Eurotopics.net

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were admitted to Nato a quarter of a century ago. This eastward expansion was a risk, but also a good investment, said Bill Clinton, who was US president at the time, on the occasion of the anniversary. Europe's press also highlights the significance of the decision.

The EU Commission has recommended opening EU accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country applied to join the EU in 2016 and gained candidate status in December 2022. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Bosnia and Herzegovina had made impressive steps forward since then. The member states will decide on 21 and 22 March whether to accept the recommendation.

In Portugal's snap parliamentary elections this weekend, the centre-right Aliança Democrática (AD) has won a narrow victory against the Socialists (PS), who have been in power in Portugal since 2015. However, the AD has fallen short of a parliamentary majority after the right-wing populist Chega party more than doubled its share of the vote to 18 percent and quadrupled its seats in parliament. The European press is concerned by Chega's success.

The European Union and Switzerland are seeking to reach a new agreement on their bilateral relations. Bern made its negotiating mandate public on Friday, while the EU Council gave the green light on Tuesday. Talks are set to begin in March. Switzerland broke off the negotiations for a framework agreement in 2021. The Swiss press is by no means in agreement on whether the new initiative is a good idea.

Pope Francis has called on Ukraine to raise the "white flag" and show willingness to negotiate with Russia to end the war. "Don't be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse," he told Swiss broadcaster RSI. What some commentators see as a long overdue vote for peace others condemn as completely misguided.