Politics
Greek-German erasmus student on Istanbul’s Gezi Park protests
Whether you are a political activist in your home country or not, every erasmus student exchange programme participant who came to Istanbul this semester is a part of the 'gezipark hell', as it was first called in the social media. Protesters trying to stop a small park being turned into an Ottoman-era shopping centre has turned into a Turkey-wide movement of protest against the government, says Hlektra
politics, protest, environment, human rights, violence, freedom of expression, erasmus
Documentary review: ‘Stone Games’ on German-Czech relations
‘Hra o kámen’, Jan Gebert's debut film, looks at the attitudes towards the 'collective guilt' of Germans following the second world war. Based in the small Czech town of Nový Bor, a memorial to eight murdered Germans has inflamed local anger over the issue which goes all the way to the town hall
politics, germany, national socialism, nazism, fascisme, monument, central and eastern europe
Suffocation of Roma and Sinti camps in Italy
The latest chapter in the decade-long history of housing segregation of Roma groups in Italy occurred in Rome, where the city authorities have enacted measures that prevent the Roma from accessing social housing
politics, germany, discrimination, rome, spain, society, roma
Pull the (Franco-German) wool over your eyes
Sometimes, all it takes is for a politician to let slip one comment about another country for Europe to be plunged once again into a new war of words. Who has taken their oath too far - and how do you express that sentiment in other European languages? Idiom of the week
politics, tower of babel, germany, expressions, foreign policy, françois hollande, angela merkel
Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and local media on Britain-EU exit debate
On 14 May David Cameron presented a draft bill for a referendum on EU membership to be held by 2017 in a bid to appease the EU opponents in his conservative party. Commentators say the draft will only lead to an anti-European rebellion among the tories, and call on the prime minister to campaign for a comprehensive reform of the EU instead
politics, great-britain, exports, international trade, portugal, euroscepticism, press review
'Nobody knows that I am a member of Femen in Paris'
Taking back the female body, crushing male domination, fighting prostitution - these are the battles of Femen, the off-the-wall feminists from the Ukraine. Since establishing an 'office' in Paris, the members are staging bare-breasted protests in all four corners of Europe. Their message is that they can can strike where they want, when they want
politics, protest, feminism, paris, discrimination, men and women, church
Vox-pop: Three Catalan journalists analyse EU as it turns 63
Despite the efforts of institutions from all over Spain, only a few Spaniards know when and why Europe Day is celebrated. According to the last eurobarometer polls in autumn 2012, 51% of the Spanish people don’t know anything about the rights that they have as Europeans, says Marta Roqueta
politics, university, catalan, journalism, schengen zone, spain, erasmus
European Union - similar to Soviet Union?
On 9 May the EU celebrates Europe Day. What do we have to celebrate? The EU is a bold and unique project. It's hard to find historic models. Its approach resembles less that of the United States of America and more that of the Soviet Union, says Andreas Kiener
politics, fidesz, identity, union of soviet socialist republics, soviet, nigel farage, european union
'9 May is my ex-girlfriend's birthday' - it's also Europe Day
9 May 2013 will be a great day in Germany. People will go out on the street and celebrate together all the fathers of their nation, as it is ascension day and therefore the traditional Father’s Day. But will they think about Robert Schuman, the architect of the European Union, too?
politics, eurovision, international trade, post-soviet states, spain, erasmus, schuman declaration
Science of the EU: back to the big bang
As I stood on the plateau of Chajnantor in northern Chile, 5000 meters above sea level, I was not only reporting about the inauguration of the second biggest scientific project of mankind. I could also look back into Europe’s birth and see how powerful its idea has become
politics, science, identity, schuman declaration, chile, european union, integration
Europe Day, 9 May (guest list open)
I picture Europe as an elegant lady with grayish hair and fine clothes, a warm-hearted, literate old woman who likes to invite her friends to dinner parties. Her sons throw her a birthday party on 9 May - but who is on the guest list? Is there even a cause for celebration today?
politics, member states, piigs, schuman declaration, european union, 9 de mayo
'Girlfriend in a Coma': Film censured by Italy opens in Berlin
Italy has been in a coma for far too long: this documentary wants to wake it up. Director Annalisa Piras herself was at the Babylon Mitte cinema where the audience, mostly made up of Italian expats, was critical yet keen to participate in the debate. One audience member admitted that what they saw on screen pained them
politics, censorship, berlin, culture calendar, italy, society, economical crisis
Church and homosexuality in Italy
One of the legacies of former prime minister Mario Monti was stating that a proper family 'is one made up of a man and a woman'. The relationship between Italian politics and homosexuality is rocky, from presidents of Italian regions to gay pride 2013, and the somewhat inevitable role of the Vatican. Gay pride will be held in Palermo in June 2013
Britain-EU: Is there a way past the desire for a way out?
