Eurotopics.net

After fierce protests in which hundreds of people were injured, the results of Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary elections have been annulled. According to the initial results four parties gained seats in parliament, three of which have close ties to President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, while the main opposition parties failed to clear the seven-percent hurdle. The OSCE has pointed to "credible" reports of vote buying. What comes next?

The Turkish government has denied accusations by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Turkey is actively intervening in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Various media have reported that Turkish mercenaries are fighting in the region. Commentators fear these troops could also prove dangerous for other countries.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that laws allowing for the blanket collection and retention of location and traffic data are in breach of EU law. Exceptions are only possible when it comes to combating serious crime and threats to national security, the court said. Commentators praise the ruling on the issue, which has been the subject of much controversay in many European countries for years.

French President Macron wants to crack down on radical Islamism in his country. "What we need to fight is Islamist separatism," said Macron during a visit to the Paris suburb of Les Mureaux. He spoke out in favor of banning fundamentalist associations that disregard French values and laws. He also wants to take action against "ghetto formation" and "recapture" problem areas. Can it work?

Portugal and Spain are adopting different strategies for rebuilding their economies after the coronavirus crisis: while Spain plans to use both the loans and the grants provided by the EU recovery fund to boost its economy, Portugal has opted to use the grants but not the loans. Journalists in both countries express approval and doubts about the approach of their respective government.