Eurotopics.net

Despite Roman Polanski's conviction for rape, he was awarded a César as best director on Friday. Several women, including actress Adèle Haenel, who had revived the MeToo debate in France in 2019, left the ceremony in disgust. Polanski himself did not show up. French media criticise both the award and the protest.

Even before the post-Brexit negotiations that will define the EU's future relations with the UK have begun, Boris Johnson's government is already threatening to break them off. London says it has no intention of adhering to EU regulations in the future, and reserves the right to withdraw from the talks if a free trade agreement is not tangible by June. Europe's commentatos voice indignation.

The Spanish opera star Plácido Domingo has been facing accusations of sexual harassment since August. On Tuesday he finally apologised, acknowledging the pain he had caused to the women accusing him - but then altered this statement on Thursday. Spanish commentators take different views of his admission.

Lesbos, Chios and Samos have seen fierce protests against the construction of closed camps for refugees this week. Dozens of people have reportedly been injured in clashes between demonstrators and the police. The islands' inhabitants are demanding that migrants be taken to the mainland immediately after they have been registered. Does Athens need help to tackle the problem?

Citizens in many Russian cities commemorated the opposition politician and Putin critic Boris Nemtsov yesterday. Nemtsov, who was deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin and touted as his possible successor was shot dead in the immediate vicinity of the Kremlin on 27 February 2015. To this day it remains unclear who commissioned his assasination.