At least nobody has asked me – living in the Netherlands – to pay in Swiss francs yet. Today, at the hairdresser’s, after the habitual chat about the weather, the inevitable subject came up: the euro crisis. Today’s panicky atmosphere in the eurozone, on the eve of the currency’s tenth anniversary, is the culmination of [...]

Last  article in a series of four A different kind of Brussels-bashing has dominated international media, lately: scolding the European Union for not doing enough. Refreshing, but these critics seem to forget how diverse Europe is. A simple holiday excursion to the volcanoes proved an eye-opening escape from the Brussels-minded Bubble. If you want to learn [...]

A series of four articles A different kind of Brussels-bashing has dominated international media, lately: scolding the European Union for not doing enough. Refreshing, but these critics seem to forget how diverse Europe is. A simple holiday excursion to the volcanoes proved an eye-opening escape from the Brussels-minded Bubble. Melting pot or dormant vulcano? It [...]

A series of four articles A different kind of Brussels-bashing has dominated international media, lately: scolding the European Union for not doing enough. Refreshing, but these critics seem to forget how diverse Europe is. A simple holiday excursion to the volcanoes proved an eye-opening escape from the Brussels-minded Bubble. Part 2: the coach tour By [...]

A series of four articles A different kind of Brussels-bashing has dominated international media, lately: scolding the European Union for not doing enough. Refreshing, but these critics seem to forget how diverse Europe is. A simple holiday excursion to the volcanoes proved an eye-opening escape from the Brussels-minded Bubble. I am sitting in a bus [...]

Is it the North v Club Med? Is it the Protestants against the Catholics? Is it the West against the East? Or the divide Slavic-Germanic-Latin? Is it all about the wine belt versus the beer belt? Europe, divided and complicated, is sometimes carved up into a few larger zones, to make it more comprehensible. Can [...]