Eurotopics.net

The recent revelations about cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have triggered a heated debate over the seal of confession in France. The key question: are priests obliged to report cases of abuse if they learn about them in a confidential conversation? Or is the seal of confession above the laws of the Republic, as Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, Archbishop of Reims, has said?

The summit meeting between the EU and Ukraine on Tuesday in Kyiv ended without any indications that Ukraine will be joining the European Union in the near future. However, an Open Skies treaty integrating Ukraine into the European airspace was signed. Commentators praise the deal.

The Danish government has announced plans to build around 22,000 low-cost housing units by 2035. With this measure the minority Social Democrats want to ensure that housing remains affordable for everyone even in expensive cities like Copenhagen. The country's media criticise the plans for various reasons.

Thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Poland over the weekend to protest the Polish Constitutional Tribunal's ruling last week. The court ruled that EU law is partially incompatible with the Polish constitution, and many now fear that Poland could leave the EU. Europe's press discusses the scope of the protests and the future of the European Union.

Twelve EU states are calling for more "physical barriers" at the EU's external borders, pointing among other developments to the situation at the border with Belarus. The debate also comes against the backdrop of accusations of illegal pushbacks against Zagreb and Athens. The signatories are not even among the countries where a large number of asylum applications are made, commentators note with incredulity.