Eurotopics.net

The Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump in January is scheduled to meet in Washington on Thursday to discuss the Gaza conflict. Trump has announced that its members have pledged around 4.2 billion euros for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged region and security forces. So far the board has 26 member states. Several countries plan to participate as observers.

The Czech Chamber of Deputies' Mandate and Immunity Committee has recommended that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura should not face criminal prosecution. The governing parliamentary majority is expected to confirm the immunity of the two top politicians in March.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a keynote speech at the start of the Munich Security Conference in which he emphasised that Europe must preserve its own values, actively protect its freedom and build on its strengths. "We must flip the switch in our minds," he said, outlining a sovereign Europe that breaks free from its excessive dependence on the US. Europe's media examine Merz's vision and point to potential flaws.

After his appearance at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid visits to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán spoke of a "golden age" in Hungarian-American relations, and Rubio assured him of the US government's support in the upcoming election, saying: "Your success is also our success."