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

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

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

University of Love questionnaire for EU

('Sebastian Baciu',) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:09:56 -0000

The prevailing lovelessness on the old continent might cost the good old European Union dearly. That’s why the last days of the year seem like a good time to sign up for a seminar at a real-life university of love

Obituary: Vaclav Havel, master of peace

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:00 -0000

The dissident, thespian and president, who was a symbol of change in the 1989 velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia, died on 18 December at the age of 75 after a serious illness. Homage to a European master of peace, as a three-day mourning period officially begins on 21 December

Peace in 2011: 'solutions to conflicts do exist’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:15:14 -0000

From democratic aspirations to the transformation of the media game, Cathy Van Dorslaer, a Belgian psychologist specialising in the prevention of conflicts, explains why she believes 2011 stood under the sign of peace

From elections to christmas, same old campaign in Spain

('Elaine Jordan',) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:07:11 -0000

Spain’s recent congress and senate elections on 20 November bombarded our tired eyes and weary spirits. Now we are hit with another inevitable bomb shell: christmas. We face another equally exhausting and worrying campaign

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

Jacques Delors: ‘pessimism is reason, optimism is will’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:55:38 -0000

‘Young people and Europe’ is the reason why this morning’s private and exclusive meeting is taking place in a small room at the catholic institute of Paris. There are around twenty seats and a huge platter of croissants on the centre of the table. All (French) eyes are on one of the speakers, a mister Jacques Delors

A-Z glossary of European terms of endearment

('Marta Nathansohn',) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:00:11 -0000

From the coasts of Portugal via the Balkans to the Urals, locals become cannibals, zoophiles, astronomers and gastronomists when they give their lovers pet names. Here are some tips on nicknames to use when trying to hit on that cute foreign boy or girl, whether you are serious about hooking up abroad or just having a good-natured laugh

Do the Merkel, Monti and Sarkozy dance

('euro topics',) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:13:29 -0000

On 24 November German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy agreed on plans to amend the EU treaties to impose budget discipline on the 17 eurozone countries. Italian prime minister Mario Monti also supports the initiative

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

India: country for European yogi?

('Buzz',) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:02:37 -0000

Five European tourists and expatriates in Bangalore, the new 'Silicon Valley' of India, and Mysore in Karnataka, yoga capital of the south, tell us why they have come to India and if reality has lived up to their expectations

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

'Eurogeneration': 'Warriors' conquer Europe's metropolises

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:08:44 -0000

They are pictured standing proudly in front of the setting sun on the anonymous urban stages of Europe. They are all warriors, young champions of the first European generation. This generation still hasn’t figured out what makes up a European identity, but nonetheless embody this identity subconsciously, whether they are from Budapest, Vilnius or Lisbon

'Pie chart' becomes 'camembert' chart in French class

('ZoeBBee',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:12:49 -0000

The current economic climate is enough to give you indigestion, but I rue our European economics experts having the idea of using charts resembling food. It gives students like myself grumbling tummies everytime we attend economics class

Frappé, cult official beverage of Greek economic crisis

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:00:00 -0000

Having an obligatory iced coffee in the Greek capital is a heady mix of the crisis, anarchic events and corruption at all levels with the wisest and healthiest farniente (pleasant idleness). Only those much-condemned across Europe could own such a flavoursome melange

'Hitler in Hollywood': American European cinema conspiracy

('Molmash',) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:00:10 -0000

Everyone knows it deep down inside; there's no way you can overshadow a Hollywood motion picture, it's pure utopia. But once upon a time European cinema had a glorious and prosperous future. So what happened? This Franco-Belgian docu-fiction tackles the question of a conspiracy

Hungary's new constitution from 1 January: undemocratic or just weak?

('Zoltan S. Novak',) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:07:49 -0000

The extremely ‘unified’ structure of the Hungarian constitution is among the major causes of inefficient governance during the past two decades, says one philosopher from Budapest

From Breivik to Khaled Said: a digital revolution

('cbinns',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:53:17 -0000

The year 2011 showed us the force of new media in political debates, whether in the European protests, the Arab revolutions or the terrifying attack committed in Norway in July. Political engagement is now affordable for everyone, everywhere. Is this immediacy which now defines political engagement compatible with our democracies?

