Eurotopics.net

In France, the president is not obliged to justify his actions before the National Assembly. So for Emmanuel Macron, his speech to the EU Parliament on Wednesday outlining the goals of his country's EU Council presidency was also a welcome occasion to open the French presidential campaign on European terrain. Not all commentators are happy about this conflation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine of the US's "unwavering support" during his visit to the country and promised an additional 200 million dollars in military aid. He also threatened Moscow with massive consequences in the event of an attack, which the US apparently considers increasingly likely. Commentators mainly see the ball in Kyiv's court now.

A research team consisting of criminologists, an FBI investigator and other researchers on Monday published a book with its findings on who told the Gestapo about the hiding place of Anne Frank and seven other people in Amsterdam in 1944. According to the findings, it was a Jewish notary who was trying to protect himself and his family from deportation. Historians warn against jumping to conclusions and criticise the way the findings were revealed.

Portugal will elect a new parliament in early elections on 30 January. According to polls, the far-right populist Chega party led by André Ventura has good chances of becoming the third strongest force in the country. So far Chega has been represented by just one MP in parliament - its leader. The national press complains that Ventura and his empty promises are receiving far too much attention.

Following the death of David Sassoli, the Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola has been elected as the new President of the European Parliament. In the vote on Tuesday, 458 out of 616 MEPs who took part voted for the 43-year-old, who is a member of the conservative European People's Party. Metsola is known for fighting corruption and discrimination but is also a tough opponent of abortion, meaning that her appointment is not entirely uncontroversial.