Eurotopics.net

First Poland and now Finland has also signalled its willingness to supply Ukraine with Leopard battle tanks. But because the tanks are produced in Germany, they cannot be exported to other countries without prior approval from Berlin. A glance at the European commentaries shows how the pressure is growing on Chancellor Scholz ahead of the planned meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Friday in Ramstein.

Whether it is due to health reasons, an imminent revolution or a lack of success in the war against Ukraine, Putin's imminent departure is being discussed as a real possibility for 2023 in certain circles. Europe's press also examines the question of whether the Russian president's seemingly eternal rule could soon end.

According to a decision taken by the EU Commission at the same time as it froze funds from the Cohesion Fund for Hungary in December, funding from the European Union's Erasmus programme for 21 foundation-managed Hungarian universities will be suspended. Brussels justified the measure pointing to conflicts of interest and the risk of corruption given that high-ranking politicians sit on the universities' boards of trustees. Commentators are at odds over the move.

EU chief negotiator Maroš Šefčovič and on the British side UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris reportedly reached an agreement on sharing data about the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at a meeting on Monday. In a joint statement the deal was hailed as a "new basis" for talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Commentators are optimistic.

With four women murdered by a partner or ex-partner since the start of the year and eleven killed by male violence in December 2022, femicide statistics have Spain's government on high alert. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has condemned the violence as "macho terrorism" and called on police departments to be more vigilant. Commentators discuss how to tackle the problem.