cafebabel.com

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

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

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

Economic growth: the Warsaw I know

('Sebastian Baciu',) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:34:56 -0000

The Polish capital’s transformation can no longer be overlooked as Poland's economy continues to grow. One German student boards the time machine

Is Poland Europe’s El Dorado?

('Ems_8674',) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:16:14 -0000

In less than two decades the current holder of the EU council presidency has gone from being communist to the sixth biggest economic power in the EU. Poland was also the only country to not suffer from the recession. Experts say this is the country’s golden era; a Polish expat and student share their views

Panic on Warsaw streets: media view of Polish independence day celebrations

('Peter Robbins',) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:45:00 -0000

A masked and angry crowd, rockets, bloodstained faces and burning cars. This was no war or terrorist attack but mere independence day celebrations - as seen by the Polish media

Pan-Slavism, Slovio and Polish the 'status symbol'

('Francesca Reinhardt',) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 -0000

The Slavic languages all have their roots in Proto-Slavic. Since the twelfth century, however, they have drifted apart. One of them reached its zenith in the seventeenth century: Polish

Rafał Blechacz, Poland's musical prodigy

('Angela Kubik',) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:19:07 -0000

Is it easier to play Chopin if you are Polish? Is it better to set up home in a bustling cultural centre rather than the countryside? We hear from the 26-year-old pianist who has been making waves in Poland for the last few years

How to make Polish potato pancakes

('Paulina Dominik',) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0000

It’s cheap and available, warm and nourishing, omnipresent in most traditional European cuisines – but the starchy crop only hit the continent from South America as late as the 16th century

Barcelona extends football school to Warsaw

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:45:00 -0000

A year away from the 2012 European football championships in Poland and Ukraine, Warsaw’s city sports director has convinced the football club Barcelona to open the club’s first European football school outside Spain. Young Polish talent will train at the ‘FCB Escola Varsovia’ from the end of October. Barcelona is giving the Poles the ‘know how’ but not the money

Europe reacts: what Gaddafi’s expiration means

('Matthieu Amar\xc3\xa9',) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:58:29 -0000

On 20 October the world saw a mediatised repeat of bloody images and videos of Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein on their deathbeds: Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, 69, was killed in his hometown of Sirte. French, US and British forces were part of the Nato airstrikes in the Libyan civil war which began in February 2011. Read presidential and prime ministerial postcards from Poland, Malta, Italy, France and Germany after the news broke

UNPOLISHED: understanding Poland through interior design

('Annie Rutherford',) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:12:12 -0000

The exhibition of Polish design has been touring Europe since 2009. The project aims to define the identity of Polish design between glazed tiles and paper sofas. We notice an abundance of designer couples, a trend of making works from minimal materials and a link to Poland’s past in Paris

Poland elections: another one bites the Tusk

('euro topics',) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:20:16 -0000

Donald Tusk’s pro-European civic platform (PO) party won 39% of the vote in parliamentary elections on 9 October. It's the first time a ruling party has been returned to power since the fall of communism in Poland. The Spanish, Hungarian, Czech and local press react

Jędrzej Wijas: Polish election candidate’s heavy metal campaign

('Aleksandra Sygiel',) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:48:30 -0000

The PhD graduate from the Polish academy of sciences, 34, is running as a candidate of the left-wing party SLD (democratic left alliance) in the Polish parliamentary elections on 9 October. In a music video ‘A Concrete Message’, he gnarls out his political goals to a backdrop of heavy metal types. Interview

Poland-Germany exhibition in Berlin: let the neighbours talk

('Annie Rutherford',) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:55:07 -0000

The exhibition ‘Good Neighbours? German Motifs in Polish Contemporary Art/ Polish Motifs In German Contemporary Art’ is showing at the Bethanien art gallery in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district until late October. The works on display reflect the quality of the German-Polish relationship today

Poland October election campaign: vote for Kaczynski’s ‘Angelina Jolie’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:38:49 -0000

Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was seen as a no-hoper for the upcoming parliamentary elections on 9 October. Yet an unexpected comeback in opinion polls could be down to the conservative law and justice party’s new election campaign, in which seven attractive young women – one standing for Lodz, in particular - give the party a facelift

Germans ban ‘I Like’ facebook button, Spanish want to ‘Dislike’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:43 -0000

The north German state Schleswig Holstein has announced that it is banning facebook’s famous ‘I like’ button, with websites which haven’t removed it before the end of September facing fines of up to 50, 000 euros (44,000 pounds). Whilst Germany and the UK have raised more general concerns, the Spanish were there first

Brave Festival: Wrocław stands up for endangered cultures

('Peter Robbins',) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:10:18 -0000

Brave is a festival for courageous individuals sharing a common aim, to fight 'cultural expulsion'. Anna Zubrzycki, co-organiser of the festival in south-western Poland and its artistic director for 2012, discusses her reasons for wanting to preserve endangered cultures

EU culture capital 2016 Wrocław: 'Bermuda' triangle between Germany, Ukraine and Poland

('Peter Robbins',) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:14:32 -0000

