cafebabel.com

(Don’t) occupy Budapest: Fidesz versus demonstrators in run-up to 15 March

2012-02-08T20:15:00Z

Something is rotten in the state of Hungary. The Hungarian government has reserved the entire city centre for celebrations on the upcoming national holiday, effectively blocking potential demonstrations. An overview of the opposition’s reaction

Europe-gate. Or how to name criminal investigations across Europe

2012-02-08T17:15:00Z

Things are hotting up in Spain’s courts with the 'Gürtel' case. How does a Spanish juridical affair end up with a German name? European investigation titles go on trial

MULTIKULTI on the ground - write for us from Seville–

2012-02-08T16:14:11Z

cafebabel.com London is back - and supporting the British media's 'safer cycling campaign'

2012-02-08T15:33:48Z

Into the white

2012-02-08T13:52:31Z

Në të bardhë

2012-02-08T13:46:22Z

Sunday in Paris with Chopin and Steve Villa-Massone, street pianist

2012-02-08T10:23:17Z

After trailing the streets of Europe with his piano - literally carrying it around - for ten years, the dedicated French pianist and composer from Nice is now bringing smiles to Parisian passers-by. We tag along with him in the streets of the French capital - the more of us around to push this heavy instrument, the better

Make the best choices for your future: studies and career advice at the EU Studies Fair this week!

2012-02-08T10:19:37Z

Theatra – a quest for fresh, high quality, independent artistic expression

2012-02-07T22:29:23Z

German, Swiss, Polish and local media on Romania prime minister resignation

2012-02-07T18:08:29Z

Emil Boc resigned on 6 February due to massive protests against his centre-right government's austerity programme. Hours later president Traian Băsescu named the independent former head of the foreign intelligence service, Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, as his successor. Romania needs an independent technocrat, but he will have his work cut out for him dealing with the intrigues of the opposition, commentators write

Birthday gift ideas for Maastricht treaty, 20 years today

2012-02-07T11:52:54Z

The Maastricht treaty, signed on 7 February 1992, came into force in November 1993, when most of cafebabel.com's editorial team were children. The treaty heralded both the creation of the European union, formerly the 'European economic community', and the euro as a single currency. Two decades on, it’s attracting the wrath of crisis-struck Europeans

No gashes in the Hofburg!

2012-02-07T10:45:59Z

A bitterly cold night on the 27th of January saw thousands of people to gather to protest against the annual WKR Ball. Why demonstrate against a ball you ask? What’s wrong with a bunch of people not being able to waltz and wearing uncomfortable clothes?

The Acronyms of Pragmatism

2012-02-06T22:00:35Z

Is the new Treaty really sustainable?

2012-02-06T18:19:59Z

By Cristina Mariani Analysis: 25 Member States agreed on the new Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. Is it sustainable?

A nowadays Student !

2012-02-05T18:31:01Z

Ushqim Tradicional nga Maqedonia !

2012-02-05T18:13:27Z

Skopje's playground !

2012-02-05T17:19:25Z

The newest University of Macedonia- State University of Tetovo

2012-02-05T17:12:49Z

Les orientations de la politique commerciale extérieure de l'Union Européenne et leurs effets sur le marché européen du travail dans le contexte de la mondialisation

2012-02-05T12:57:56Z

Isak Gerson, founder of kopimist church: 'File-sharing' is not 'stealing'

2012-02-03T16:30:00Z

‘We don’t believe in god at all,’ says Isak Gerson. However, this was no obstacle for the 20-year-old Swedish philosophy student to establish the missionary church of kopimism (from ‘copy + me’) – a church without hierarchy, whose 6000 followers actively encourage internet users to share all kinds of files

Italian spritz aperol: the future’s orange

2012-02-03T12:00:00Z

The Italian-born spritz aperol has gained official international recognition, being classed as a ‘new drink’ by the international bartenders’ association. We took this as an excuse to try out the sparkling brew, which the Italians will tell us is anything but new

Megaupload, FBI, anonymous: internet battle over copyright

2012-02-02T16:15:51Z

After a vast legal process in the American courts, the internet platform megaupload was closed down. Copyright struggle or third world war? One Frenchie looks for a more differentiated approach

Danes use their bike as others use their vacuum cleaner

2012-02-02T11:26:45Z

From 1 January to 30 June 2012 Denmark holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union for the seventh time since joining the European community. In Budapest, the European Point information center’s programmes provided great opportunities in January to get to know the culture of the country. We could get informed about a special Danish high school (called folk high school or Folkehøjskole), we could assist a Danish film evening, and at the end of the month, favoring the very young generation, Danish Children’s Day was celebrated.

