Eurotopics.net

The citizens of Hungary will vote in a referendum on October 2 on whether to accept mandatory quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejects the quota system approved by Brussels. The outcome of this referendum could spell the end for the EU, commentators fear.

Three weeks before presidential elections in Austria Czech President Miloš Zeman will meet with Norbert Hofer, the candidate of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Commentators voice surprise at this new friendship between the two opponents of immigration.

The Irish Minister of Finance Michael Noonan has likened Apple to a "seed potato" that brings Ireland jobs and growth. The European Commission, on the other hand, sees the company as a tax dodger that is tricking Dublin out of tax revenues. Commentators condemn Brussels' decision to make Apple pay 13 billion euros to Ireland in back taxes, but also urge the Irish government not to burn its bridges to the EU.

The Alternative for Germany has come second in elections to the state legislature in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Commentators discuss to what extent the other parties are to blame for the rise of this national conservative party and whether its advance can be halted before the German elections next autumn.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has assumed responsibility for the CDU's disappointing performance in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state elections. "Of course it is partly the result of the refugee policy," she said. Commentators discuss how Merkel will react and believe she may be able to make history even against the will of her own party.

The negotiations aimed at reunifying Cyprus are entering a crucial phase. The leaders of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots hope to resolve their disputes in the areas of trade and EU relations by mid-September. Commentators on both sides take a sceptical view of the talks.

In the final declaration of the G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou the heads of the world's leading industrial nations promise an action plan for boosting the global economy. Some commentators are disappointed with the results of the summit. For others it marks the beginning of the end for the austerity policy mainly applied in the EU.