Not a babelian yet?
Not a babelian yet?
The former Moroccan women's track hurdler and current youth and sports minister says nobody wants to change. Interview
The new system already in place in the Dutch capital: radio waves that reveal every bit of skin. But what do the European parliament say? Weekly newsbites from Brussels
As do passport stamps...but peace, diversity and change prevail. cafebabel.com readers choose their three terms which best define the Europe we’re still dreaming of. Anthology.
'EU standards' are one thing, but the reality of the issues lurking behind EU enlargement are another. We launch a series of Europe's young journalists of 2008 with regards on, amongst others, the sex trade in Romania, black border market in Poland and food made in Serbia
An Austrian commission representative has remarked that an 'EU medals table' would 'conserve EU identity' - latest update of the medals the old continent has won, against China, Russia and the US
It has existed for over three decades, but it remains one of the most popular ways to visit Europe. New offers take you to the biggest festivals in Europe – via train
The former adviser to Lech Walesa and MEP since 2004 was a European and a convinced democrat. On 13 July, he died in a car accident in his native Poland. This tribute was written by one of his former students at the College of Europe
Riot is a self-proclaimed pest. Having fallen for Europe as a young boy, he is a regular critic of both politicians and journalists and tries to join the European debate whenever possible
On 14 June the International Zaragoza Expo opens its doors to the public, the sixth time that the exhibition has taken place on European soil in twenty years
EU member states juggle with the socialist and capitalist faces of Latin America at the EU-LAC summit in Lima on 16 – 17 May 2008, and the Peruvians speak
Europe celebrates its birthday, its citizens surf online for plane ticket scams and Burmese victims await humanitarian aid - the latest news from Brussels
Recent attacks on Spanish and French ships highlight the insecurity of maritime activities. The EU is confronted by a challenge which puts its capacity to create a policy protecting common security into question
The EU’s economy will grow slower than expected, falling from 2.7% in 2007 to 2.0% in 2008. Things will worsen in 2009. Take a look at your countries’ growth rates
It has been four years since the European Union opened its door wide open and welcomed ten member states. It's not been a 100% success story for every member though
Associations like Generation Precarity or Fairwork expose an exploited flexible labour force with intermittent incomes and no job security
Add a dose of alcohol abuse and hail Europe’s volunteers and globalisation - it’s your latest news from Brussels
Is Europe acting fast enough to halt irreversible biodiversity loss?
The latest Greek commissioner tells you to mind your business, the EU in Kosovo and don't worry about internet downloads – it’s the latest news from Brussels
The German mother-of-six, 50, is a woman of superlatives: as one of three women in an eight-man advocate general team at the ECJ, she most famously helped put Berlusconi on trial
Some European member states don't get much attention, but are often worth a detour. Our multilingual community blogs take you there
Flemish only on the telephone, the US and the EU fight it out over growth hormones and unhappy times for EU lobbyists - your latest news from Brussels
The British short-story writer, 41, cites Italo Calvino and Raymond Queneau as his influences, discusses literature, lipograms and Iberia - and why the boy from Wales only publishes in certain languages
Don't be poking fun at Italy - from Marie Curie prizewinner Luisa Corrado to FIAT promoter Lapo Elkann, Italians are reclaiming their right to reinvigorate the country
Latvia and Germany ratified the Lisbon treaty on 7 and 22 May, after Portugal and Denmark did so on 23 April. The EU's 16 other members should follow suit by 1 January 2009
To boycott or not to boycott the Peking Olympic Games, Europe's MEPs ask, a mozzarella crisis and Sarkozy honeymooning at 10 Downing Street - it's your latest from Brussels
Deep at the heart of the political debate the euro is often held responsible. Life is more expensive, but whose fault is it?
Face2Face is a unique and edgy photography show by French and Swiss friends JR and Marco, They stick the Israeli-Palestinian conflict right under European noses
On 13 and 14 April the Italians go to the polls under an electoral law that no-one is happy with. Majority rule or proportional representation? A two percent or four percent cut-off clause? What is the best solution for Italy?
