cafebabel.com

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

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

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

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

Big city life: Europe’s pigeons

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:45:00 -0000

Doves and pigeons are one and the same except that the former got the 'symbol of peace' gig and the latter became the grey critters affectionately known as ‘rats with wings’. Whence the flight of fancy?

Oh joy Rajoy – conservatives take power in Spain after 8 years

('euro topics',) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:30:00 -0000

On 21 November early elections in Spain saw the people’s party take power from the socialists in an absolute majority to be led by Mariano Rajoy. It is Europe’s fifth government to fall because of the eurozone crisis. The French, Spanish, Italian, Austrian and local press say: ‘reforms, reforms, reforms’

Spain, country in a (property) bubble

('ckb',) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:38:45 -0000

Dearest European neighbours: I am sorry to inform you that the crisis in Spain does not have anything to do with the crisis in your countries. Our case is not simply rooted in 'structural problems', as it were, but literally in cement

Roller hockey, tennis and basket ball wins: golden age for Spanish sport

('Silvia Alexe',) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:55:25 -0000

Not everything is in crisis in Spain. Football, basketball, tennis and even roller hockey: Spanish sport seems to be experiencing a golden age

Vetusta Morla, band of the moment in Spain

('Buzz',) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:05:13 -0000

Their debut album One Day In The World ('Un día en el mundo', 2008) turned them into one of the leading bands on the Spanish music scene. Most locals confess to either loving or hating the six-piece, who formed in high school in Madrid. Interview

Spanish actor Santi Senso, creator of 'house theatre'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:12:25 -0000

The thirtysomething actor is otherwise known for his 'intimate' theatre performances in people's homes across Spain, something he says is driven by a ‘beautiful madness’ inside him. His latest play 'Orgy Me' has just ended its residency in a hotel room in Madrid

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

Illustrating 'indignados': revolution in comic books

('Tom Gale',) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0000

The ‘indignant' movement is a publishing success in Spain. Two works in particular are illustrated, engaging and funny: Revolution complex and Enrique Flores' Cuaderno de Sol. The message is unequivocal: get involved or risk being sidelined

The rise of divorce parties in Europe

('Isabella',) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:15:00 -0000

Inspired by a trend from the United States, an increasing number of companies and services are being established in the UK, France and Germany. Amongst the European Union member states, divorce was not possible until 1970 in Italy, 1981 in Spain 1995 in Ireland and, most recently, 2011 in Malta

Riots: Britain's boring thugs and Europe's burning thread

('Metsa Rahimi',) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:23:02 -0000

Don't synonymise the London rioters with the protesting Greeks or Syrians; it is just plain offensive. Yes, Londoners mobilised for four days, but it can't compare to the months of social, political and economic agitation across Europe and the Arab world

One third of Europeans suffer from mental illness: really?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:59:49 -0000

On 6 September a controversial sounding report from the European college of neuropsychopharmacology revealed that 38.2% - of the EU population as well as people from Switzerland, Iceland and Norway - are not quite right up there. Four psychologists from Poland, Spain, France and Italy give cafebabel.com their verdict

Thanks for changing the Spanish constitution without telling me

('Sarah Marshall',) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:20:13 -0000

The country’s limit of a 0.4% GDP deficit by 2020 has found its home in the 1978 Spanish constitution, in a reform passed on 7 September. However, Spain’s second ever constitutional reform, on budget stability, was done in a record two weeks with the two biggest parties consent and without asking the people’s opinion, who subsequently protested in major cities. Elections take place on 20 November

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

Pope Benedict XVI in Madrid: Habemus (50 million euros worth of) controversy

('franglese',) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:53:23 -0000

There were two opposing faces to world youth day 2011, which was celebrated in Madrid between 18 and 21 August. Crowds of enthusiastic young people dressed in yellow sang in various cities whilst the highest authority within the catholic church was visiting. Why did this year’s event spark anger amongst a large sector of the population?

Lucia Martin: Spanish youth are ‘you can see them coming’ generation

('Laura Simpson',) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:28:44 -0000

Stigmatisation and pity were the two main attitudes towards today’s youth until the 39-year-old Spanish journalist opted to say ‘enough’. This generation of young Europeans are drowning in short-term work contracts, never-ending internships and minimal salaries. Yet aren’t they just ‘precarious’ in a society which is brutally competitive?

