Eurotopics.net

Seven prominent Labour MPs have quit their party citing its current course on Brexit, dissatisfaction with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and "systematic anti-Semitism and racism" as the reasons for their departure. They now plan to form a new group and gain third party status in the House of Commons and have also invited Conservative politicians to join them. Will Brexit be Labour's downfall?

The new European Chief Prosecutor is to take office in 2020. The leading candidate for the post is the former chief prosecutor of Romania's anti-corruption agency (DNA), Laura Codruța Kövesi. But in Bucharest attempts to foil her bid for the office are underway, including investigations for abuse of office, corruption and perjury. Commentators see Romania in a battle with the EU.

Angela Merkel has made a plea for multilateralism, international cooperation and Nato at the Security Conference in Munich. Her speech and that of US Vice President Mike Pence were the main focus of attention on the weekend. The meeting serves as an indication of the current state of transatlantic relations and the global order, commentators say.

US President Trump has tweeted that Europe should take back roughly 800 European citizens who fought with the IS terrorist organisation, threatening Germany, France and Britain that otherwise their citizens would be released from their Syrian prisons. The press argues over how to deal with IS returners.