Eurotopics.net

Slovenia takes over the EU Council presidency from Portugal on 1 July. The right-wing populist Janez Janša is in power in Ljubljana. Janša is currently under fire for attacks on press freedom, and on the European stage he has attracted attention with his demonstrative closeness to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Commentators are sceptical about the prospects for Slovenia's presidency.

In Afghanistan, the security situation has markedly deteriorated since the withdrawal of international troops began on 1 May. The Islamist Taliban have now recaptured around 90 of the country's approximately 400 districts. Europe's press discusses the purpose of such missions and their prospects of success.

All women in France may now undergo artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) free of charge. Lesbian couples and single women had been barred from such treatments up to now. After two years of debate, France's parliament passed the amended bioethics law on Tuesday. Commentators in and outside France are not satisfied with this solution.