Concert hype review: Amy Winehouse in Belgrade vs Die Antwoord in La Coruna

('Fernando Garcia',) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:54:09 -0000

As the weekend drew to a close we’ve been hearing polar concert success stories. Between one Grammy-award winning British former drug addict’s Balkan comeback and more outrageous non-European sounds in Spain, is it off the continent where we need to be experiencing the best music live?

Eurozone: Greece’s junk in Europe’s trunk

('Louis',) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:11:19 -0000

Were there no single currency, a resolution may be more tricky for a country like Greece. The European union holds an 'extraordinary summit' on finding a solution to this financial crisis on 21 July; a second bailout package is under negotiation

'Indignant ones': left-wing populism or politics of the underdog?

('ZoeBBee',) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 -0000

An increasingly common view of the 'indignant' protest movement coming out of Spain is: 'and then what?' Philippe Thureau-Dangin, publishing director of the Courrier International newspaper, calls it 'left-wing populism'. Others are perturbed at the idea that the 'European summer' has anything in common with the 'Arab spring'. Four young Europeans give us their views on the 'M-15' (15 May) movement, its aspirations and limitations

Ethnic slurs: Polacks and roast beef versus frogs and krauts

('Laura',) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:00:00 -0000

Europeans call each other the most unfriendly pet names in the trend of the phenomenon of ‘etnopaulism’, which refers to those disparaging vocabularies used when talking about other people. Word dilemmas of the week

Go on, say it. It’s the Spanish spring

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 -0000

There’s renewed fighting in Yemen, 1, 000 people have died in Syria and Nato is campaigning against Libya. In a peaceful echo of the Arab people’s battle for democracy, Europe has caught the ‘real democracy’ bug, starting in the streets of Spain on 15 May

'Real democracy NOW!': #spanishrevolution becomes #europeanrevolution

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:15:00 -0000

Spain’s so-called 15-M has become 29-M, referring to the dates of the sit-in protests of a Spain in May which saw local elections swinging to the favour of the opposition conservatives. The rage is sweeping Italy, Belgium and France

Seville’s photovoltaic energy, as invented by Archimedes

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:00:00 -0000

In March 2011 wind energy production surpassed that of nuclear energy production, marking a first in the history of renewable energy in Spain. Yet the underlying paradox is that wind has supplied 16% of the electricity produced in 2010 in the sunniest country in Europe - but the sun is responsible for a mere 2.7%...

Rolling down 120km of bike lane in Seville

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:00:00 -0000

Drivers and vehicles in the centre of Seville cannot be parked for longer than 45 minutes, but it wouldn’t bother the southern Spanish city’s cyclists

Spanish poet Martin Lopez-Vega: ‘Choose between culture and commerce’

('terrymcc',) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:01:54 -0000

Looking out over Madrid’s Retiro park, the Spanish poet and translator ponders over his literary concerns and gives us his own brief synopsis of the current poetry scene

Art or porn? Youtube censor for Juan Francisco Casas

('ckb',) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:30:00 -0000

'The truth is that it is a little outrageous that a suggestive image of a breast could be shocking in 2011,' complains the Andalusian artist Juan Francisco Casas. In March, youtube censored a video which contained images of his works, which are photos and art taken always with a close entourage

Salvador Martín: 'Paranormal will be normal as soon as we rid ourselves of prejudices'

('James Friscia',) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:15:00 -0000

Convinced of the soul’s eternity, spiritists overcome stereotypes and fears to explore the space where life and death meet. They follow a tradition that dates back to the Egyptians, the Vedas and even the bible, itself a catalogue of 'paranormal' events. We slip into the unknown with an appropriate guide, the president of the Spanish spiritist federation

Iberian, Italian and German press on: No Zapatero for Spain 2012 election

('euro topics',) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:58:39 -0000

On 2 April José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, prime minister of Spain and the leader of the Spanish socialist workers' party, announced that he will not run for re-election next year. Zapatero leaves with dignity, but his policies were dashed on the rocks of the economic crisis, Europe's press writes

Middle finger in Europe

('cbinns',) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:10:52 -0000

Despite the globalisation of the audiovisual world and the constant information overload, gestures appear to be just as effective as when they were first invented many centuries ago, so much so that using a simple gesture to order two coffees can almost end up sparking a row. A rudimentary guide to hands, chins and backsides to help you avoid problems in Europe

