Eurotopics.net

What began as demonstrations for reforms in 2011 in the wake of the Arab Spring has ended in disaster: according to opposition figures at least 388,000 Syrians have died, tens of thousands have been imprisoned or disappeared and millions have fled the country as a result of the civil war. Is there an alternative to looking on helplessly?

Voting for a new parliament began on Monday in the Netherlands. Despite declining approval ratings, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative-liberal VVD has a clear lead in the polls. If it wins, Rutte could be set for a fourth term as head of government. While this earns him recognition from some observers, others are less convinced that his staying in office is a good thing.

First came criticism of the EU's procurement programme, now vaccine distribution is also under fire. In a letter to the Commission, Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia complained that the procurement system was creating huge disparities in the allocation of vaccines between member states. EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn pointed to unused quotas and problems with Astrazeneca. Commentators are also not entirely convinced by the criticism.