A snapshot from the Kino Lwów cinema, reflections on a city with various historical names and looking forward to the country's Euro 2012 football championships - debriefing on Wrocław

Identikit of a pure, indigenous European

('Aatish Pattni',) — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:30:00 -0000

The True Finns are the third largest political party in Finland. Are these nationalists and eurosceptics an exception to the rule in their Nordic region? Alongside the new leader of the National Front party in France, Marine Le Pen, the collection of ‘Indigenous Britons’ in the UK and Italy's Northern League, Europe has never been more inhabited by so-called ‘pure’ Europeans. There are fewer than they would have us believe; at the risk of scaring those who wish it to stay that way

German minority Poland: April census due

('hkeet',) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:56:17 -0000

There has been an official German minority group in Upper Silesia, Poland for two decades, since the fall of the 'real-socialist' system, which had viewed national minorities as dangerous. Although the relationship between majority and minority groups is not yet free of conflict - Polish opposition leader attacked Silesian identity on 2 April - both sides are more used to each other

Poland, Lithuania, Romania: inside Europe's Guantanamo Bays

('Ems_8674',) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:00 -0000

A white horse struggles to drag itself along after abandoning the exhausted body of Vincent Gallo through the snow. The animal is soiled with human blood. Such is the breathtaking epilogue of Essential Killing, the latest feature length film from Jerzy Skolimowski, where the American actor portrays a Taliban deported to a secret CIA base hidden in a forest in Mazovie, Poland. In the screenplay by the Polish writer, the prisoner still has the possibility to escape. Terrorist suspects who land in total secrecy in the airport of Szymany in Poland do not have such luck. An investigation ensues.

Kaczynski crash investigation: Russia blames Poland, Poland sees red

('Sarah Hartley',) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:30:00 -0000

Scandal, mockery, insult. These were the words with which millions of Poles greeted the official report by Russian investigators on the crash of the Polish presidential aeroplane, made public on 12 January. The Russians see Poland as solely to blame for the accident. Warsaw is not issuing denials, but claims the investigation is incomplete

Twelve dishes of Polish Christmas: meat excluded

('Helen Swain',) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 04:30:00 -0000

At Christmas, the Poles don't skimp: no less than twelve luck-bearing dishes are served one after the other. Meat is excluded but fish is welcome, and cabbage heads up the ingredients

Flying coffins and Polish president plane crash: in search of answers

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:30:00 -0000

Russia and Poland have announced they are taking control of the Polish president Lech Kaczyński’s plane crash under their control. The shared investigation is one of many rapprochement strategies between the two countries, But more than six months after the investigation of the Polish national tragedy began, will the Russians be as transparent as they promised?

World's tallest jesus and crossing out secularism in Poland

('Ems_8674',) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:30:00 -0000

Every country has its own vision of secularism.In late November, a 51-metre Jesus Christ statue was erected in western Poland, 14 metres taller than its colleague in Rio de Janeiro. Though privately funded, the Polish state is still looking for that perfect balance between sacrum and profanum in the public domain - takes its various crossings with the cross

Jacek Borcuch, Poland’s 2011 Oscar candidate: 'America doesn’t impress me'

('Peter Robbins',) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:00:17 -0000

'All That I Love' by the 40-year-old Polish director is one of 65 films competing for an oscar in the 2011 'best foreign language film' category. It is a nostalgic childhood tale about growing up with a punk rock band in a Poland under martial law

Polish vs Lithuanian language: is your surname 'bitch' or 'vulva'?

('Daiva Repe\xc4\x8dkait\xc4\x97',) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:50:56 -0000

Whilst the likes of The Economist alarmedly predict a major energy-security-everything conflict between Lithuania and Poland over spelling, many in both countries aren’t even aware that the issue has reached such diplomatic heights. In fact Poles in general might be unaware of it at all - language dispute of the week

Communism perspectives: 'discontinuous history of art in eastern Europe'

('Oliver',) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:00:00 -0000

3 October marked twenty years after the fall of the communist regime. One exhibition in Paris this summer asked the central question: is there any value in the question of 'east-west’ opposition today?

Aids, Alzheimers, abortion: Europe's most shocking adverts

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:31:20 -0000

From Spain and Italy's saucy adverts, via the UK and Germany's treatment of diseases, to Poland's nazi memories - a video tour of the banned adverts which most recently shocked modern European society

Citizenship exams: spotlight western Europe

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:21:13 -0000

There's no European-wide citizenship test - it's obligatory by law in national governments only. The Brits and French started in 2005, followed by the Netherlands in 2006 and Germany in 2008, though Italy and Spain don't command it by law. Overview

Young Europeans remember 9/11

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:38:28 -0000

It’s eight years since the attacks which killed 2, 752 people, destroyed the World Trade Centres and damaged the Pentagon on 11 September 2001. The cafebabel.com editorial team share their memories from across the waters on the event which shaped America and the world today

Caustic ‘Kataryna’ – outed ‘empress of Polish blogosphere’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:00:00 -0000

The Warsaw-based political blogger saw her identity revealed by warring ‘traditional’ journalists in 2009, some who accused her of having a ‘male’ view and of meddling in political scandals. Exclusive interview from the thirty-something NGO director, who has been blogging anonymously since 2004

