Europe
Europe
Fair Observer provides insightful and informed analysis about important European issues, events and trends.
-
Art / Banksy / Street Art / United States / Vandalism / Europe / 360° Context / Arts & Culture / Middle EastWhile street art is becoming increasingly more popular in the mainstream, artists still, more often than not, risk arrest and criminal charges, raising important questions about how we define and appreciate art. It is safe to say that all of us, at some point in our lives, have been exposed to street art. Lurking under bridges, spilling over billboards, splashing colour across grey concrete, derelict buildings and subway carts,the work of masked night warriors spans every city on every continent. To some, it brings joy. To others, it is mere vandalism. But with the recent explosion in street art’s popularity and its projection into the realm of critically acclaimed modern art, it is...
-
Art / Banksy / Street Art / United States / Vandalism / Europe / 360° Context / Arts & Culture / Middle EastWhile street art is becoming increasingly more popular in the mainstream, artists still, more often than not, risk arrest and criminal charges, raising important questions about how we define and appreciate art. It is safe to say that all of us, at some point in our lives, have been exposed to street art. Lurking under bridges, spilling over billboards, splashing colour across grey concrete, derelict buildings and subway carts,the work of masked night warriors spans every city on every continent. To some, it brings joy. To others, it is mere vandalism. But with the recent explosion in street art’s popularity and its projection into the realm of critically acclaimed modern art, it is...
-
Art / Banksy / Street Art / United States / Vandalism / Europe / 360° Context / Arts & Culture / Middle EastWhile street art is becoming increasingly more popular in the mainstream, artists still, more often than not, risk arrest and criminal charges, raising important questions about how we define and appreciate art. It is safe to say that all of us, at some point in our lives, have been exposed to street art. Lurking under bridges, spilling over billboards, splashing colour across grey concrete, derelict buildings and subway carts,the work of masked night warriors spans every city on every continent. To some, it brings joy. To others, it is mere vandalism. But with the recent explosion in street art’s popularity and its projection into the realm of critically acclaimed modern art, it is...
-
360° Analysis / Ahsan / Assange / Extradition / Julian Assange / McKinnon / Mustafa / Politics / Supreme Court / United States / EuropeWhile the US has waived the death penalty in order to secure the extradition of Abu Hamza al–Masri et al., the accused – and those resisting extradition to the US – still face harsh prison conditions and a likelihood of unfair trials. The British government’s recent extraditions of Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (aka Abu Hamza al-Masri), Khalid al-Fawwaz, Adel Abdel Bary, Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan, along with the American government’s failed extradition attempt of Gary McKinnon and the speculated extradition of Wikileaks principal Julian Assange, all raise troubling implications for international relations, international law, and geopolitics for the United States...
-
Due to differences in – inter alia – language, culture, and economic priorities, Belgium has been increasingly federalized through successive state reforms. What does it mean for the country as ‘the mother of all elections’, scheduled for 2014, draws closer? by Bruno Vandecasteele, Ferdi Deville & Hendrik Vos Federalism in Belgium The federalisation of Belgium formally started in 1970 and is still ongoing. In 1993, Belgium’s unique federal system, consisting of a central state, three economic Regions (Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels-Capital Region) and three cultural Communities (French-speaking, Dutch/Flemish-speaking and German-speaking), was enshrined in...
-
360° Analysis / British Union / England / EU / Identity / Independence / Politics / Scotland / UK / United Kingdom / Wales / EuropeWhat part does national identity play in Scotland’s bid for independence? In a remarkable confluence of political events, independence for national territories – what I call understated nations – is on the agenda with a vengeance. With an election in Catalonia, a referendum in Scotland in 2014 following two elections victories for the Scottish National Party in 2007 and 2011, and outwith Europe, the election of a minority nationalist government in Quebec – all seem to presage the possibility of constitutional change and the break-up of existing states. My task is to explain Scotland, and in particular the relationship, if any, between the rise in Scottish national...
-
360° Analysis / Beer / Democracy / Infographic / Politics / United States / Wine / Europe / BRIC / Arts & Culture / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / OceaniaBy Fact BlinkOn the coherence of liquor and liberty. Many people know that beer is the world’s third-most popular drink, after water and tea. Fewer are aware, however, of the remarkable correlation between a preference for beer, and a preference for democratic institutions. A coincidence? We are not so sure. A priori, there are strong cognitive associations between the brown brew and rule by the people. After all, more than any other drink, beer is the quintessential beverage of the common man. While wine and cocktails may be instinctively elitist; beer, by nature, is egalitarian. So perhaps it is not so surprising that across the world, beer-drinking countries have granted universal...
-
With the creation of new Police and Crime Commissioners last year, along with recent inaugural elections, the British government’s attempt to politicise the post of the Chief of Police appears to have come at a wrong time. The PCC Elections are emblematic of the Coalition’s attempt to push power and democracy downwards and outwards. But will democratising the police refresh the flabby institution, making it more accountable and responsive to the community it serves, or will it turn the police into a political football, having a corrosive effect on the quality of the service? Defenders of PCCs say that policing is already a political issue. How could it not be? If politics is...
-
Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / Middle East / Americas / Africa / AsiaFair Observer's five best articles for November. In the northern hemisphere winter has set in. Israel and Palestine are in the news again. In the US, President Obama and the Republicans are battling each other over rival visions of society as the fiscal cliff looms ever closer. China has a new set of leaders who face immense challenges. India is witnessing yet another corruption scandal; this time it involves the son-in-law of the dynasty that has largely ruled the country since 1947. In Europe, unemployment has hit a record high and the continent remains mired in economic crisis. Brazil’s economy is also slowing down to one of its lowest levels of growth in a decade. Clearly,...