Eurotopics.net

After the massive loss of confidence in Credit Suisse, rival Swiss bank UBS wants to take over its stricken competitor. The largest bank merger in Europe since the financial crisis of 2008 is to be backed by the Swiss National Bank with up to 100 billion Swiss francs (about 101 billion euros). Is the merger a sensible step or will it create an unwieldy monster?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova. They have been charged with committing war crimes with the policy of forcibly relocating children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Europe's press looks at the consequences.

Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that Poland will deliver Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine at the end of last week. Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger responded by pledging to provide Ukraine with more jets of the same type. Europe's press discusses whether the initiative will soften Nato's resistance to the idea of supplying Ukraine with fighter jets.

The French government has pushed through the controversial pension reform by decree. It decided not to hold a parliamentary vote as it remained uncertain until the last moment whether a majority in the National Assembly would vote in favour of this key project of Emmanuel Macron's presidency. In view of the massive protests now expected, Europe's press wonders whether the decision was the right one.