Eurotopics.net

The Swiss will go to the polls this weekend to vote in a referendum on the opt-out solution for organ donation. Until now, organs have only been available from deceased persons who explicitly gave their consent to donate during their lifetime. If the referendum passes, consent would be presumed unless the potential donor had stipulated otherwise. The nation's press voices ethical concerns.

Turkey's Court of Cassation has upheld a prison sentence of almost five years and a de facto ban on political activity for opposition politician Canan Kaftancıoğlu. The head of the Istanbul branch of the main opposition Republican People's party (CHP) was accused among other things of insulting the president in several tweets sent between 2012 and 2017. What is the strategy behind the sentence?

As Russia's war against Ukraine intensifies, the EU is stepping up its diplomatic efforts. Top politicians are meeting up in Kyiv, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are seeking a ceasefire as a basis for further negotiations. Europe's press discusses what measures, beyond weapons deliveries, can bring about a solution.

Ukraine yesterday closed an important hub for gas supplies to the West due to its loss of control over the Luhansk region, cutting the amount of gas that reaches Europe via Ukraine by about a third. This makes the earlier debates about reducing dependence on Russian energy and the energy transition all the more urgent, commentators observe.

Reacting to Helsinki's fears of a reaction by Russia in response to its desire to join Nato, Britain has promised to provide military support to Finland and Sweden in the event of an attack. Europe's press comments.