Dialogue - Page 36 of 40

EU–Russia relations: Treat with care

Relations between the EU and Russia are at a particularly low point over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union this must be the time of highest tension between the major powers on the European continent. Talk of new sanctions on Russia and of providing military assistance to Ukraine by the West may exacerbate the situation without actually resolving it. A further cornered Russia may well become more authoritarian internally and aggressive externally. The EU would be wise to avoid that and find more constructive ways of engaging with its big eastern neighbor…

Welcome Sasha Piqué Mebarak!

One week-old little baby, Sasha Piqué Mebarak, was presented to the world by their proud parents, Barcelona’s football player Gerard Piqué and singer Shakira. We can only see his face in the photo: he’s got straight hair and it appears that he’s inherited daddy’s blue eyes. A few days ago, Shakira shared a photo of…

Kristina Pimenova, the most beautiful girl in the world

Well, it is what it is. Kristina, the child model considered to be the most beautiful girl in the world, was not able to do the catwalk at the 080 Barcelona fashion show due to bureaucratic errors. Kristina watched the fashion show from the front row of the runway. Nevertheless, the little Russian girl did…

Letters from America (II): Unite to thrive

The EU central institutions seem to be stuck to what 19th Century Europe identified as “mission civilisatrice”, fuelled by an underlying sense of self-righteousness and superiority vis-à-vis others, while individual member states continue to pursue their narrow but concrete geopolitical and economic interests, which go in different directions. It should come as no surprise that EU members are steadily losing ground on the charts of state power and influence in the world, overtaken by more dynamic, emerging powers. Of course, with its ambition, innovation and flexibility the US remains steadily at the top, as would the EU as a whole, should it become really united.

Erasmus destination: Brussels & Karlsruhe (from Poland)

I had the chance to spend my Erasmus in Belgium and Germany, one semester in each country. This was due to the fact I was doing French and German at university. The experience itself was definitely invaluable and both locations proved to be quite different for many reasons, however equally enriching.

Back to basics

The high drama that is unfolding following the coming to power in Greece of a new government led by left-wing SYRIZA, and similar trends in Spain with the most recent massive show of force by Podemos at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, signal a new era in European and possibly global politics. This is no passing phenomenon but rather an inevitable result of the unsustainability of the existing financial system and the way it is managed in the European context and beyond. This sort of “European Spring”, thankfully not bloody nor as chaotic as its Arab counterpart, can bring good and bad things, depending on how it will be handled by the main protagonists, including the Greeks themselves but also the Germans, other EU nations, and the EU and Eurozone institutions…

BUCHAREST´s coolest secret

Where can you spend the day digging into one of the most sordid episodes of communism -the tragic end of Nicolae Ceaușescu- watching contemporary art …

2015 is The European Year for Development

The EU has decided to raise public awareness of its development work, by labeling 2015 as the European Year of Development. The Year was inaugurated on 9 January in Riga, Latvia, by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker.

Letters from America (I): Where the sky is the limit

In this first “letter from America” I make a series of critical comparisons between New York and Brussels in an attempt to distil the best of both worlds, and hopefully infuse what is missing from one to the other. For Europe, which is the focus of this publication, this would mean less parochialism and more ambition for the future at individual and collective levels; more client orientation and more flexibility in employment conditions, while keeping an overall guaranteed social safety net that is the jewel of the “European model”; more openness to other cultures and influences, notably those from other EU countries but also beyond; much more openness towards and investment in new ideas, innovation and creativity; and an overall more optimistic attitude and can-do spirit…

Love without borders

Erasmus and student mobility across borders is not only the prospect of higher employability, meeting people from all over the globe or learning a new language. It is also the chance to meet your future partner! 27% of Erasmus alumni met their life partner during their stay abroad. Erasmus couples have produced nearly 1 million new babies since its implementation in 1987.