When I was at the EU in the seventies...

('theroxbox',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0000

For Europeans to find courage, we first have to be scared. So far it’s taken three big shocks to shake Europe into life: war in the 40s, an economic crisis in the 70s and the fall of the Berlin wall at the end of the 90s. The financial crash retakes the baton in the noughties. Time for the ‘euro-generation’ to take things into hand

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

Giulio Spatola, Mr Gay Europe 2011: ‘People like me don’t create a spectacle’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:09:58 -0000

The 26-year-old from Palermo, Italy, was crowned the dubious title at the fifth edition of the five-day event in Romania in April. The filmmaker and hotel manager says it’s about more than what is branded a 'beauty contest for the gay community'

German, Dutch and Finnish reactions on Greece insolvency

('euro topics',) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:30:13 -0000

After the discussion about allowing Greece to go bankrupt was reignited in Germany, share prices and the the euro exchange rate dropped on 12 September. While some commentators see the discussion as sheer populism that could have catastrophic repercussions, others say insolvency and a euro exit for Greece are well worth considering

Malmo, London, Berlin, Glasgow: roller girls derby in Europe

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:01:18 -0000

Cat fights on wheels? Or a sport to be taken seriously? In the run up to the first ever ‘roller derby’ world championships in Toronto in early December, the women’s team sport on wheels brought to the big screen in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut ‘Whip It’ (2009) has been steadily sweeping through Europe. To mark the film's release in Germany, a German roller girl gets on the case

Ai Weiwei, or Europe's role in Chinese justice system

('Andrew Burgess',) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:04:24 -0000

Two months after his release, an article penned by the Chinese dissident has once again raised questions about the democratic future of China. Published in Newsweek, Ai Weiwei’s piece provokes us to rethink Sino-European diplomatic relations

Libya after Gaddafi: Europe’s Iraq?

('Culturissima',) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:13:11 -0000

The post-Gaddafi era is taking shape around the national transition council, which is currently in control of Tripoli. Uncertainty about the future is already taking hold though, with fears that Libya could become a new Iraq. This time it falls to Europe to avoid repeating the post-Saddam disaster

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?

Crisis in Europe: we’re young and we need money

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:00:00 -0000

‘Mr. Europe, we need to talk’... What kind of illusions are today’s youth still able to harbour in an era in which the Yalta generation propose debt for younger people and patrimony for older people? Petition

Enrico Brizzi on the sense in walking in the 21st century

('Charlie Tango',) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:45:00 -0000

There are 1, 600 kilometres and 33 towns between Canterbury and Rome. The 72-day walk follows in the footsteps of Sigerico, the archbishop of Canterbury who was the first to set out the ancient pilgrim's path in 990 A.D. The extraordinary feat is related in the 'Via Francigena diaries' by Enrico Brizzi, who co-authored the book with Marcello Fini

UN resolution LGBT rights: top five flops in Europe

('hkeet',) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:26:14 -0000

On 17 June, slap bang in the middle of Europe's May-August 'gay pride' rallies, the United Nations approved its first ever resolution on LGBT rights, showing a new shift of recognition on a global level. It's the perfect opportunity to take stock of the worst sexual minorities’ rights in Europe

Space cucumbers in battle against E. coli

('Tansy Larsen',) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 -0000

While European scientists still haven’t managed to identify the exact source of the E. coli epidemic that has struck Germany, a Japanese astronaut has decided to rise to the challenge. Taking off on the morning of 8 June, Satoshi Furukawa, a crew member of the latest mission to the International Space Station (ISS), intends to grow space cucumbers

Reindeerspotting director Joonas Neuvonen: story of a Finnish junkie

('Nicola Potter',) — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:00:00 -0000

Reindeerspotting - Escape from Santaland, a Finnish documentary about drug addicts, is a film that you will probably never see at the cinema. Widely criticised in Finland, where it is accused of promoting the use of hard drugs, it’s been a viral hit. Could this be the birth of the internet version 2.0 of Trainspotting?

Nuclear psychology: why don’t the Japanese look upset?

('hkeet',) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:00:00 -0000

No tears, no moaning. Photographs of stupified Japanese people in the middle of ruined buildings following the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March were more reminiscent of the restraint of the samurai than Edvard Munch’s infamous European painting, The Scream. Bernard Bernier, a Canadian specialist, points out the restraint of a society rooted in pride

Why would you learn Hungarian?

