cafebabel.com

Hungarian activist András Istvánffy: ‘permanent protest culture since 2006’

Andras Szirko — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:48:55 -0000

While the Hungarian government has been closing popular venues, the 4K! or fourth republic! movement has been attempting to reclaim public places through flash mobs and other actions. We meet András Istvánffy, the platform's coordinator of the platform

Algerian cartoonist Slim: 'We have to protect human hands, not human rights'

Jaša Pipan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:16:40 -0000

Few Algerians don’t know who Slim is. Not a lot of Europeans know him. Yet the 67-year-old cartoonist provides the sharpest view on the society of his time, of the 'Arab spring' in Tunisia and Egypt, but also on the society where no revolution took place: Algeria

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

Kata — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:15:00 -0000

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

Tansy Larsen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:15:00 -0000

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

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

Adam Wyett — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:23:17 -0000

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

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

euro topics — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:08:29 -0000

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

Jacopo Franchi — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:52:54 -0000

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

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

Agata Jaskot — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:30:00 -0000

‘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

Eva Vanhee — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0000

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

Annie Rutherford — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:15:51 -0000

After a vast legal process in the American courts, the internet platform megaupload was closed down on 19 January. Is it a copyright struggle or the start of a third world war? One Frenchie looks for a more differentiated approach

CIA in Greenland: story about a polar whodunit

Jaša Pipan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:59 -0000

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

Catrin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:58:42 -0000

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

Annie Rutherford — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:54:48 -0000

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?

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

Adam Wyett — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:44:29 -0000

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

Arab spring in Morocco: royalists recognise indigenous language

Lorna Slane — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:49:52 -0000

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

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

Ili Puskás — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:06:49 -0000

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'

Schulz, new president of European parliament: Martin who?

Catrin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:07:40 -0000

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

Jacopo Franchi — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:27:06 -0000

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

Odd ode to Eric Cantona

Andrew Burgess — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:21:04 -0000

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'

Tetyana Kostyuk — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:00 -0000

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

Nabeelah Shabbir — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:46 -0000

‘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

Jaša Pipan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:03:46 -0000

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

Arno van der Zwet — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0000

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’

Annie Rutherford — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:21:39 -0000

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

China, world economy dragon mummy to Europe

Agata Jaskot — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 -0000

China has not become as helpful and friendly to the EU as some European presidents might have wished, but its investors, literary figures and linguistic opportunities are a source of dynamism. Here's a brief chart of its positive and negative growth effects, and how that impacts or influences Europeans

Croatia EU vote: Swiss, Italian, Slovenian, Czech media react

euro topics — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:13:56 -0000

A clear majority of Croatians voted in favour of EU accession in a referendum on 22 January. However, if they want to join the EU it's above all for economic reasons, European commentators write and prophesy that the EU's eastern enlargement is over for the time being

Ireland’s ‘accidental emigrants’

Gary Finnegan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:34:33 -0000

While thousands of young people are fleeing Ireland as the depression deepens, others who planned to return are stranded overseas. One writer tells of how the doors 'closed behind him' after moving to Brussels and Beijing

Economy lesson from young Europeans: move to China and start saving now

Agata Jaskot — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:45:00 -0000

EU officials are brainstorming the programme of Denmark's six-month presidency of the EU, as young, ambitious Europeans give us their financial lessons from the 'crisis year' 2011

Top three songs: Polish music legend Czesław Niemen

Agata Jaskot — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:15:00 -0000

His John Lennon-style glasses and long hair were mandatory for a beat generation artist. An uneven beard completed the rock and soul musician’s look on the streets of Poland. 17 January 2012 marks the eighth anniversary of the death of the much-loved singer-songwriter, 64

German medical students head for Latvian university

Sebastian Baciu — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:16 -0000

Just under half of the 500 foreign medical students currently enrolled at Riga’s Stradina University come from Germany – but a medical education in a foreign country doesn’t come cheap

Arturo Ripstein: ‘Making films is like waking from a nightmare’

Annie Rutherford — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:16:11 -0000

The Mexican director was the guest of honour at a French international festival of film schools in the town of Poitiers. Whilst he has been in the business for more than forty years, with twenty films under his belt and numerous Cannes appearances, the 68-year-old remains unknown for a European public

‘Desi Boyz’ and a German girl: am I now a bollywood star?

Lilian Maria Pithan — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:07:56 -0000

A European traveller who accidentally becomes an extra for the latest film of India's 'Tom Cruise', Akshay Kumar, winds up filming and reflects on her experience after watching the completed movie in the cinemas. Part II of a travel diary

Why would a Spanish 'European volunteer' go to Romania?