Those who visited the lecture 'Copenhagen by bike' on 12 January, could learn a lot about the Danish transportation system. Beyond discovering the 'City of Cyclists', we could also see the photo exhibition of Cycle Chic founder, Mikael Colville-Andersen. After the opening speech by Tamás Szűcs, head of the The European Commission Representation in Hungary, Hanne Tornøe, head of the Danish Cultural Institute in Budapest said some words about the biking culture in Copenhagen. It was followed by short presentations given by János László, president of the Hungarian Bicycle Club and Péter Dalos, traffic engineer at Danish origin architecture company, COWI. While various statistics were reported, the audience could draw obvious parallels between the biking life of Copenhagen and Budapest.

Happy birthday everyone! cafebabel.com is 11 years old on 1 February 2012

2012-02-01T17:22:38Z

CIA in Greenland: story about a polar whodunit

2012-02-01T12:45:59Z

What’s aboard the CIA aeroplanes that have been illegally flying over Greenland since 2001? That is what the Greenland government wants the Danish authorities to tell them. They, however, seem oddly reluctant to answer

Euro 2012 Warsaw stadium: once a bazaar hosting pop star popes

2012-02-01T10:58:42Z

With its roof looking like a waving Polish flag, the national stadium became the newest addition to the Polish capital's fantastic skyline on 29 January. It opened seven months later than planned on the historic banks of the Vistula river but still in time for the 2012 European football championships this summer

Fictional Russian hopefuls in 2012 elections

2012-01-31T16:54:48Z

Russia’s presidential elections on 4 March are creeping ever closer. Following demonstrations across Russia in the wake of parliamentary elections in December, the run-away favourite Vladimir Putin is now more of a walk-away favourite. Who else is in this one-horse race?

Monti: “From now on, the EU sits on a rock”

2012-01-31T14:11:06Z

By Matteo Adduci

Presenting the freshly reached agreement on a fiscal pact ratified by 25 EU member states (everyone except the UK – same old story - and the Czech Republic – due to “different problems in relation to the possible adoption of the agreement”), Italian PM Mario Monti stated that Italy had had significant impact in the achievement of this “very good and successful result”.

Megaupload vs Sopa and Pipa: it'll be e-right on the night

2012-01-31T10:44:29Z

Act one: stop online piracy. Act two: protect international property. Act three: shut down a famous file-sharing site. Act four: anti-counterfeiting trade agreement. We call for a bit of order in the debate on internet freedom versus intellectual property rights which has kicked off 2012

Fashion-forward female leaders to make it right

2012-01-30T21:13:40Z

By Cristina Mariani

‘I am here with my little bag to collect a bit of money’ said IMF head Christine Lagarde in Davos recently, proferring her big LV handbag. It's big, but is it big enough? And is anyone going to offer to fill it for her?

My name is Martin Schulz, “Guardian of the European Union”

2012-01-30T19:57:06Z

By Matteo Adduci
Photo by Davide Martinotti

Youth employment pivotal to growth

2012-01-30T18:57:11Z

By Julie Kavanagh

The Party of European Socialists have dismissed as ¨empty proposals¨ a new EU draft paper detailling measures to tackle youth unemployment. With the issue expected to be high on the agenda at today´s informal summit, politicians and policy-makers alike are eager to emphasise youth employment as pivotal to growth.

Arab spring in Morocco: royalists recognise indigenous language

2012-01-30T15:49:52Z

Large-scale protests, like those seen on 20 February 2011, continue to be a familiar sight in Morocco. We talk to young Moroccans whose demands follow in the footsteps of the Arab spring – democracy, freedom, social justice – albeit with a royalist twist

Brussels Summit starts as Belgian strike action continues

2012-01-30T15:26:47Z

By Julie Kavanagh
Photo by Davide Martinotti

Today´s general strike in Belgium has seen transport ground to a standstill, but the European quarter of Brussels remains a hive of activity as the latest EU summit kicks off.

It's Not All Bad News From Greece

2012-01-30T13:36:10Z

Dario Ivkovic: 'people don’t seem interested in roots of Balkan music'

2012-01-30T12:06:49Z

Best-known as a member of both the German touring group Shantel & The Bucovina Club Orkestar and French band Les Yeux Noirs, the Serbian accordionist is an electrifying personality onstage. We talk music legends, Balkan beats and why 'girls like guitarists better'

'Europe's painful fight against Asia' - British prime minister quoted in Polish newspaper

2012-01-30T11:00:11Z

Budapest: Another successful art center must leave its place due to political decisions

2012-01-30T09:38:06Z

After Trafó and Tűzraktér, Gödör must also go

On January 17, 2012 the management of the popular club in the heart of Budapest, Gödör, was informed about the rejection of their previously submitted plans and proposals, and they were also told to leave the territory of the Cultural Center and Park of Erzsébet Square on 1st of February 2012. From February on, the Cultural Center will be managed together with the neighboring Design Terminál as a common economic asset, and the Terminál will be responsible for the daily programs of both places. After Trafó and Tűzraktér, another successful art center must leave its previous place due to political decisions.

