Eurotopics.net

The French government has presented the parliament with another controversial draft law. Officially named the draft bill "reinforcing Republican Principles", it takes aim at radical Islam in particular. The proposed legislation foresees restrictions on home schooling and imam training in the country and more stringent monitoring of foreign payments to associations, as well as tougher penalties for hate speech and doxing. The press is critical of this approach for various reasons.

The Austrian Constitutional Court has overturned the country's ban on assisted suicide on the grounds that it violates the right to free self-determination. Active euthanasia - killing someone at his or her express request - remains a criminal offence. Austria's commentators voice pensive approval.

The Egyptian-Italian investigation into the murder of Giulio Regeni has ended in disagreement. Egypt insists that criminals killed the 28-year-old Cambridge student in February 2016, while Italy blames the Egyptian security services. Just a few days after the investigation was temporarily closed, Emmanuel Macron awarded Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honour.

Bestselling author John le Carré has died in Cornwall at the age of 89. Le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell, once worked for secret services himself and garnered international fame with his spy novels from the 1960s onward, in which betrayal and loyalty were key themes. Commentators discuss whether Le Carré's work and the spy novel in general have retained their relevance since the end of the Cold War.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are still not giving up: the talks on a Brexit with trade agreements are being extended once more, the two leaders agreed in a telephone call on the weekend. Commentators in Europe have serious doubts about whether there is any point to prolonging the wrangling.