Eurotopics.net

The European Parliament has launched a journalism prize named after Daphne Caruana Galizia to mark the third anniversary of her murder. The prize will honour outstanding journalists whose work reflects the values and principles of the EU. Commentators discuss whether anything has changed for the better in the three years since the investigative journalist was killed.

The European Council has announced sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny: the research institute which allegedly produced the nerve agent will be put under sanctions and six people believed to have been involved in the attack, most of them from the country's security apparatus, will face travel bans to the EU and their assets will be frozen. Will the sanctions have any effect? Commentators are divided.

At their latest EU summit the member states agreed to extend the talks on a post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK, but at the same time decided to intensify the preparations for a no-deal scenario. In September, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had threatened to break off the talks if a deal hadn't been reached by the time of the summit. Observers see little chance of positive results.

Due to the sharp rise in coronavirus infection rates, many European countries have reimposed tough restrictions: from closing bars and cultural attractions to making masks compulsory outdoors. European commentators heatedly discuss whether individual measures are justified.

A runoff presidential election will be held in the internationally unrecognized Republic of Northern Cyprus on Sunday. In the first ballot neither incumbent Mustafa Akıncı (29.8 percent) nor Prime Minister Ersin Tatar of the conservative UBP - which is closely related to Erdoğan's AKP - (32.4%) achieved an absolute majority. Akıncı wants the reunification of Cyprus. Observers question how much he can accomplish.