Eurotopics.net

In the investigation into the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak in Slovakia, the businessman accused of being behind the killing has been acquitted. Justifying its surprise decision, the court said there was not sufficient evidence that Marian Kočner commissioned and paid for the murder of the investigative journalist in February 2018. Europe's commentators alternate between disappointment and praise for the stable rule of law in Slovakia.

In a surprise development in the investigation into the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak in Slovakia, the businessman accused of being behind the killing has been acquitted. The court said there was not sufficient evidence that Marian Kočner commissioned and paid for the murder of the investigative journalist in February 2018. Europe's commentators alternate between bitter disappointment and hopes that the change initiated in Slovakia will be irreversible.

The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group, tests carried out at a German military laboratory have revealed. Chancellor Merkel has urged Moscow to shed light on the case, while the EU has evoked the possibility of imposing additional sanctions. Europe's commentators offer moral support - and Russian state media also get their say.

In Montenegro's parliamentary elections, President Milo Đukanović's ruling DPS party scored its worst result since 1991 but remains the strongest party in the country, with around 35 percent of the vote. Opposition leader Zdravko Krivokapić of the pro-Serbian group For the Future of Montenegro (32.5 percent) is claiming victory. Commentators evaluate the opposition parties' chances of forming a government.

The tourism industry has been most severely impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Many European borders are being partially or completely closed due to rising infection numbers. How long can tourism companies and the jobs they provide be propped up with furlough schemes?