Eurotopics.net

Portugal celebrated Freedom Day on 25 April, in commemoration of the Carnation Revolution of 1974 when an almost bloodless coup supported by a clear majority of the population put an end to the dictatorship introduced by António de Salazar. Unlike in 2020, this year several thousand people gathered on Lisbon's Avenida da Liberdade despite the pandemic. Commentators take very different views of this.

After a year dominated by coronavirus, Donald Trump and the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, the Academy Awards ceremony on 25 April was all about diversity. More women and non-white artists were nominated than ever before. Europe's press welcomes this development, but also warns against too much politicisation at the expense of art.

After an attack at a police station south-west of Paris in which a female police worker was stabbed to death by a Tunisian man, France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin plans to present a new anti-terror law on Wednesday. The perpetrator had allegedly sought psychiatric help for depression a few months ago. He had also apparently taken part in a campaign against Mohammed cartoons.

Representatives of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Britain and the United Nations are to hold informal talks on the Cyprus question in Geneva from Tuesday to Thursday. The aim of the conference is to resume negotiations on a solution for the island, which has been divided since 1974. Press voices from Greece and Cyprus doubt that the meeting will produce any results.