Eurotopics.net

When the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic engulfed Europe, the EU states responded individually and without coordination. Many countries opted for more or less strict lockdowns, while others didn't impose any lockdown. Borders were closed. The free movement of persons and goods came to a halt. Journalists warn that such a chaotic scenario must be avoided at all cost.

The key matches of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League football tournament are currently taking place in Lisbon, albeit under special conditions due to the pandemic: all matches from the quarter-finals onwards will take place within just a few days without spectators and at the same venue, and the contest between two teams will be decided in a single match, as in the World Cup. Commentators discuss the future of this format.

The EU leaders are discussing the situation in Belarus and the mass protests rocking the country at an emergency summit today. Shortly before the video conference began, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against foreign intervention in Belarus. What can the EU do to defuse the tensions in the country?

The EU leaders will discuss the situation in Belarus in a video conference on Wednesday to send a signal of solidarity with the protests in the country. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter that she was looking forward to a 'strategic discussion'. How far is the EU willing to go to help Belarus, and what can it achieve?