Eurotopics.net

Romania's Minister of Economic Affairs Claudiu Năsui has proposed a law that would create a public register listing all employees of the notorious former communist secret police Securitate as well as their relatives. Under the rule of communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, which ended in 1989, the Securitate was responsible for the deaths of around 200,000 Romanians. The national press is not convinced by Năsui's proposal.

Faced with continuing Covid vaccine shortages in the EU, Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to impose export bans. According to Brussels, at least 41 million doses have been exported from the EU since February, ten million of which went to the UK. Meanwhile British-Swedish manufacturer Astrazeneca has only delivered 30 percent of the agreed vaccine doses to the EU in the first quarter, EU sources say. Europe's press discusses the pros and cons of export bans.

Although most European governments are extremely reluctant to impose further lockdowns and restrictions on their citizens, in view of growing infection rates they see no other option. This makes it all the more important that the measures they take are viewed as reasonable and logical. Which is posing a major problem, commentators note.

Turkey's chief prosecutor last week filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court aimed at banning the pro-Kurdish opposition party HDP. It is also seeking a five-year ban from politics for almost 700 HDP members, including its leaders Mithat Sancar and Pervin Buldan. Sancar accused the government of wanting to ban his party because it could not defeat it politically. Commentators agree.