Eurotopics.net

In a surprise move, arrest warrants were issued on Friday against 82 members of the pro-Kurdish HDP party. The accused allegedly called people to to the streets for terror acts in the anti-government Kobane protests in 2014. The HDP, currently the third largest parliamentary group, stands to play an important role in the next elections. Commentators say the opposition won't be deterred by the arrests.

In a very rare move Pope Francis has forced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to resign from all his offices. Becciu had previously already renounced his cardinal rights. The prelate, who has held key posts at the Vatican for years and was responsible for staff and financial affairs, is suspected of having embezzled hundreds of millions of euros from donations and invested them in a London property. The press examines the fallout of the scandal.

Infection numbers are rising rapidly across Europe. Although the hospitals are not yet overstretched due to the fact that mainly young people are coming down with the virus at the moment, this may soon change, as the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) recently warned. It doesn't look as if Europe is any better prepared than it was in the spring, commentators note with dismay.

In the final of the Uefa Super Cup, FC Bayern defeated FC Sevilla 2-1 on Thursday. Although the host city Budapest has recently recorded more than 100 coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days, Uefa went ahead with the match, which was meant to serve as a test run for the return of spectators to stadiums. Commentators discuss the pros and cons of this experiment.

Conflict in the EU persists over sanctions against Minsk in light of the human rights violations in Belarus. While the list of those whose accounts have been blocked and who have been banned from entering the EU now comprises 40 people, Cyprus is blocking the unanimous decision necessary to put the sanctions into effect. Observers speculate about the reasons for the veto and for the lax reactions on the part of Berlin and Brussels.