Eurotopics.net

Hundreds of forest fires have been raging in Southern Europe for weeks. Turkey, Greece and Italy are particularly hard hit. A heat wave that has temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius is fanning the flames and could even aggravate the situation in coming days. Commentators discuss the role of climate change and the responsibilities of governments.

The US companies Moderna and Pfizer, which produces Biontech's Covid vaccine Comirnaty, have raised the prices of their mRNA vaccines in negotiations with the EU, according to a report in the Financial Times. The cost of a dose of Comirnaty has risen from 15.50 euros to 19.50 euros, and Moderna's Spikevax now costs 21.50 euros instead of 19 euros. An unfavourable development in every respect, commentators conclude.

The Porajmos - the genocide of the Sinti and Roma during the Holocaust - has been commemorated in Europe on 2 August since 2015. Members of the minority, which had been a target of discrimination for centuries, were systematically hunted down, imprisoned and killed by the National Socialists and their helpers from 1935 onwards. The exact number of victims is still a subject of controversy. Europe's press focuses on the persistent problem of antiziganism.

After the furor over gymnast Simone Biles, the case of an athlete from Hungary is now showing how much pressure from the media and society Olympians from all over the world are under. Three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszú failed to win any medals in the swimming competitions in Japan. Commentators examine her absence from the press conference after the events and note how quickly sport can morph into politics.

About 200,000 people took to the streets across France to protest against the toughened Covid rules - significantly more than on the previous weekends. From 9 August on, vaccinations will be mandatory for certain occupational groups, and people refusing to comply may face suspension of pay. Testing will be compulsory for the unvaccinated in restaurants and on long-distance trains. Commentators believe the protests will be largely ineffective despite their size.