The case of the small village of Trun in Bulgaria – threatened by a new gold-mining project – is a stark illustration of how the interests of biodiversity, nature and ordinary people living in the area can simply be dismissed. A proliferation of such projects could have a serious impact on the ecology of the entire region, as well as contributing to a global impact on the climate.
Read moreWhat has transpired in Britain since the Leave campaign won the Brexit has only shown how easily the veneer of civility and conviviality can be peeled back to reveal the virulence of racism and xenophobia seething under the skin of British social life.
Read moreBrexit has been a shock. It wasn’t the European Union that smashed the trade unions, depleted Britain’s social housing stock and then went on an orgy of privatisation, but Brexit has handed complete, unregulated control over to those who did, and the potential consequences reach far beyond Britain’s borders.
Read moreThis spring students in Amsterdam occupied their university, sparking similar protests in many other cities from the UK, to Canada, to Montenegro. What was the cause of this unrest and how did the protest come about? A reconstruction.
Read moreUnlike many other post-communist countries which experienced fragmentation and instability, Croatia’s party system has retained its basic stability for a long time. Yet a significant section of the electorate has sought an alternative – and as a result a succession of new political actors have emerged, with varying degrees of success. But how are they likely to fare at the country’s September parliamentary elections?
Read moreIt’s difficult to point to a time in recent years when European integration was not under pressure. Yet presently, the problem-solving capacity of the European Union definitely seems to be exhausted, for two crises simultaneously challenge it: the Euro crisis and the Schengen crisis. But the calculation that two crises cause double trouble might be […]
Read moreA book review of The Entrepreneurial State by Mariana Mazzucato.
Read moreIn the wake of the attempted coup of July 15th, a crackdown on human rights has been taking place across Turkey, with arrests, sackings and infringements on the freedom of movement. The only way to ensure that rights are respected and that Turkey becomes a democracy governed by the rule of way is to re-engage with the EU accession process and to relaunch the stalled peace process in the Southeast of the country.
Read moreMaciej Kuziemski interviews Jan Zielonka, who says that what’s required is a form of European integration able to meet the needs of societies put under pressure by current geopolitical tensions and the digital revolution.
Read moreMuch of the coverage of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union has focused on the political and economic fallout of the vote, but what is the emotional impact of Brexit likely to be on those living in the UK? Drawing on the breakup of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia illustrates how the emotions of individuals on both sides of the debate might develop over the coming years.
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