Eurotopics.net

Tens of thousands demonstrated in Germany against the EU's planned copyright reform on Saturday. The new directive is due to be passed by the EU Parliament on Tuesday. Critics fear that it will lead to censorship. Article 13, according to which online platforms will no longer be able to direct users to copyrighted content, is the main source of concern. Not all commentators agree with this criticism.

Estonia commemorates today, Monday, the mass deportations from the Baltic which took place under Stalin 70 years ago. Between 25 and 28 March, 1949, roughly 90,000 people were arrested and deported to Siberia, including around 20,000 from Estonia. Journalists and researchers call for appropriate processing and commemoration of the atrocities.

The EU-27 have agreed to postpone Brexit, not by the three months Theresa May had requested but by just two weeks. Next week the British parliament is to vote a third time on the Brexit agreement. If it approves the deal the EU will grant a postponement until the European elections. The comments in the press are clear: it's all or nothing now.

The French government is cracking down after yellow vest protests turned violent last Saturday. It has announced partial bans on demonstrations and is not excluding the possibility of making preventive arrests again. Counter-terrorist army units are also to be deployed to protect certain locations. Journalists ask what effect this hard line will have and what image France is projecting.

The right-wing populist Forum voor Democratie (FVD), established in 2016, has unexpectedly emerged as the strongest party in regional elections in the Netherlands. The centre-right coalition has lost its majority in the Dutch Senate as a result of the vote. Commentators voice concern over the success of the new party and the xenophobic rhetoric of its leader Thierry Baudet.