Britain and the EU have never quite seen eye-to-eye. As the political landscape changes for the worse and the financial crisis drags on,what lies at the root of the rift between the two sides and is there any hope for EU-UK reconciliation?
politics, currency, great-britain, germany, euro, david cameron, euroscepticism
Bersani brings random (jaguar) metaphors to Italian politics
How do you define making the impossible possible? Italy’s centre-left leader is up for the rather incomprehensive idea of 'knocking the spots off a jaguar' to work hard, whilst the Poles are happy to 'bring trees to the forest'. Metaphors and idioms of futility of the week
Cahuzac, Huhne, Drzewiecki: the most corrupt politician of EU's all
France's tax-dodging budget minister resigned on 19 March as a result of inquiries led by the investigative news website Mediapart. This is virtually a first for France, the country considered as the fatherland of the rights of man. Elsewhere in Europe, many countries have a history of not dithering around when it comes to corruption
EUtopia: pursuit of freedom in progress in Budapest
‘EUtopia’, cafebabel.com’s flagship project of 2013, kicked off in the capital of Hungary. For five nights a Bosnian-Italian-British-Swedish team of journalists and photographers were able to capture Budapest’s (charming) mood, enjoy its unpredictable nights and savour its desire of freedom. It seemed everyone was shouting. Artists and critics are unwittingly creating their own ‘protest art’ outside a famous contemporary museum whose ownership is state-comprised. Students are occupying the humanities department of a university, proclaiming: ‘We want to stay in Hungary!’, after a new ‘constitutional contract’ would force state-funded undergraduates and graduates to stay in the country for work. Nevertheless, one-third of students vote for the extreme-right wing political ‘jobbik’ party. There were different proclamations during the traditional jewish festivals on the other side of the city, although members of the religious community confided their concern at the right-wing government’s rising nationalist discourse in a place their ancestors used to call home. Is Budapest only going to get EUtopian when it can address its past by leaving it behind? Hungarians of all colours – art, religion, marginalised communities and youth - are trying to escape the monochromatic tone Viktor Orban has set for them in his mood ball. They are awaiting political change and also learning to rely on individuals, by practicing their creativity and making sustainable dreams come true. Read the special edition (Image: © VN)
EUtopia: Generation against a giant
In a land before our time, everything still used to run smoothly. Today, a mobile, well-educated digital generation of young Europeans needs to rise against the tyrannosaurus crisis with never-ending piles of fantasies. For 2013, cafebabel.com's flagship feature report project has thus been christened 'EUtopia on the ground'. Reporters from all over Europe will do their best to present you with an expanding EU that still exists, even if it is not always visionary. So the future doesn’t seem too rosy at the moment – it was only recently that the German head of the European parliament, Martin Schulz, described the continent as 'Frankenstein Europe'. Saving, saving and saving sounds like an eternal melody – but not when it comes to vision and ideas. Can our generation defeat the ‘Catastroika’, as the so-called 'Troika' of foreign lenders, made up of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, are called? Before you get ready to read special editions from Budapest, Athens and Warsaw to start off with over the next few months, we invite you to concentrate on these 'first drafts' of political, cultural and economic 'EUtopia' (Illustration: © Adrien Lecoarer/ graphimse.com)
- Read the special edition EUtopia: Generation against a giant
- Michel Santi: 'Dynamism is more important than in Europe'
- 'Europe or chaos' manifesto: Intellectuals aren't listening to youth
- Swabian influx in Berlin ruffles regional feathers
- Obituary: 'Outrage' author and concentration camp survivor Stephane Hessel
- ‘Partido X’: profile of newest party democracy in Spain
Brief glance at best and worst university systems in Europe, 2013
England, Denmark or Sweden have some of the best higher education systems in Europe, according to a recent comparative report; Swedish graduates have 6.6% more chances to be employed three years after graduation than other European graduates. Is going 'north' the answer to successful studies?
politics, university, education, netherlands, greece, norway, languages
EU media remembers Hugo Chavez
Venezuela's president died of cancer on 5 March, aged 58. The socialist had ruled the oil-rich country for 14 years with a policy of redistribution and nationalisations. Selections of how the Finnish, Swiss, Swedish, Slovenian, Polish, Dutch, French and Spanish media reacted in the fallout
