racism
My beautiful camp: Italy's Roma success stories
Between a Roma camp claiming to be an example of social integration and a laundrette which is a supposed symbol of multiculturalism, profound problems linger at the heart of Rome’s gypsy communities
racism, italy, politics, bosnia and herzegovina, association, multikulti on the ground, discrimination
Contentious Guéant circular rejects work visas in France
France’s governmental memo on employment for their residing non-European students caused quite a commotion, and we’re not talking Jerry Maguire style. Graduates like Nabil Sebti are taking a stand against what could either turn into a long-term policy of sealing France off or be a strategy to gain votes in 2012 elections
racism, integration, protest, politics, claude guéant, paris, education system
'Our School' documentary: segregated Roma schools despite EU funds
When directors and producers Mona Nicoară and Miruna Coca-Cozma followed three Roma children in a small Romanian village for four years, their film initially about a success story of integration became one about the realities of ethnic segregation. Interview
racism, minority, integration, documentary, gypsy, emir kusturica, education system
Student duelling clubs in Europe: no Harry Potter magic in Germany
In mid-June the Alte Breslauer duelling club in Bonn petitioned its national umbrella organisation to stipulate German descent as a criterium for accepting the currently 1, 300 students into these legendary student societies. In June, a society in Mannheim allowed a German of Chinese descent to join. The case drags the just over 100 German duelling clubs, which are accused of harbouring extreme right-wing ideologies, into a negative rather than magical light
racism, germany, china, austria, students, immigration, society
Identikit of a pure, indigenous European
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
racism, finland, tower of babel, nationalism, poland, identity, bloc identitaire
Ethnic slurs: Polacks and roast beef versus frogs and krauts
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
racism, italy, tower of babel, germany, nationalism, spain, france
Six years after riots, French discuss French 'banlieue'
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
racism, integration, politics, paris, discrimination, europe, precarity
Belgrade's youth explain homophobia and violence
In a city where more than two-thirds of students harbour dreams of going abroad after graduating, the empty discourses of corrupt politicians can be an efficient detonator for discontent. It’s a capital whose people’s hearts are irremediable divided between Russia and the EU, where violence raids its stadiums and streets
racism, football, politics, corruption, nationalism, kosovo, serbia
Building a mosque in Warsaw: is it all trouble and strife?
Muslims in Poland go back several centuries, beginning with the arrival of tatar settlers in the eastern reaches of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The muslim community in Poland has only recently begun attracting attention, with the building of a mosque financed by a Saudi sponsor in the Warsaw district of Ochota. Not everyone is happy
racism, religion, politics, warsaw, identity, catholicism, immigration
Summer of riots: French of 'foreign origin' to lose citizenship, president warns
'French nationality should be stripped from anybody who has threatened the life of a police officer or anybody involved in public policing,' announced Nicolas Sarkozy on 30 July. A Frenchman looks at how the European media react
racism, politics, illegal immigrants, europe, media, human rights, european media
Racism and discrimination for Brussels migrant workers
In the region of Brussels-Capital, discrimination in recruitment practices is a daily reality. At a time of economic stagnation, ethnic diversity is no longer a priority for businesses, which in turn makes integration in Belgium harder still
racism, labour, belgium, labour market, brussels, discrimination, poverty
Hungarian minorities in Slovakia: small arrangements between enemies
One week after a law proposing Hungarian nationality to ethnic Hungarians abroad, prime minister Viktor Orbán announced a new era of 'national unity' during his prime ministerial inauguration on 29 May. Hungary is choosing the route of hostile nationalism, much to the delight of Slovak populists
racism, fidesz, robert fico, politics, nationalism, hungary, identity
Greek, Romanian, Albanian: why are these racist terms in Europe?
It's a fine line between risky jokes and racist innuendo. Those who manage to be funny while staying on the right side of that line are pretty smart. Nevertheless, at a time when calls to reject that protean scapegoat, the Other, are growing throughout the four corners of the continent, a little self-examination in Europe might not be a bad thing
racism, european identity, italy, tower of babel, greece, languages, civil society
Budapest tests
April is Hungary's month: we watch it make a staggering sway to the political right on the 11th and 25th, which are election days. 'Financial crisis' is an easy towel to throw in and explain this alarming wave - others include discontent from empty political promises and the rising poverty rate of the country. This has nurtured a breeding ground for xenophobia and increased the backlash on the nation's black sheep. Against the backdrop of this political dilemma, the cultural, social and economical landscape is awash with the likes of stand-up comedy, social lending practices and monthly design fairs. Citizen initiatives are fashioning the road out of the crises. Five pan-European journalists hit the Hungarian capital for the next installment of a monthly cities reporting mission, 'EU crisis on the ground' - read what they discovered, with an image gallery from the streets of Buda and Pest below
Far right, far out!
The far-right movement in Europe is resembling a round of shooting stars. In early March, Dutch politician Geert Wilders made big gains in local elections. The Lega Nord (Northern League) in Italy and Jobbik in Hungary too are clocking up the seats in their national parliaments. French ultranationalist Le Pen's daughter Marine continues his legacy. There's also the question of a European underground though, who are cultivating populist anti-islamic, anti-globalisation and regionalist discourse. What is taking place in a Europe of 2010?
- Read the special edition Far right, far out!
- Bloc Identitaire: lowdown on France's new far-right
- Germany's far-right: style and tea party shakeup
- Understanding nationalist ideology in Hungary: 'enormous potential for violence'
- Casa Pound Italia: Neo-fascists on the rise
- The Netherlands, France, Italy: rise of Europe's right-wing
Paris suburbs: cliche piled upon cliche
It's a common European stereotype to define the French suburbs by their one-time violent rioting. But those events took place five years ago. On a visit to the 'banlieue' of Paris today we meet three residents who tell their story - a father-of-three, a social worker and a budding regional election hopeful
racism, politics, paris, discrimination, poverty, housing, suburbs
From Calais to Rosarno: Europe's 'immigrant jungles'
Patras, Athens, Bari, Seville ... a tour of Europe's recent troubled hotspots ends in southern Italy, where 7.2% of the population are illegal immigrants - the EU average is 6.2%
Italian 'White Christmas' gift campaign: if you're an immigrant in Coccaglio, get out
A cleaning operation will have to be completed by 25 December in Coccaglio, a small town in the province of Brescia. It does not involve getting the house in order for christmas dinner, but to evict all immigrants who cannot renew their residence permits by that date. A really nice Christmas present christened 'White Christmas' by the Brescia council
racism, italy, politics, christmas, umberto bossi, illegal immigrants, immigration
