Eurotopics.net

Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu (CHP) was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Wednesday. The sentence for allegedly insulting the country's Supreme Election Council includes a ban from politics. İmamoğlu, who is expected to appeal, is seen as a promising opposition candidate for the presidential elections in June 2023.

The Estonian parliament passed a law on Monday under which Estonian will become the only language of instruction at schools in the country. The transition is to take place between 2024 and 2030. Commentators take very different views on how the move will affect the country's Russian-speaking minority.

Portugal has experienced a week of heavy rain and flooding, with Lisbon being particularly hard hit. The capital's City Council has issued a red alert, hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes, and roads and tunnels have been closed. Unsurprised, commentators list the causes.

EU member states are launching the rule of law mechanism for the first time and freezing funds for Hungary amounting to 6.3 billion euros. Budapest will receive money from the EU's Covid recovery fund, but this will be subject to stringent conditions. In return, hungary dropped its blockade against aid for Ukraine from the EU budget and minimum taxation of large corporations. Europe's press takes stock of this unusual compromise.