Eurotopics.net

In Spain, the right-wing populist Vox party has demanded that parents be allowed to exempt their children from certain lessons, for example sex education or lessons on equal rights. The conservative People's Party PP has said it intends to support this parental veto initiative in the Murcia region, where the conservative-liberal minority government is dependent on the votes of Vox. The Spanish press finds the initiative unacceptable.

On Monday the Kremlin submitted to parliament the draft constitutional amendments that were announced only last week. People in Russia are now wondering why Putin has convened a 75-member working group to flesh out over the course of the next few months the constitutional amendments he proposed. Reactions by Russian journalists vary from bitterness to resignation.

Once again the Swiss ski resort of Davos will be at the centre of global politics this week. Decision-makers from around the world will convene there until Friday for the 50th edition of the World Economic Forum. Journalists explain why particular attention is being paid to Greta Thunberg's presence at the event and why social problems are high on the agenda.

Italy's former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini may go on trial for not allowing migrants to disembark from the Italian coastguard vessel Gregoretti for several days during the summer after a Senate committee called for his immunity to be lifted. Salvini's right-wing Lega also voted in favour of the proceeding, in accordance with Salvini's wishes. Representatives of the governing parties abstained from voting on the grounds that Salvini is just trying to cast himself as a victim before Sunday's elections in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

One day before the start of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund has published its forecast for 2020 and 2021. After growth of 2.9 percent in 2019, "moderately accelerated" growth of 3.3 to 3.4 percent is expected for the next two years. In view of pressing global problems Europe's press is less than enthusiastic about the forecast.