunt is still very much in the running, commentators believe.

At Thursday's EU Summit European leaders failed to agree on who should succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as EU Commission President. The decision has been postponed until a special summit scheduled for 30 June. While Merkel wants the post to go to EPP lead candidate Manfred Weber, Macron favours Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager or Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Almost five years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down arrest warrants have been issued against three Russians and a Ukrainian accused of murdering 298 people. Moscow rejects the charges. The trial against the four men is slated to begin in March 2020. Commentators say the pressure on the Kremlin must be increased.

The Council of the European Union has postponed its decision on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania to October following a meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg. The EU mustn't go too far with its delaying tactics and the potential accession candidates shouldn't lose heart, commentators advise.