Eurotopics.net

Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has announced that MEPs from his Fidesz party will resign from the EPP group in the European Parliament if it approves an amendment to the rules of procedure proposed by the group's leadership on Friday. The change would allow the suspension of the Fidesz MEPs, which has been impossible so far. Who is putting whom under pressure - and who is in the right?

First Hungary purchased the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and now Slovakia has followed suit, acquiring two million doses even though it has yet to be approved by the EU. In the Czech Republic, President Miloš Zeman has been promoting the Russian vaccine for a some time now. Commentators in both countries are less than enthusiastic.

Joe Biden has described last Friday's airstrikes against pro-Iranian militias in Syria as retaliation for rocket attacks against US bases and those of its allies in Iraq. But commentators believe there are other factors behind the new US president's first military strike.

Vaccines against covid-19 are currently one of the most sought-after commodities. But while Western countries have given priority to vaccinating their own populations as quickly as possible up to now, countries like China and Russia, and most recently also Israel, are taking advantage of the situation to do diplomacy with vaccines. Commentators warn against these offensives and also against vaccine nationalism.