Category: Europe
Kick Out Zwarte Piet: A masterclass in activism
This year, activist group Kick Out Zwarte Piet abolishes itself. Symbolically, on the fifth of December, the official date of the national children’s festival of Sinterklaas. Over the past fifteen
Read MoreThe cost of the sun disappearing
The rays of the sun are far more than a simple provider of Vitamin D; they are there to pick you up after your worst shifts at work, or when
Read MoreDemocracy.exe, Albania’s AI-Minister experiment
This article was written by guest contributor Ruben Snip, a 1st year IRIO student with a particular interest in cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. ’The Constitution speaks of duties, responsibilities, transparency,
Read MoreHUMAN RIGHTS ON THE LINE: HOW AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES AND GERMAN POPULIST PARTIES THREATEN THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER
This article was written by guest contributor Anton Ruholl, and was originally written as an extension to his bachelor thesis. The Unsettling Alignment The so-called “forced labor” in Xinjiang is
Read MoreUnderstanding, not deterrence: A response letter to “End of the Beginning”
This article was written by guest contributor and former checks member (2022-2023) Paul Johann Lindhorst. In the new print edition of the “Checks&Balances” magazine, the author sincerely and seriously contemplates
Read MoreThe Netflix show and the IRC
Netflix’s Transatlantic explores how Varian Fry, Mary Jane Gold, and the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) evacuated thousands of refugees from Marseille during World War II. Fry and Gold are two
Read MoreFrench language: from rise to decline
Over the course of the 17th century, the French language became the primary language in the aristocratic and royal families of Europe. Although French is recognised by all as a
Read MoreMelting Mountains: Can the 2026 Winter Olympics Survive the Climate Crisis?
Introduction The 2026 Winter Olympics, prepared to take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, are being hailed as a return to Europe’s alpine sports legacy. However, they are facing
Read MoreIs ‘European-style democracy’ always the answer?
What is European-style democracy? When talking about European-style democracy, we are not referring specifically to the European Union and all its institutions, but rather to a set of standards and
Read MoreFrom rape to revolution
Although our daily news is consistently dominated by prominent figures such as presidents and their newest trade agreements, scientists with life-changing experiment results and athletes who have broken yet another
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