Eurotopics.net

Ex-Prime Minister Robert Fico has emerged the clear winner of Slovakia's parliamentary election. His left-wing nationalist Smer party won 22.9 percent of the vote, followed by the liberal Progresívné Slovensko with 18 percent. He will, however, need coalition partners to form a government. Commentators wonder whether Fico will follow up on his harsh rhetoric in the election campaign.

Two weeks before Poland's parliamentary elections around one million people followed opposition leader Donald Tusk's call to demonstrate for a change of government in Warsaw on Sunday. With the exception of the nationalist Konfederacja all opposition parties want to form a coalition to replace the PiS, which has been in power since 2015. The polls point to a close election result.

In a speech to the Corsican regional parliament, French President Emmanuel Macron held out the prospect of more autonomy for the Mediterranean island. An "autonomy à la corse" - within the republic - would be a desirable, he said. Macron was reacting to the growing support for Corsican nationalists and a wave of violence following the fatal injury of the nationalist Yvan Colonna in spring 2022.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson addressed parliament on Thursday with a government statement on gang violence in the country. He presented a strategy that includes body search zones, facial recognition and a legal provision that guarantees anonymity for witnesses in a bid to bring the problem, which has recently cost several lives, under control. The involvement of the military is also under discussion.

Once Germany gave up its reservations it looked very much like an agreement would be reached on the proposed European Migration and Asylum Crisis Regulation at the meeting of EU interior ministers on Thursday. The regulation foresees the possibility of detaining refugees for longer periods on the EU's external borders in the event of mass influxes of migrants. But at the last minute Italy, which wants new rules for dealing with private rescue ships, raised objections. Commentators see a deeply divided Europe.