Eurotopics.net

A clear majority voted in favour of a new climate protection law in a referendum held in Switzerland on Sunday. Almost 60 percent of those who cast their ballots support a gradual reduction of oil and gas consumption and the goal of making the country CO2-neutral by 2050. To this end the state plans to provide subsidies for climate-friendly heating systems and investments. A major step forward?

As agreed when forming the coalition government in 2021, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă (PNL) has now vacated his post to make way for Marcel Ciolacu from the coalition partner PSD. In his inaugural speech Ciolacu proposed "economic patriotism" to get Romania out of its current economic crisis. Romanians should no longer be "the modern slaves" of Europe, he said. Commentators examine this change of course.

As delegations from Sweden and Turkey met in Ankara on Wednesday, Turkish President Erdoğan again dampened expectations that Sweden will join Nato soon. Although Sweden's counter-terrorism laws have been tightened and the Supreme Court recently approved the first extradition of a PKK supporter, Turkey's demands have not yet been met, Erdoğan said. But his real focus is the US, commentators suspect.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Swiss parliament per video on Thursday, appealing for solidarity and calling on it to allow the export of Swiss-made war materials to third countries, something Switzerland has so far refused to do citing its neutrality. The Swiss People's Party (SVP), the strongest parliamentary group, did not attend the session on the same grounds.