Europe at a glance
Paris
Football anger: Pressure is growing on the French government to hold a full investigation into the chaotic scenes outside last week’s Champions League final match in Paris, when thousands of football fans became trapped in an underpass and were tear-gassed by police. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has repeatedly tried to blame Liverpool’s supporters for the chaos at the Stade de France, saying around 40,000 of them had turned up with fake tickets. But this figure is believed to be massively inflated; early inquiries suggest the crush was actually caused by tens of thousands of legitimate ticket holders being diverted onto a route that was unsuitable for such a large crowd. In France, Darmanin has been accused of lying to protect the police, who are routinely accused of repressive tactics, and to deflect attention from what has been described as a “national shame”. Polls suggest that 76% of the public do not believe Darmanin’s version of events.
Geneva, Switzerland
Monkeypox report: The WHO upgraded the global risk level from the monkeypox virus to “moderate” last week, as the number of cases recorded outside the countries in Central and West Africa where it is endemic continued to rise sharply. Since the outbreak was identified five weeks ago, more than 1,000 cases have been detected in 29 countries, with the highest number – more than 300 – in the UK. The disease, which originated in animals, is passed on in people through close contact; its symptoms include fever and aching muscles, followed by a rash. Most cases clear up on their own within a few weeks. Last week, the government of Nigeria, where 21 cases have been confirmed so far this year, banned the trade in bushmeat as a precaution. In England, monkeypox is being made a notifiable disease, meaning doctors are legally obliged to report cases to the authorities.
Vatican City
Retirement rumour: Speculation that Pope Francis might be planning to retire was stoked this week by news that he will visit the Italian town of L’Aquila in August – home to the tomb of Celestine V, one of the few popes to have resigned his post. Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, visited the tomb before he stepped down in 2013. Rumours that Francis might resign began in May, when he started using a wheelchair after knee surgery. Vatican watchers have also pointed to his decision to hold a consistory in August, creating new cardinals who will one day be eligible to elect his successor.
Donetsk, Ukraine
Execution threatened: A British fighter who was captured by pro-Russian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol in April could now face the death penalty. Aiden Aslin, 28, has been charged by officials in the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic with several offences, including of being a foreign mercenary. Moscow says that, as such, he is not protected by the Geneva Convention, and can be executed. However, the former care worker from Newark-on-Trent has dual UK-Ukrainian citizenship, and had joined Ukraine’s army. One other British citizen is being held by the DPR and is also facing charges.
Odesa, Ukraine
Environmental “war crimes”: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused severe damage to marine habitats, and is suspected of being behind the deaths of thousands of dolphins in the Black Sea, scientists have warned. Ivan Rusev, research director at Ukraine’s Tuzla National Nature Park, said that dolphins had washed up on beaches there and in Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania. Many had been burned by explosives, while others showed signs of having starved. Birds have also been casualties of the war, with bombs, fires and pollution from toxins in explosives wreaking havoc in wetland areas, including 14 sites whose importance has been recognised by Unesco. National park inspectors are gathering evidence of alleged environmental war crimes committed by Russia, but prosecuting them in the International Criminal Court is considered almost impossible in practice.
Tallinn
Coalition dissolved: Estonia’s governing coalition collapsed last week, after the PM ejected her coalition partners for allegedly working against the country’s “core values”. Kaja Kallas, who is known for her hawkish stance on Russia, sacked all seven cabinet ministers belonging to the Centre Party, which had formal ties with Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party until the invasion of Ukraine. Its MPs had just voted against a government schools bill, but Kallas said that it was the “security situation” that made it impossible for her Reform party to work with Centre. This week, she criticised France’s President Macron for saying that Russia should not be “humiliated”, and urged other leaders to hold firm in their support for Kyiv.
Ankara
Re-brand: President Erdogan has officially changed his country’s name at the United Nations to Türkiye. The country has been called Türkiye (pronounced tur-key-yay) domestically since it became a republic in 1923, and in December Erdogan started a broader rebrand campaign, arguing, for instance, that goods for export should be described as “Made in Türkiye”. According to the state broadcaster, Turkey is too easily conflated with the North American bird eaten at Christmas and Thanksgiving, and in dictionaries it is defined as “a stupid or silly person”. An official request to change the name at the UN was submitted last week, and took effect immediately. With Erdogan facing discontent at home over sharply rising food prices and a plummeting currency, commentators have suggested the rebrand is designed to appeal to nationalist voters ahead of elections next year.