housing
Odd ode to Eric Cantona
The Olympic Marseille football club is beginning to form a reputation as the starting block for 'wannabe presidents'. Following in the footsteps of George Weah and his candidacy for the presidency in Liberia, it’s now the turn of Eric Cantona to make his ambitions for high office known, writes one French blogger, 'ASL'
housing, football, money, 'indignant citizens' movement, revolution, sport, politics
Spain, country in a (property) bubble
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
housing, best of cafebabel.com, construction, monetary union, austria, politics, spain
France's 'war on criminality' aside, focus on Parisian Roma in 'social insertion villages'
Four years after their creation in Europe, 'social integration villages' are being presented as a 'Roma paradise'. European associations for minority protection expose some of the difficulties facing the most discriminated community in the EU. Meanwhile, the French government has since planned to dissolve 300 Roma settlements, whilst the UK is seeing its biggest Romany gypsy site, Dale Farm in Essex, bulldozed
housing, association, brussels, human rights, roma, integration, family
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
housing, politics, racism, multiculturalism, immigration, suburbs, discrimination
Italian far-right on Facebook: 'kill them all in Zingonia'
On Facebook, the group ‘Let’s invade Zingonia and kill them all’ has gathered 700 members. Volunteer teacher Miriam talks about how spiralling anti-immigrant rhetoric is making life difficult for Italy’s new arrivals
housing, italy, right-wing, clandestine, neo-fascism, lega nord, best of cafebabel.com
Riots in Latvia: the dream of a fast buck is over
During Latvia’s economic miracle period many people lived beyond their means. Now it is payback time. 14 January saw the fraught situation in the country escalate. A mass demonstration against the centre-right government ended in violent rioting; 'everything is not ok'
housing, economic growth, baltic, economical crisis, riga, crise financière, atis slakteris
Paris: squats in Europe's second most expensive city
Amidst an explosion of rental prices, the Macaq organisation squats unoccupied buildings to bring the lack of student housing into the public eye
Paris suburbs: 'place of exile'
'Banlieue' is the colloquial reversal of 'lieu du ban', literally, 'place of exile'. In the French suburbs, out of work labourers are holed up in prison-style buildings, along with their children, to whom they pass on their despair
housing, immigration, suburbs, violence, paris, poverty, france
Eco-suburbs: Vauban, Freiburg
The district in south-west Germany is a pioneering development that puts into action innovative rules for communal living in a unique environment. But this paradise of purity is not without its faults
housing, bioethics, future of europe, germany, welfare state, green parties, freiburg
Financial crisis: ECB decision time
US mortgage crisis. On 6 September the European Central Bank choose between reducing interest rates or arresting inflation in Europe-27, and are keeping the official rate on standby
Czech homeless get on board
Prague has installed a new boat as a shelter for homeless people - the people left behind by modernisation within the country
housing, czech republic, prag, central and eastern europe, society
Fortress Bulgaria: gated communities
Wealthy families in Bulgaria are using gated communities to protect themselves from the poor majority
housing, bulgaria, sofia, city planning, lifestyle, discrimination, architecture
Alternative lifestyles: 'I came to Amsterdam to live in a squat'
In the 1980s, a political movement of squatters changed the face of the Dutch capital. Today, young apolitical Eastern Europeans are joining the squatter movement
housing, ageing society, netherlands, drugs, multiculturalism, cities, amsterdam
Montenegro goes on sale
For years the unspoiled beauty of Montenegro used to be the best kept secret in Europe. Now the sights of old Venetian squares, spectacular mountains, bays, sandy beaches are once more a favourite destination for globe-trotters around the world
housing, purchasing power, liberalisation, international trade, enlargement, consumers, environment