Poland: Solidarnosc 30th anniversary through Hackers cinema keyhole

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:08:41 -0000

'I'm taking over the TV network'...When we Poles watch the cult movie Hackers (1995) featuring Angelina Jolie, one line from the movie's main character makes us feel good to remember that the real takeover of the Polish TV network took place ten years before

Corruption, crime and journalism in Europe

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:27:06 -0000

Political corruption in Europe is the drama of the season. Confronted by media revelations, the governments of Old Europe are criticising, even muzzling the media space whose influence they fear. Not all countries react in the same way: in Great Britain, Germany and Poland, media investigations pressure governments to fire people. In France and Italy, the news isn’t causing a stir at all

Poland: 'Cold Lech' beer slogan controversy

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Not a good idea to advertise a beer near the Polish Pantheon of Krakow. Especially if said beer has the same name as a Polish former president lying 'cold' in his grave in the Polish pantheon. It certainly gave the opposition party the jitters

Thick as thieves in Europe

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:15:00 -0000

It's better to proverbially be 'like ass and shirt' ('comme cul et chemise') in France than to be 'getting on like a house on fire', like they say in England and Germany - surely? Touring Europe's round of expressions to denote the most inseparable of friends

German, Polish, Czech floods: who's to blame?

('eurotopics',) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:08:01 -0000

The Dutch, Czech and Polish media bemoan the lack of preventive measures and criticise the irresponsible behaviour of some politicians

Freeganism in Poland: 'horror' of taking food from bins

('JK',) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:00:00 -0000

Freeganism, a way of life for a small percentage of the world’s population, is above all an extremely anti-consumerist attitude calling for restraint. It openly expresses opposition to corporations that only want to enrich themselves because today the sale of goods in their pure form is disappearing

Ars Homo Erotica: 'bring the toilet to Warsaw national museum'

('Emilie Prattico',) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:21:02 -0000

Before the Euro pride parade on 17 July, exhibition curator Pawel Leszkowicz talks lesbian art, punching viewers in faces and explains why art and the Polish capital's largest museum is a live nerve of democracies

Polish your smile in Poland: medical tourism in Warsaw

('Sarah Gray',) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:30:00 -0000

Frenchman Fabrice lives and works in Dublin but gets his teeth checked in his partner's home country, Poland. The idea is practical what with the ease of mobility within Europe - but would you be prepared to fly to your dental surgery instead of taking the bus?

Euro 2012 in Warsaw: hanging around the stadium

('Emilie Prattico',) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:28 -0000

The UEFA football championship kicks off in Warsaw’s brand new national stadium on 8 June 2012. While it prepares to host over 100, 000 fans and tourists, the Polish capital is abuzz with excitement about revealing how far it’s come to the rest of the world

Pro-European Polish president: order no. Komorowski

('eurotopics',) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:40:31 -0000

The Polish people didn't vote emotionally on 4 July. Bronisław Komorowski won Poland's presidential elections with 52.6% of the vote across 95% of constituencies. His challenger Jarosław Kaczyński, twin brother of the late president Lech, trailed at 47.4%. The German, Italian and Polish press hail the politically mature result

Polish elections: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, hamster candidate

('Katharina Kloss',) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:34:15 -0000

A second Kaczynski mandate would be going back to the Middle Ages, warns Artur Kurasinski, owner of Polish new media agency Revolver Interactive. He brings politically incorrect 'hamsters' back to life on his 2005-launched website chomiks.com. The presidential elections take place on 20 June, after late incumbent Lech Kaczynski was killed in April

Lech Garlicki on judging Europe’s religious fabric

('James Friscia',) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:15:37 -0000

The Polish jurist, who has been a judge at the European court of human rights since 2002, on religious symbols in schools, the burka, security and the status of women

Zapiekanka: not a Polish kebab

('Aleksandra Sygiel',) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:33:18 -0000

2 am in Kazimierz, a Jewish district in Krakow. Dozens line the windows remotely dotting a circular building, Okrąglak (‘Rotunda’), in the centre of Plac Nowy (‘New Square’). It's Zapiekanka time, though only the locals know which window serves the best of this baked baguette snack

Polish people: 'united in diversity' in Vilnius

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:14:37 -0000

It wasn't the economic weakness of the crisis but the ideological one that harmed Europe most. Who wanted to be be part of the dominoes in the name of solidarity? Unfortunately, the dominoes of each member state provoked nationalist reactions. The region comprising the Lithuanian capital is one of the fewest cities where two nations claim to be at home

In the red

Wed, 05 May 2010 13:22:00 -0000

In the economic crisis, why do Italians say they are 'in the green' when Brits are 'in the red?' Tour of European expressions for all those broke joes out there

Grzegorz Szczygieł, Panjabi MC and an Opel Kadett

('Paulina Dominik',) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:15:00 -0000

The director garnered acclaim from a travel festival in Wroclaw in 2008 for a documentary which took him from being a Polish businessman in Wroclaw to a traveller in Pakistan and Iran, parts of which he covered with the famed postwar car