Eurotopics.net

Opposition to the EU's planned copyright reform is growing. Critics argue that it amounts to censorship. The main point under attack is Article 13, under which online platforms may no longer direct users to copyrighted content. The German-language Wikipedia page went offline on Thursday in protest. Does the directive really protect those it is supposed to?

A bus driver hijacked a bus carrying 51 schoolchildren near Milan on Wednesday and threatened to douse them with fuel and set them alight. The police were able to prevent this. The perpetrator, an Italian citizen of Senegalese origin, apparently uploaded a video beforehand with the message: "Africa, rise up!" Commentators discuss to what extent the crime is linked to Italy's immigration policy.

Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have signed the new German-French friendship treaty. According to the agreement Berlin and Paris want to enhance their cooperation on Europe policy and campaign for a common foreign and security policy. While some commentators fear that the Franco-German pact excludes other states, for others the agreement points the way forward.

Police in Northern Ireland say that the car bomb attack in the city of Londonderry on Saturday could have been the work of the militant underground organisation the New IRA. Commentators discuss what impact the Brexit negotiations could have on peace in Ireland.

The global economic elite is currently in Davos for its annual meeting. But key figures like Trump, May and Macron are not among the roughly 3,000 persons attending this year. For commentators this is just one of several reasons why they see the World Economic Forum falling short of expectations.