The Baltic region as the centre of Europe

"The Baltic region is outshining the Mediterranean area," writes Jan Brachmann on the occasion of the "Helsinkiss" Helsinki festival in Berlin. "Old Europe is gasping for breath. The last gasp, which came from Nicolas Sarkozy, was called the 'Mediterranean Union'. But with the exception of Catalonia and the Provence, there is barely any economic or intellectual impetus coming from the Mediterranean area - with the exception, perhaps, of the culinary sphere. Even when it comes to tourism, more and more people are heading north thanks to global warming. ... The geographical centre of the Continent is Vilnius, which is not far from the Baltic, even if the Latinised West still sees this region as peripheral. ... And once you've tasted smoked reindeer or wild strawberry jam with a glass of sparkling fir cone wine (this delicacy is non-alcoholic and only 12,000 bottles of it are made per year), you won't be surprised to see the Baltic region overtake the Mediterranean in the culinary sphere as well."

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