Europe
Europe
Fair Observer provides insightful and informed analysis about important European issues, events and trends.
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360° Analysis / EU / European Union / federalism / integration / Politics / US / EuropeCamille Barré looks back at the theories that shaped debate on EU integration and asks what the European Union might do to counter the wave of internal separatism. The EU has been trying to find new solutions to improve the union and to make it stronger. One proposal in particular has sparked interest as well as scepticism: to transform the European Union into a federation of nation states. José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, is the one who introduced the idea of a “United States of Europe” in his speech on the “State of the Union” made to the European Parliament in September 2012. "Let's not be afraid of the words:...
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defense / G8 / Magnitsky / obama / Politics / Russia / START / Europe / Focus Article / Global SecurityAccording to Alexander Golts, the Munich Security Conference marks the lowest point in US-Russian relations for the past 20 years. When a group of actors wants to portray a noisy crowd, they often say to each other, "What should we talk about when there's nothing to talk about?" It seems that U.S.-Russian relations are in the same state and that the only option left for the leaders of both countries is to behave like provincial actors repeating a meaningless jumble of words. The security conference in Munich over the weekend provided a convincing demonstration of this. Both U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tried to put a positive face...
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360° Analysis / Berlin Wall / Canvas / Graffiti / Street Art / Vandalism / Europe / Arts & CultureYessi Bello explores the premise that graffiti is a valid form of political activism as opposed to a form of vandalism. The article outlines the reasons why graffiti should be considered as an art form serving as a political commentary of the time, using the Berlin Wall as a case study. This article is the last of a three part series. Read part one here. The Internationalisation of The Wall Outside Germany, Berlin represented the struggle between capitalism and communism and the diverging cultures which these entailed. In fact, it was the atypical division of the city that constituted its biggest attraction for foreigners. There are many reasons as to why West Berlin became such an...
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360° Analysis / Berlin Wall / Canvas / Graffiti / Palestine / Street Art / Vandalism / Europe / Arts & Culture / Middle EastYessi Bello explores the premise that graffiti is a valid form of political activism as opposed to a form of vandalism. The article outlines the reasons why graffiti should be considered as an art form serving as a political commentary of the time, using the Berlin Wall as a case study. This article the second of a three part series. Read part one here. Graffiti on the Berlin Wall An examination of the Wall’s graffiti enables us to discern the themes and messages of its graffiti. Most images reflected individual experiences, whilst some embodied political caricatures. In general, however, the graffiti highlighted the absurdity of the Wall’s existence. The graffiti on the...
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360° Analysis / Berlin Wall / Canvas / Graffiti / Street Art / Vandalism / Europe / Arts & CultureYessi Bello explores the premise that graffiti is a valid form of political activism as opposed to a form of vandalism. The article outlines the reasons why graffiti should be considered as an art form serving as a political commentary of the time, using the Berlin Wall as a case study. This article is the first of a three part series. From 1961 until 1989 Berlin represented the tangible division between two diverging forms of government on the political spectrum; an oppressive Communist regime in its Eastern sector and a democratic allied government in its Western sector. The pre-eminence of Berlin during this time period has resulted in the consequent exploration of one of its most...
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Family / Freud / Marie Bonaporte / Psychoanalysis / Vienna / Europe / Focus Article / Arts & Culture / AmericasJulián Chappa talks to the great nephew of Sigmund Freud. A glimpse at the Freud family and its legacy. This is the first of a two-part series. How I met Freud... In 2009, I lived in Barcelona. I was talking to another Argentine editor and friend, who still lives there, when I mentioned that I was looking for a good psychologist. She responded by expounding on the virtues of her own psychologist. The next day my friend sent me an e-mail with the psychologist's contact information. It only contained a phone number and a very ostentatious name: Joseph Knobel Freud. My first instinct was to think it was a prank, but I knew my friend was not one for such jokes. I decided to call...
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Best of the Month / Britain / Israel / Jordan / Mali / obama / Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / BRIC / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / OceaniaFair Observer's five best articles for January. Apparently the world didn't come to an end. On the contrary, the new year is in full-swing. Barack Obama has been inaugurated for his second term in office, Israel and Jordan have held their parliamentary elections, David Cameron has spoken of a referendum over Britain's EU membership, and Mali has seen a French military intervention. As political unrest in the Arab world enters its third year, January has seen excerpts from our first book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction. To celebrate the end of the month, we share with you a selection of our best articles, and invite you to tell us what you think. From all of us at Fair...
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dreams / Friedrich Ebert Foundation / Politics / Putin / Russia / sociology / Europe / Focus ArticleA new study entitled "What Russians Dream About" found that only 19% wish for a regime change. Vladimir Ryzhkov wonders how long this complacency will last, in view of deteriorating living standards, particularly among the working classes. The latest in-depth research into modern Russian society was conducted by the Russian Academy of Science's Sociology Institute in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. This time, the sociologists decided to examine Russian society through the lens of its collective dreams, and the report is aptly named: "What Russians Dream About." The findings are based on a national...
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British Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech on the future of Europe promised a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union but it left more questions than answers. 1. Cameron says the referendum will take place after a renegotiation of Britain’s terms of membership and that he will lead the yes campaign. But, this leaves a rather gaping loophole. If the renegotiation fails to deliver a satisfactory result, will he hold a referendum anyway and campaign for an exit? Such a promise was missing from the speech. If he does not intend to hold a referendum if renegotiation fails, then the rest of Europe is heavily incentivized to do nothing. After all, refusing to...