Eurotopics.net

The British government's controversial strategies in the Brexit negotiations and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic have rekindled aspirations for independence in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In August, for the first time a majority of the Scots said in a poll that they were in favour of independence. Commentators speculate on whether Boris Johnson could be the UK's gravedigger.

The Autonomous Community of Madrid has imposed local lockdowns in several districts in the lower-income south of the Spanish capital and neighbouring towns. Over the last two weeks the region has registered more than 1,000 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. Left-wing commentators blame the conservative regional government and demand the resignation of its leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso.

Whereas the Czech Republic was widely perceived as a shining example in the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people infected has doubled to over 46,000 in the past three weeks. Uncertainty is rife: the government is considering a new lockdown and Health Minister Adam Vojtěch resigned on Monday. Commentators call for swift and uncompromising action to prevent the situation from escalating.

A new migration pact, reform of the WHO and WTO, stricter climate targets and a move away from the principle of unanimity: in her State of the Union address on Wednesday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a number of goals. Praiseworthy ambition or meaningless rhetoric?

A debate has flared up in France over "virginity certificates" issued by doctors after Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in an interview that he plans to make the practice a punishable offence. Several doctors responded on 16 September with an appeal to the government published in the daily Libération to reconsider the plans. Other commentators welcome the initiative.

The discussion about imposing various sanctions against Russia continues: the EU Parliament has proposed in a resolution "Navalny sanctions" against Russian individuals whom Navalny accuses of corruption. For Russian observers this proposal is not necessarily good.