European elections

Between 4th and 7th June Europeans cast their votes for a new Parliament. As predicted the overall turnout was low. In many countries right-wing parties made considerable gains while campaigning had been dominated by national issues. » more

Links Europe has voted
Facts European Elections 2009 - provisional election results

Integration

Europe is becoming increasingly diversified. But crucial questions face society with so many cultures rubbing shoulders. One indicator for successful integration is the number of immigrants who apply for and are granted citizenship. This number is steadily on the rise in Europe. How does multinational cohabitation function from country to country? » more

Debate Speaking the same language
Links Somehow different
Links Home sweet home?
Debate The polarised polder regions

The new insecurity

Redundancies at major companies, short-time work, spiralling state debt,
government resignations, falling currencies. Since the collapse of the international financial system, each day has brought more bad news. People worried about their future are taking to the streets all over Europe. » more

Links Commented link list
Debate The reverse pyramid
Debate Latvia's Penguin Revolution
Debate A country plunges into anarchy

The politics of death

Eluana Englaro lay in a persistent vegetative state for almost seventeen years. Her family fought a long battle to allow her to die a dignified death, and finally secured the right to medically assisted suicide. The 38-year-old Italian died on February 10 2009. » more

The Gaza war

After the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008, an unstable ceasefire has been reached since mid-January. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has provoked debate and demonstrations across Europe. » more

Debate An endangered equilibrium
Links Annotated link list

The Gas dispute

It was a cold winter - and then, to make things worse, the gas was cut off. While Slovakia and Poland considered reopening old nuclear power plants or building new ones, the political leaders of Russia and Ukraine used the energy crisis to reposition themselves vis-à-vis Europe. A look at what was written in the Russian and Ukrainian press. » more

Facts Hooked on gas
Debate A victory for Russia?
Debate The intermediary
Energy sources and consumption
Facts Distribution of natural gas reserves

Barack Obama

He has inspired hope worldwide and symbolises the US's tremendous capacity for self-renewal: Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. Europe's press watched him very closely both during the election campaign and in the run-up to his inauguration. What are Europeans expecting from the new man in Washington? » more

Debate A new friend?
Debate Black or white

Financial crisis

Baffled bankers, bad loans, tumbling stock prices, companies going bust in the US and Europe. All of a sudden there were calls for more state, more morals on
the money market and true values. Is the financial world falling apart? Are
we facing a global recession? And what should a new economic world order
look like? » more

Debate Tales of money
Debate Grappling for growth
Background Crisis of confidence
Debate Capital issues
Debate System failure
Debate The search for sense

Dictatorships in Retrospect

In some European countries, like Spain, it has taken some time to address what happened under the former dictatorship. In others, like Germany, this process has already become part of everyday life for many citizens. In Poland information from the archives is being used for political purposes, while in the Czech Republic writer Milan Kundera is having to defend himself publicly. How varied is the approach of European countries to their past? » more

Article A curse from the past
Interview “Many people want to read their own file”
Article The silence of the archives