Eurotopics.net

After 16 months of negotiations, Belgium finally has a new government consisting of seven parties from the centre-left spectrum. Neither the national-conservative N-VA nor the far-right Vlaams Belang are included. Former Finance Minister Alexander De Croo, a Liberal, is set to become Prime Minister. Commentators are relieved - but not in the mood to celebrate.

The battlelines in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, to which both Azerbaijan and Armenia lay claim and where heavy fighting has been going on since the weekend, seem clear now: while Baku is counting on Ankara's support, Yerevan hopes Moscow will step in to defend it. But intervention is not without risks for both Russia and Turkey, commentators note.

Věra Jourová, the European Commission Vice-President responsible for Values and Transparency, has accused Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán of 'building a sick democracy' by restricting the rule of law and media freedom in Hungary. Orbán reacted with indignation to the 'derogatory comments' and called for the Czech politician's resignation. The incident is polarizing opinion in the home countries of the two protagonists.

The auction for 5G frequencies began on Tuesday in France, rekindling the debate about the opportunities and risks of this new generation of mobile communication technology. The Greens demanded that the expansion of 5G be put on hold for the time being, which President Macron rejected with harsh words. Commentators advise against a hasty approach.