Rach — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:30:00 -0000

2011 was the year of the European volunteer, but it doesn't mean we can't still talk about the role. Has its visibility increased since the economic crisis, due to the lack of opportunities or out of pure altruism? One young Iberian speaks out

Scottish independence: Haud yer weesht, Cameron

Annie Rutherford — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:43:13 -0000

On 9 January, British prime minister David Cameron offended pretty much everyone in British politics by telling the Scots to hurry up with their referendum on independence. Now the Scottish parliament has confirmed the vote will take place in autumn 2014. One Scot explains why Cameron should stay out of it

Seadas or sebadas: how to make Sardinian cheese pastry

Alexandra Baxter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:00 -0000

Originally simple dishes of rural origin, 'sebadas' or 'seadas' have been given a new identity and today are served as a dessert. This is the brief story of a Sardinian delicacy whose roots are buried deep in the ancient rustic tradition

Dinner for one in 2012

English language version of cafebabel.com — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:32:23 -0000

The Brits have spent the end of year in a 'lull' whilst the Germans are going through 'new year's fatigue'. In their new year's addresses at least, Europe's Franco-German leaders warned us it won't be getting any better this new year

Slovenian journalist: death threats after arms trade trilogy

Nabeelah Shabbir — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:18:09 -0000

In Slovenia, a trilogy published between summer 2011 and spring 2012 has exposed the secrets of the arms trade during the Balkans war and the role of the country's politicians in it. It's been an ache in the sides of those in power and with money and interests whom the book denounces. Co-writer Blaz Zgaga, 38, may be in hiding but he won't stay down

Finland's Sami minority: new cultural centre but no land rights

English language version of cafebabel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:15:00 -0000

Finland's Sami people are slowly gaining legal recognition, with a new cultural centre in Inari being launched in 2012. However, the minority continues to suffer injustice with respect to land-law. Tanja Joona from the northern institute for environmental and minority law explains a problem which doesn't look set to disappear

Steve James: 'In the 80s, I can’t imagine anyone wanted a documentary-making career'

Helene Bienvenu — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:22:46 -0000

The American director perhaps best known for his 1994 film Hoop Dreams is in Amsterdam for the city’s international documentary film festival. We talk 'new media', starting out in the eighties and why an oscars snub doesn't matter when you've got good old Europe to fall back on

Ladies what oppose Belarus in Vilnius

Annie Rutherford — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:50:35 -0000

Belarus is just 40 kilometres away from the Lithuanian capital. Belarusian human rights campaigners use Vilnius as an asylum and distribution centre - yet the Lithuanian president keeps up a good relationship with the Belarusian despot

Kirtimai: Lithuania's Roma on education and 'missing England'

Annie Rutherford — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:36:54 -0000

Less than 3, 000 Roma live in Lithuania. Representing 0.1% of the population, there are still enough Baltic 'gypsies' to serve as a scapegoat in a country feeling squeezed by the crisis. However, in one Lithuanian village, Romualda, Svetlana, Konstantin and Konsela are helping the community to lift its head

Itanglish: new Italian dialect?

Sebastian Baciu — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:00 -0000

With their trendy gossip over social media, sometimes in a chat live online, Italians have integrated English words into their common vocabulary to a surprising extent. Does Italy still speak Italian? Or has the country switched to Itanglish, the new Anglo-Italian hybrid dialect?

Nightlife in Vilnius: ethnic minority benders

English language version of cafebabel.com — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:12:17 -0000

6.7% Polish, 6.3% Russian, 1.2% Belarusian, 0.7% Ukrainian, 0.1% Yiddish, 0.09% Tartar…approximately 115 communities of ethnic minorities were listed in this vein in a 2001 census in Lithuania. How integrated are these groups in local society? One way of finding out is by hitting the tiles

What is the difference between a revolution and a coup d’etat?

Katrina — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:30:00 -0000

In the midst of the popular revolts which have seen the fall of dictatorships across the Arab world, almost 31 years have passed since the events of '23-F', an attempted coup d’état against the Spanish government on 23 February 1981

Pesetas, liras, franks and drachmas: euro is living on borrowed time

Marta Nathansohn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:00:00 -0000

Multiple defaults, a return to the lira, pesetas and francs, the break-up of the monetary union and Europe comes crashing down. Sounds like an endless chain of unreal events? Perhaps not: the end of the common currency is no longer a taboo for European press and economists

'Desi Boyz' and a German girl: welcome to bollywood

Lilian Maria Pithan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:23:09 -0000

By staying in a salvation army hostel in India one European traveller did not expect it to also be an agency recruiting white extras for bollywood stardom. So, are glitter, rhinestones and bared white skin the essence of a bollywood star?

Europe's new 'Germanophobia': Who's afraid of big bad Germany?

JamesBliss — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:27:42 -0000

Tones of anger against German chancellor Angela Merkel's lack of action over the eurocrisis and a 'Germanophied' Europe, are getting louder and more intense

From San Diego to Vilnius: all Jew you need for a library in Lithuania

SoniaZ — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:41:33 -0000

There is nothing more multicultural in Lithuania right now than the new library which opened in the capital of this Baltic state on 16 December. The concept is simple: all books, films and music must be about either a Jewish subject, writer or artist

Activist Ahmed el-Senussi: Libyan prince and human rights hero

pim de kuijer — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:34:01 -0000

Currently a member of Libya's national transitional council, the prince was in solitary confinement during his imprisonment and did not speak to a single person for nine years. We meet in Strasbourg where the former prisoner of conscience was one of five Arabs to win the Sakharov freedom of thought prize for 2011

Kühn and the chocolate factory

Annie Rutherford — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:24:43 -0000

The Goldhelm chocolate manufacturers thrives on one of the typical Tudor-style houses on Erfurt’s famous Krämerbrücke. In 2004 10, 000 euros of private credit made a returning globetrotter’s dream a reality and since then the firm has been growing constantly