Spain local elections in May 2011: indignant movement starts

('Melanie',) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:49:55 -0000

On 22 May the Spaniards go to the polls to choose the future politicians of their autonomous communities and town halls. It's a key moment before general elections in 2012, but the government's management of the crisis and the recent passing of the Sinde piracy law has roused rebels and protestors, who are locking down over the internet. Perspective

Spanish writer Eugenia Rico: 'proud to be called a witch'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:06:19 -0000

The author, poet and journalist from Asturias intertwines the fates of two fictional women across the centuries in her latest novel. In Berlin, we talk witches, twitter and why it’s good to be different

Ferran Adria, culinary avant-garde

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:37:00 -0000

In his own words, he’s just a 'chef with a restaurant', but this Spanish master is in fact so much more. Read cafebabel.com's interview with Europe's master chef from 2005

40% for Norway’s ‘golden skirt’ board members: do companies need quotas for women?

('IMD Insight',) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:46:34 -0000

‘Quotas are a bad answer to the wrong problem,’ says research fellow Jean-Louis Barsoux, but his colleague and professor Ginka Toegel emphasises ‘so far, nothing else has worked’. A ‘women in leadership’ event organised by Swiss business school IMD and the global women’s international network (WIN) marks international women’s day on 8 March

China's rise and Europe's decline

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:59:36 -0000

On 14 February China overtook Japan as the world's second largest economy. Signs and portents of the arrival of a new great power were everywhere from the middle of January 2011

Guide to Seville: a British love letter

('Laura Simpson',) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:05:23 -0000

Overlooked by many tourists - the numbers of visitors to the city do not by any means reflect its incredible charm, beauty and liveliness - Seville is writhing, pulsating 'authentic Spain' at its most vivacious

Spain’s Satan lovers

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:30:00 -0000

Occult rituals, sects, animal sacrifices, disappearances...the fascination with the devil is on the rise on the Iberian peninsula, just as more and more priests are performing exorcisms. Where is this fascination coming from? Is it dangerous to dance with the devil? When can we even begin to talk about this thematic seriously?

Spain ‘aggressively secular’ according to Pope

('euro topics',) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:34:14 -0000

On his two-day trip to Spain Benedict XVI drew parallels to the situation in the 1930s. Spanish, Belgian and Dutch commentators are divided on his comments - vilifying or justified? Press review

Islam and Europe: a five step waltz

('G. Ring',) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:30:00 -0000

The more widespread an idea, the more erroneous it is. Since the Middle Ages, each period imagines that the question of islam in Europe is a new phenomenon, too often forgetting history, which has not always been about the mode of conquest. A brief overview of a stormier past than one could have imagined

Che Sudaka: 'Barcelona was what it was and, sadly, is not anymore'

('victor escandell',) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:29:07 -0000

This is the story of a six-piece Barcelona-based band composed entirely of South Americans. We chart their journey from illegal street buskers to successful European band in Paris

Young thirtysomething joining ETA, a dying serpent

('Silvia Alexe',) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:30:00 -0000

Half a century and 839 killings later, the Basque separatist organisation summons international mediators to ‘fix’ the conflict; its cocky tone towards Brussels almost makes it sound like as a global actor whining to be listened to. What does an armed group in 21st century Europe mean anyway?

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

'Shooting galleries' in Europe: political jab or social cure-all?

('ruth gray',) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:45:00 -0000

Supervising the use of hard drugs or not is an issue that's cropping up across Europe, with some countries tackling it with a different intensity than others; the UK has three injecting clinics. While eight progressive governments have already established the centres, others wish to silence such crazy calls for change. All in the name of morality. Obviously...

Staycation: welcoming 'typical tourist' guiris in Mediterranean Spain

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:59:43 -0000

A calm, peaceful town is suddenly heaving with people. The streets are full of walking parasols, hammocks and beach mats, the tourists are practically naked, there are cars everywhere and the summer hit (Shakira, anyone?) sounds day and night. Summer's here - so are the foreigners

Optimistic ideas for a low-cost August

('Franglesa',) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:36:34 -0000

If your work or your wallet are forcing you to stay at home…congratulations! Seriously, congratulations. Let's be positive - you have spared yourself from traffic jams, excess baggage, queues for beach bars and air traffic controllers