Why Europe’s appeal is fading for young Iranians
After the Twelve-Day War, many diplomatic missions operated at reduced capacity, and in Tehran, long queues formed in front of European consulates which, in some cases over the weeks, turned into orderly protest demonstrations. “I have been separated from my wife and children for more than three years. My interview was conducted in May, but […]
Sold out in Kharkiv’s underground theater
When the wind blows from the direction of the front, where artillery thunders from positions only thirty kilometers away, the sound of war reaches Kharkiv, passes through buildings and enters the center of this combative and battered city in northeastern Ukraine. Not long after, another sound bursts in, reminiscent of an old two-stroke scooter approaching, […]
“Design diplomacy” through the voice of an Italian Ambassador
Design was the first ambassador abroad for contemporary Italy. Anyone with even minimal knowledge of the sector already knows what I’m referring to: for the uninitiated, this concerns the exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” curated in 1972 by Emilio Ambasz at the MoMA in New York and immediately entered into history as a milestone […]
The night Bulgaria will enter the Eurozone
One day in February 1997, Bulgarians woke up to discover that their savings were worthless. Overnight, hyperinflation had accelerated to 242 percent per month. The lev, Bulgaria’s currency, had plummeted from 70 to the dollar in the fall of 1996 to over three thousand by the new year. Nine Bulgarian banks had collapsed the previous […]
Why the Commission is struggling with its long-term commitments
Crucial European Council for Ukraine Will the leaders of the European Union manage to keep their promise to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and secure its funding in 2026 so that it can continue to defend itself and refuse the imposition of a capitulation plan? This is the main stake of the […]
Family gatherings, a big bed and dancing in the Alps. What’s on this Christmas season
MONTH OF DECEMBER. CHRISTMAS MARKETS / ALSACE, FRANCE In the Capital of Christmas, Among Vines in the Streets Alsace is an industrious region. On one side there’s Strasbourg with the Union’s institutions, on the other a countryside where bells toll at 6 a.m. and wake drowsy villages. A food and wine destination, one can stroll […]
In Europe’s hour of need, Italy must lead on defence
Europe is taking responsibility for its own defence. Our number one goal is to deter aggression and preserve peace. In the last eight months since I started work as Commissioner for Defence and Space, the European Commission and Member States have taken unprecedented decisions to bolster the defence of the European union. As a founder […]
In Ukraine, Europe must be brave. There’s no time to waste
Moscow may provoke a crisis in the Baltic states under the guise of “protecting the Russian-speaking population,” similar to the Kremlin’s operation to annex Crimea in 2014. This is not my claim — nor is it a statement from Ukrainian officials. It is the official position of the Head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, Bruno […]
From the “Stone Box” to Putin’s crimes in Ukraine. Memory shapes the future
Oleg Orlov tells his life story as if he wanted to show it to you, step by step, moment by moment. It seems that at any moment he might pull out a photo album or a timeline, on which to mark historical and personal dates, always so intertwined in a life like his. Yet in […]
When we began to envy Greece
On July 5, 2015, the Greeks voted “no” to the reform and austerity demands of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the troika. The evening before the vote, the then Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, was having dinner at a restaurant in Athens with his wife Danae Stratou, an […]