January 25, 2008: A recent rash of violent incidents involving youthful perpetrators has Germans debating the question of how to deal with violent youth. Since some of the incidents involved foreign youth living in Germany, accusations of xenophobia have also surfaced. Read more »
January 28, 2008: Will the European Union become a "Christian club"? An old question resurfaces on the sidelines at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It should be no surprise that the questioner represents a Muslim country seeking EU membership. Read more »
February 15, 2008: Turkish prime minister Erdogan is praised for his remarks after the death of 9 Turks in a fire at an apartment house in Ludwigshafen. Within days, however, his call for Turks in Germany to resist assimilation in their host country is sharply criticized. Read more »
March 1, 2008: A total of 21 countries have now officially recognized Kosovo following its unilateral declaration of independence on February 17, 2008. The tally of countries recognizing Kosovo as a new country reveals a lack of unity within the European Union. Read more »
March 4, 2008: Remember the Danish cartoon controversy when a Danish newspaper published several images of the prophet Muhammad in September 2005? Now the Netherlands braces for the reaction from the Islamic world to the Dutch "movie controversy." Read more »
March 9, 2008: With the British parliament now having rejected a national referendum on the ratification of the EU's Lisbon reform treaty, the path seems clear for the treaty's implementation in January 2009. Or does it? One country is a cause for concern in Brussels. Read more »
March 12, 2008: With the exchange rate being $1.55 to 1.00 €, the value of the euro reached an all time high today. Considering the weakness of the euro just eight years ago, the turnaround in its value is remarkable. So is the current view of a former euro skeptic. Read more »
March 17, 2008: In a major showdown that may well determine the future direction for Turkey, the Turkish attorney general has requested a constitutional court ban on a political party. Not just any party, either, but that of Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan. Read more »
March 28, 2008: Ever hear of a movie that had a run lasting just a day or two? Following months of nervous anticipation, the anti-Islam film of Dutch conservative politician Geert Wilders finally debuts, only to be pulled just 36 hours after its initial release. Read more »
April 14, 2008: The NATO summit meeting in Bucharest was supposed to showcase unity in the alliance and the initiatives proposed by George W. Bush. However, one normally compliant NATO member was quick to voice opposition to fast-track membership for Georgia and Ukraine. Read more »
April 28, 2008: In Berlin’s first-ever referendum an initiative to save historic Tempelhof airport failed to reach the required level of support needed to pass. The world’s first airport to offer regularly scheduled civilian flights will be closed in October. Read more »
June 5, 2008: In the continuing battle over the Kemalist doctrine, the Turkish Constitutional Court has ruled a new law unconstitutional that permitted female students to wear the traditional Muslim head scarf at Turkish universities. Which way is Turkey headed? Read more »
June 13, 2008: Irish voters have seemingly sounded the death knell for the Lisbon treaty, which was intended to streamline the European Union decision-making process. Is the Lisbon treaty really dead? Maybe not after all. Two viable options exist for getting it ratified. Read more »
June 28, 2008: Russia and the European Union have begun talks on renewing their ten year treaty on cooperation that expired last year. There are areas of friction between the two sides, but a new agreement is virtually guaranteed because Russia has what Europe needs. Read more »
July 20, 2008: An oath of allegiance taken by new German soldiers today on the 64th anniversary of a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler causes controversy. The date was not the problem. Instead, it was the location of the ceremony: in front of the Reichstag. Read more »
August 21, 2008: The August 2008 mini-war between Russia and Georgia was not simply a local conflict about ethnic groups. Instead, it has huge implications for the NATO alliance and Europe”s future energy security. Why is Russia so interested in Georgia? Read more »
September 15, 2008: Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt has never been known for mincing his words. Yesterday he lived up to his reputation in his characterization of populist leftist politician Oskar Lafontaine, who was once Schmidt’s party colleague. Read more »
October 30, 2008: The ongoing financial crisis means a lot more than worry for individual investors in different countries around the world. A major shift in world financial power centers is on the horizon. America is on the decline, while Asia and Europe are on the rise. Read more »
November 6, 2008: Yesterday European Union commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn admonished France, Germany and Luxembourg not to block EU expansion by denying membership to new members. What is causing these three countries to oppose further expansion of the EU? Read more »
November 21, 2008: German news media paid special attention to the U.S. National Intelligence Council’s special report titled "Global Trends 2025". American spy agencies predicted a continued decline in U.S. power, but missed a major future development. Read more »
November 28, 2008: America’s financial crisis and a recession looming on the horizon have some European analysts wondering whether buying U.S. treasury securities may become a high-risk loan. The U.S. is awash in debt with no end in sight. How long will this continue? Read more »
December 23, 2008: When asked about the euro in 1997, Alan Greenspan remarked that it would not be "sustainable". On January 1, 2009 the euro celebrates its 10th birthday, a surprise for some who doubted its viability. What does the future hold for the euro? Read more »
