Eurotopics.net

After testing positive for Covid, Kajsa Ollongren was forced to hastily leave the coalition talks she was leading in the Netherlands. Reporters zoomed in on notes she was carrying under her arm that said that the combative MP Pieter Omtzigt needed to be posted to a position "elsewhere". Omtzigt played a key role in uncovering the benefits scandal that led to the previous government's resignation.

An Italian navy frigate captain has been caught in the act of handing secret documents to a Russian military official, as a result of which Italy has expelled two Russian diplomats. Italian newspapers discuss whether the affair will mark a turning point in relations between Rome and Moscow, which have so far been relatively relaxed by European standards.

April 1st is traditionally a day for hoax articles in newspapers, jokes and playing tricks. But the coronavirus and conspiracy theories have taken the lightness out of this entertaining custom, comments a voice from a country that knows a thing or two about having a good laugh.

Although the Norwegian Football Federation has postponed its decision on whether to boycott the 2022 World Cup, the debate about human rights violations in host country Qatar has gained new momentum: during qualifying matches, not only the Norwegians but also the German, Danish and Dutch teams wore T-shirts featuring protest slogans. Commentators discuss the motives behind such actions.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been instructed by Germany's Constitutional Court not to sign off on a law ratifying the EU's coronavirus recovery fund because of a constitutional complaint against Germany's participation in the programme. The complaint was filed by a group led by former Alternative for Germany leader Bernd Lucke, who argues that it is illegal for the EU to take on joint debt to finance the package. This is about more than just a formality, European journalists conclude.

Transcripts of text messages published by the media show how a close confidant of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was given the top post at the major Austrian state holding company Öbag. The messages give insights into the cronyism in Austria's political landscape. Commentators call for consequences.