Most of the world now knows François Hollande as the man who won France’s May 6 presidential election, and in so doing made incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy the nation’s first single-term head of state in 31 years. Many people have …
Germany
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 7, 2012
Eyes on Berlin – Germany’s Der Spiegel assesses the impact of François Hollande’s victory in the French presidential election Sunday on Chancellor Angela Merkel. “[She] can’t be pleased… but it will at least be bearable for …
After Winning the French Presidency, What Will François Hollande Do Next?
Though it’s an obvious cliché (and one that has already been used here in a related story last autumn), winning the Elysée may have been the easy part for French president-elect François Hollande. Given the severity of the …
France Election: Socialist Hollande Defeats Sarkozy for Presidency
France was poised for major change Sunday night when Socialist candidate François Hollande looked set to beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in runoff balloting for France’s presidency. Initial results revealed at 8 …
Why Voters in Europe Want a Change of Tactics in the Euro Crisis
Given the catastrophic mantra rising in media reports and from certain pundits, one contrarian point needs to be made clear: democracy can’t and won’t kill the debt-stricken euro. As Europeans at the ballot box are …
Between Growth and a Hard Place: Tough Choices for France’s Next President–Whoever that May Be
As the French presidential election heads into first round voting April 22, a burning question is being grafted to the issue of “who will win?” French and European observers are now also asking “what will the outcome mean …
The Günter Grass Debacle: Blowback from Anti-Israel Poem Envelopes Both Sides
Günter Grass, the German author who waited until he’d won a Nobel Prize before revealing that he’d served in Hitler’s SS, might seem an unlikely vessel for criticism of Israel (in 2006 he confessed that in 1944, at the age of …
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 6, 2012
Warring Words - Der Spiegel reports on the raging controversy surrounding German Nobel laureate Günter Grass’s new poem, which is sharply critical of Israel. The poet has taken to the airwaves to defend himself, while Israeli …
Politics, Ahoy! Germany’s Pirate Party Scores Another Election Win
Last September, when the German Pirate Party won seats in the Berlin state parliament for the first time, mainstream politicians dismissed their success as a fluke. Sure, they had secured 8.9% of the vote, pushing them well past …
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 29, 2012
Probing Tragedy – The Guardian exclusively reveals a nine-month Council of Europe investigation found a “catalog of failures” by NATO warships and European coastguards led to the deaths of dozens of migrants left adrift at sea …
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 12, 2012
Solo Act — Almost every major news outlet is leading with the reports that a U.S. soldier acting alone allegedly killed at least 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, on Sunday. The shootings, taking place near a base …
Must-Reads From Around the World: March 7, 2012
French Frankness —Trailing in the polls with less than two months to go before Election Day, French President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled tough new policies on immigration Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph reports. During a televised …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 29, 2012
Weight of History – Following a backbench revolt in the German parliament Monday over the Greek bailout that’s left Angela Merkel’s coalition government weakened, Der Spiegel reports former Chancellor Helmut Kohl has stepped into …
