Are you confiscating my ipod? EU citizens against ‘Acta’ treaty
A proposed worldwide ‘anti-counterfeiting trade agreement’ (ACTA) would impose a legal framework on online intellectual property rights. The term ‘internet’ is not even mentioned once in the entire treaty, infuriating European citizens who fear for their freedoms and about censorship Read article
Schulz, new president of European parliament: Martin who?
Do you know who the president of the European parliament is? If not, read on: Martin Schulz isn't afraid of courting controversy and is planning to shake up the way Europe is run
Gallery | Chinese
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'
Nikola Djukic: 'Bosnia may have to wait until 2022 for EU membership'
Croatia’s citizens overwhelmingly voted to join the European union on 21 January. Meanwhile, its neighbour Bosnia-Herzegovina has not yet gained candidate status. We talk to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s ambassador in Hungary about what Croatian membership would mean and why Bosnia is different
Documentary 'Listening to Garzon': Spain’s most famous judge judged
‘Escuchando al Juez Garzón’ is an 87-minute documentary shot as a single interview with the high-profile human rights judge in Madrid in late 2010. Over a year later, he is going on trial for triple prosecutions on his abuses of power at his country's supreme court. International human rights activists argue that this 'Judge Dredd' case is one of Spanish science fiction
Political husbands' and wives' circus in Europe
On 24 January the wife of disgraced former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Anne Sinclair, made her debut as the editor of the first European version of the American news website Huffington Post. Our French, Spanish, Polish, German, Italian and British editors react on the choice
Chinese dream 2012: new year dragon symbolises 'change'
新年快乐! 23 January sees the Chinese people officially welcoming in the lunar new year. The dragon, the fifth out of the twelve zodiac signs, is the guiding patron according to the Chinese calendar. People born in the year of the dragon are characterised by their wit, brightness of mind and braveness - all of the above are exactly what crisis-stricken Europe would expect of its politicians! According to the Chinese calendar, luck will accompany the political moves of the Portugese prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho as well as his Czech counterpart Petr Nečas, both born in 1964. As the Europeans wait for what 2012 will bring, some will be able to come face to face with the Chinese culture in cities such as London or Paris, when the celebrations are moved to a Sunday, 29 January this year (Image: © Kristof)
Ireland’s ‘accidental emigrants’
While thousands of young people are fleeing Ireland as the depression deepens, others who planned to return are stranded overseas. One writer tells of how the doors 'closed behind him' after moving to Brussels and Beijing
Economy lesson from young Europeans: move to China and start saving now
EU officials are brainstorming the programme of Denmark's six-month presidency of the EU, as young, ambitious Europeans give us their financial lessons from the 'crisis year' 2011
Brunch with…
Arturo Ripstein: ‘Making films is like waking from a nightmare’
The Mexican director was the guest of honour at a French international festival of film schools in the town of Poitiers. Whilst he has been in the business for more than forty years, with twenty films under his belt and numerous Cannes appearances, the 68-year-old remains unknown for a European public
Culture event guide
Top three songs: Polish music legend Czesław Niemen
His John Lennon-style glasses and long hair were mandatory for a beat generation artist. An uneven beard completed the rock and soul musician’s look on the streets of Poland. 17 January 2012 marks the eighth anniversary of the death of the much-loved singer-songwriter, 64
Tower of babel
Salami strategy: the art of ‘wullfing’
With its Hungarian origins, this sausage of a saying provides European inspiration to help the German head of state Christian Wulff worm his way out of the current corruption scandal
EU week
Croatia EU vote: Swiss, Italian, Slovenian, Czech media react
A clear majority of Croatians voted in favour of EU accession in a referendum on 22 January. However, if they want to join the EU it's above all for economic reasons, European commentators write and prophesy that the EU's eastern enlargement is over for the time being
Yum Niam
Scotland: address to haggis and Europe
25 January 2012 marks the 253rd birthday of Robert Burns, the most famous Scottish bard. Supermarkets all over are going haggis-crazy. Haggis is delicious, but not for the faint hearted. Recipe
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