January 17, 2011: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s actions and words towards Israel confirm his country’s independence in determining its foreign affairs. What course is he charting for Turkey’s future? Read more »
February 15, 2011: Multiculturalism in Europe is on the way out. For years political leaders have embraced the idea that multiple cultures can coexist within a country without promoting any specific ethnic, religious, or cultural community values as desirable for all. Read more »
March 1, 2011: As he did three years ago, Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan ruffled feathers in Germany again by telling Turkish guest workers not to be assimilated into German society. German political leaders criticized Erdogan for thwarting integration. Read more »
March 22, 2011: The European Court of Human Rights has overturned a ban on the display of crucifixes in Italian public classrooms. Several countries supported Italy’s appeal. At its core, the Strasbourg case centered on Europe’s religious identity and heritage. Read more »
April 20, 2011: Hungary’s new constitution has raised eyebrows among activist groups that support same-sex marriage and abortion. However, the provisions drawing the ire of activists are supported by recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Read more »
May 2, 2011: Egypt plans to re-open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The crossing has been closed nearly continuously since Hamas gained control of the entire Gaza Strip in June 2007. Will EU monitoring ease Israeli security concerns? Read more »
June 3, 2011: The Bundeswehr loses four soldiers in nine days in Afghanistan as concerns surface among German troops about the reliability of their Afghan comrades in arms. Loss of life and doubts about Afghan loyalty will not help public opinion in Germany. Read more »
June 29, 2011: While many economic experts have focused on the Greek debt crisis and the future of the euro, the plight of unemployed youth in Europe has received less attention. Their rising numbers may eventually lead to a rise of political extremism. Read more »
July 26, 2011: In recent months the United States has repeatedly voiced concerns about the eurozone debt crisis, urging Europeans to get their financial house in order. With the U.S. debt ceiling issue still unresolved, America looks like a hypocrite to Europeans. Read more »
August 19, 2011: For over 1500 years the pope in Rome has claimed authority over the entire Christian church. That claim remains a source of controversy and division, even during the ecumenical movement. Is Jesus responsible for the division by appointing Peter as pope? Read more »
September 7, 2011: As Recep Erdogan positions Turkey as the regional leader of the Islamic Middle East, demeaning Israel seems to be a key element of his strategy. The latest incident was the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador over the Gaza relief flotilla dispute. Read more »
October 12, 2011: A stunning move by the Swiss National Bank in September signals the opening round of a currency war as Switzerland sets exchange limits to protect its domestic economy. Currency wars can lead to trade wars. But what comes after trade wars? Read more »
November 10, 2011: Galileo, the new EU global positioning system, will enhance Europe’s independence, providing EU countries guaranteed access to a GPS instead of relying on the system currently provided by the United States, a friendly but nevertheless foreign power. Read more »
December 9, 2011: A ten hour summit meeting in Brussels that lasted until the early morning hours will bring changes to the eurozone – and possibly even to the European Union’s composition. A "two-speed" will likely be one result of the summit. Read more »
December 21, 2011: This month Germany’s HypoVereinsbank became the country’s latest financial institution to tell American citizens and its clients living in the United States that their brokerage accounts are no longer welcome at the bank. Read more »