('Silvia Alexe',) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:45:00 -0000

I could be daydreaming on the soft sand with a women’s magazine at my feet and a little sunburn on my shoulder. Unfortunately, it’s my Hungarian grammar book in the room I am sharing with two other students. They, too, decided to sacrifice their holiday month of July to improve their Hungarian

Student guide: community-supported agriculture in France

('Craig James Willy',) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 -0000

The system of associations for community-supported agriculture (French initials AMAP) has been growing in Europe over the last 20 years. In recent years, student 'AMAPs' have multiplied on campuses. From Nantes to Palermo, a look between pickers and carrots

Japan radiation reaches Europe, where 14 states run 143 nuclear plants

('Danielle Farrell',) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 -0000

'Would we be ready to face a nuclear disaster in Europe?' asked EU energy and environment ministers during a risk evaluation meeting on 14 and 15 March. It's a reaction to the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in central Japan, damaged after an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March

Six years after riots, French discuss French 'banlieue'

('hkeet',) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:00:00 -0000

In France you will get a different response to this question about its high-rise estates in the suburbs depending on whether you listen to the 'cliché factory' that is the media or the personal experiences of its inhabitants. Above all, it is the magnifying glass of France’s collective identity problem, and all of Europe is involved

Gaddafi and Europe: it was nice while it lasted, wasn't it?

('hkeet',) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:45:00 -0000

The EU member states have benefited from the subsoil and the strategic position of the oldest dictatorship in Africa and the Middle East so much so that they find it difficult to say a bad word against their former ally. The Europeans are served joyfully around Colonel Gaddafi's table of the kingdom

Pure player

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:29:39 -0000

Two English words swim around a country where anglicisms have managed to stay out of fashion. An era of internet business models is turning that counter-trend around, focussed mainly on the French and American e-media landscapes. Backgammon and ladies men have nothing to do with it (anymore). Phrase of the week

Port du Rhin: Strasbourg’s problem suburb (which is also on the border)

('Molmash',) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:30:00 -0000

The suburb of Strasbourg which is part of the Franco-German border is famous for having staged anti-Nato protests in 2009. It's all the more reason for its politicians and town planners to realise the urban planning policy set in place to improve living conditions for its population. Mission accomplished?

Monster-in-law

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:00:00 -0000

'Give up all hope of peace so long as your mother-in-law is alive!' So goes the first century AD jibe by Roman satirist Juvenal. In many respects, Europeans share a common opinion when it comes to the woman who gave birth to their other halves. Be she a Spanish suegra, Italian suocera or Portuguese and Catalan sogra, mother-in-law universally translates into all languages as ‘monster-in-law’!

Bunga bunga: European hanky panky guide for Mr. Berlusconi

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:45:00 -0000

The Italian fairytale has caused waves across Europe. We Italians can be proud to have exported a word out there amidst our Ferraris and mozzarella. The prime minister has revived the myth of the dying Italian stallion with a term Colonel Gadafi loaned to him, from ‘female harem’, for his orgies. Berlusconi stands trial for abuse of office on 6 April in Milan

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

Franco-German 'competitiveness pact' spanner in Europe's works

('Carol Howard',) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:43:29 -0000

The revival of the German-French axis after the numerous discords of recent years should be greeted with pleasure. Yet in the Merkel-Sarkozy era there is not much left of what was once the ‘driving force for European integration’. A Franco-German ‘competitiveness pact’ suggests a lost sense of solidarity and a deep distrust of EU institutions

Editors parents speak: Generations 1950 and 1960 on Generation 1980

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:45:00 -0000

A generation separates us. The space of two decades allows our parents an affectionate but criticial vision on our generation, born in the eighties. From video games and unemployment to travel and money, time for one last pan-European lecture

Google Books Ngram Viewer: scan ‘Europe’, ‘crisis’ and ‘unemployment’

('Naomi R',) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:00:00 -0000

The new online search tool can trace the history of each of the 500 billion words words in google’s 5.2 million scanned books, dating back 500 years. As Europe’s medias select their words of the year, is it time to take a step back from the terms which defined 2010?