The Cultural Center and Park of Erzsébet Square has been hosting Gödör Club since 2002. The construction of Erzsébet Square started according to the plans submitted by the club-owner architecture firm, UNI-CO in 2000, but even until now, only the first phase of construction has been finished, the second phase is planned to be finished by 2013. The management of Gödör Club kept on submitting complex tenders for investments and operations, and they stated to the Trustee of the Hungarian Ministry of Administration and Justice that if they were forced to leave, they would need at least three months for the relocation. If so, they asked to be allowed to operate at least until 31st March, and to organize a farewell festival together with the new operators.

Welcome to Macedonia

2012-01-28T15:56:49Z

Schulz, new president of European parliament: Martin who?

2012-01-27T15:07:40Z

Do you know who the president of the European parliament is? If not, read on: Martin Schulz isn't afraid of courting controversy and is planning to shake up the way Europe is run

Are you confiscating my ipod? EU citizens against ‘Acta’ treaty

2012-01-25T17:27:06Z

A proposed worldwide ‘anti-counterfeiting trade agreement’ (ACTA) would impose a legal framework on online intellectual property rights. The term 'internet' is not even mentioned once in the entire treaty, infuriating European citizens who fear for their freedoms and about censorship

26:1 – A fiscal Union in the European

2012-01-25T16:04:44Z

By Hans Mund

Two figures of the Eurozone safer team: Van Rompuy and Italien's Prime Minister Mario Monti

The coming week that starts on Monday 23rd, can be considered as the kick-off for the year 2012 when it comes to EU politics. It will be the first real working week of the Danish Presidency. It is the start of the last 6 months of the first permanent Council Presidency of Herman van Rompuy. It started with the meeting of the Finance Ministers of the Eurogroup members last Monday, the financial compact drafted and released by Van Rompuy, was discussed. For the Danish presidency, it will be the first test in acting as “the bridge over troubled water”; in itself, it is not a member of the Eurozone , but Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen are aware of what is ahead of them and intend on getting a solution soon.

Board profiles

2012-01-25T10:25:08Z

On August , 30th Babel Wien elected its new board. New positions were created in order to allow a better division of labour. Below you will find the are brief presentations of the new board members:

What 2012 will bring

2012-01-25T10:17:01Z

A new year begins, and how best to start off the new year than with a “what will happen in 2012” article! Below you will find Cafe Babel’s predictions for 2012, from politics, to fashion to, errm politics again! Enjoy.

Odd ode to Eric Cantona

2012-01-24T19:21:04Z

The Olympic Marseille football club is beginning to form a reputation as the starting block for 'wannabe presidents'. Following in the footsteps of George Weah and his candidacy for the presidency in Liberia, it’s now the turn of Eric Cantona to make his ambitions for high office known, writes one French blogger, 'ASL'

Nikola Djukic: 'Bosnia may have to wait until 2022 for EU membership'

2012-01-24T18:00:00Z

Croatia’s citizens overwhelmingly voted to join the European union on 21 January. Meanwhile, its neighbour Bosnia-Herzegovina has not yet gained candidate status. We talk to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s ambassador in Hungary about what Croatian membership would mean and why Bosnia is different

Documentary 'Listening to Garzon': Spain’s most famous judge judged

2012-01-24T17:00:46Z

‘Escuchando al Juez Garzón’ is an 87-minute documentary shot as a single interview with the high-profile human rights judge in Madrid in late 2010. Over a year later, he is going on trial for triple prosecutions on his abuses of power at his country's supreme court. International human rights activists argue that this 'Judge Dredd' case is one of Spanish science fiction

Political husbands' and wives' circus in Europe

2012-01-24T13:03:46Z

On 24 January the wife of disgraced former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Anne Sinclair, made her debut as the editor of the first European version of the American news website Huffington Post. Our French, Spanish, Polish, German, Italian and British editors react on the choice

Scotland: address to haggis and Europe

2012-01-24T12:00:00Z

25 January 2012 marks the 253rd birthday of Robert Burns, the most famous Scottish bard. Supermarkets all over are going haggis-crazy. Haggis is delicious, but not for the faint hearted. Recipe

Salami strategy: the art of ‘wullfing’

2012-01-24T11:21:39Z

With its Hungarian origins, this sausage of a saying provides European inspiration to help the German head of state Christian Wulff worm his way out of the current corruption scandal