Eurotopics.net

Viktor Orbán has described the referendum on refugee quotas as an "overwhelming victory" despite the low voter turnout. 98 percent of those who voted cast their ballot against the EU quota system but only 44 percent of those entitled to vote took part. 50 percent were required for the referendum to be valid. Journalists in Europe discuss whether Orbán is weakened or strengthened by the result.

Thousands of people in Poland have protested against a total ban on abortion. Dressed all in black they took to the streets on Monday to demonstrate against the national conservative PiS government's planned ban. Commentators believe this could be the start of a major wave of protests.

In a referendum held on Sunday a narrow majority of Colombians rejected a peace deal with the Farc rebels. 50.2 percent voted against the agreement that was to end decades of civil war-like circumstances in the country. Is this the end of Colombia's peace process?

In view of the unabated violence in Syria the tone on the international diplomatic stage is growing harsher: Merkel and Obama have condemned the airstrikes on Aleppo, describing them as "barbaric" and UN representatives have accused the Syrian army and its allies of committing war crimes. But why is the West still doing nothing to end the war?

After a long period of wrangling the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) have agreed to cut production by 700,000 barrels per day. The cartel's decision will mainly affect oil prices and the global power game in the energy sector, commentators conclude.

Just over two years after Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine international investigators published their latest findings on Wednesday, according to which the plane was hit by a Buk missile fired by a rocket launcher brought from Russia into the rebel area. Moscow should admit its partial responsibility for the tragedy, commentators urge, arguing that sooner or later the culprits will be brought to justice anyway.