Eurotopics.net

A Russian airstrike in northern Syria left three Turkish soldiers dead and eleven wounded on Thursday. Moscow confirmed the soldiers' deaths as an "accidental" consequence of operations against the IS. Commentators speculate about the reasons behind the incident.

Israel's parliament passed a law at the start of the week legalising settlements on Palestinian territory. Representatives of the conservative Likud party and the right-wing pro-settlement party The Jewish Home see the move as a first step towards establishing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Commentators fear that the two-state solution will be abandoned altogether.

As the gang crime rate soars and the solved crime rate plunges, Sweden's Liberals are calling for witnesses to be allowed to testify in court anonymously, as is already the case in Norway and Denmark. The Social Democratic Interior Minister Anders Ygeman rejects the plans and has called instead for witness protection programmes to be expanded. Sweden's commentators are also divided over the issue.

At the start of her presidential campaign Marine Le Pen has spoken out in favour of leaving the EU and putting strict limits on immigration. Polls show the candidate of the far right Front National still in the lead in the polls, with 25 percent. The escalating scandal surrounding conservative candidate François Fillon has also put wind in her sails. What is making Le Pen so popular?

The Romanian government has withdrawn its controversial decree decriminalising certain corruption offences. At the same time Prime Minister Grindeanu announced that a new bill with similar content would be presented to parliament. Despite the government's climbdown hundreds of thousands across Romania demonstrated against corruption on Sunday. The press also takes the view that the Romanians can no longer trust their government.