Contemporary art is just one bright face of the Kosovo prism, from which the works of the likes of 29-year-old visual artist Artan Balaj refract
162 protestors have came to a provisional deal with the government - but they haven't eaten for 50 days
'Fitna' the film means evil, European parliament has a fake birthday and ousted gay Iranians - it's your latest news from Brussels
What with missing Somali supermodel-cum-UN ambassadors, the Spring European Council and naughty pupil Britain, ‘twas a hot climate this week in Brussels
Is Europe starting to take the fight against climate change seriously?
Uniforming the laws concerning the rights of women in the EU from the top down is an exciting idea and a necessity that is gaining support from militants all across the EU
It’s an enticing experience which draws many young people abroad – but the catch lies hidden behind closed doors
The academic institution, dedicated to promoting Spanish language and culture around the world, has just launched an internet TV channel
With 3.8 million Turkish immigrants in the EU, we head to Denmark with the seventh largest Turkish population in Europe. Aydin Ozturk, 50, settled in Odense with a Danish partner and found his place in society
Collectors, get happy. The 2 euro coin is going to profit from a new design; not a national emblem, but a face showing support for Europe
In the upcoming weeks, conservative MEP Alexander Stubb is due to propose a new legislation to control the some 15, 000 lobbyists in Brussels
Serb incumbent Boris Tadic needs every vote he can get in the second round of presidential elections on 3 February. PM Kostunica supports his pro-European coalition partner - but on his own terms only
Better processors, improved data management possibilities integrated into consoles. Report from the 'Future Film Festival' in Italy
Plus answers to the question 'how much do you get charged for making a bank transfer?' and more in our weekly newsbites from Brussels
Public opinion in Poland is stirred after the American professor's post-war publication is released
In France, the fortieth anniversary of the May 1968 student revolts is fast approaching. Like it or not, the memory of this working class uprising is ever-present. The young people of France take the lead in their own style
Dutch MP Pier Anne Nawijn dancing, that Bush-Merkel massage and Finnish MP Alexander Stubb fights for vodka in the European parliament
Talks of a European anthem were recently dropped, but to some Spaniards, it seems a shame to splice lyrics and lose what makes their country’s anthem unique
To shop or be shopped? The EU wants to tighten up the 2004 Intellectual Property Rights Directive. Many member states have already agreed on appropriate measures
The district in south-west Germany is a pioneering development that puts into action innovative rules for communal living in a unique environment. But this paradise of purity is not without its faults
Only 55% of Europeans state that they have any confidence in their parliament. On the benches of the French National Assembly, few young MPs are debating. How can the EU attract a new generation?
True or false: younger heads of state have less experience but more liberal policies than older heads of state, who have more experience? Plus an interactive map of Europe's old - and not so old - fogies
Temperatures soar as a group of young European journalists get steamed up about the Lisbon Treaty
MEP of the Socialist party in parliament, the 32-year-old is part of the young generation of elected candidates on a European scale. On the benches of the French National Assembly in Strasbourg, 4% have not yet reached the age of 35
The scene is set: Place de l’Europe, shops, blocks of flats on the horizon and 'Le bar de l'Europe'. At the heart of this little tarmacked tower of babel, Europe is not the stuff of dreams
Plus carnival fever in Venice, cartoons in the south of France and Arab hip hop in Brussels - our guide to the month's best cultural titbits
Portuguese no to reform treaty referendum, the pan-EU music marketplace and Sarkozy’s press conference
30-year-old author of the book ‘New Romantic’, the journalist and editor of gay magazine ‘Dik Fagazine’ talks politics, left-wing politics and emotion-drained religion
A guide to social security the French way (to help avoid a head-ache or heart attack when you check your bank balance)
As we celebrate on 21 December 2007, for residents along the Hungarian border, Schengen is a historical event with bittersweet results
Since 21 December 2007 there have been no border controls between Poland and Portugal. In Germany there have been fears that the Polish authorities aren’t ready to take on the security of the entire EU
Since December 21 2007, border controls have vanished inside the EU. The eastern border now seems like a fortress - what's 'big brother' in Slovak?
When Slovenia became part of the Schengen zone on 21 December 2007, the 280km barrier separating it from Italy fell. It had been symbol of the iron curtain and the cold war that have divided Europe for decades
Oft dismissed as the childless 'loser generation’, twenty-somethings have unexpected talents. Our German and French correspondents give them a chance to have their say. Part IV of a series from Paris and Berlin
The EU should watch out for the Basque ETA voice, Prodi's ire that Spaniards are wealthier than Italians (according to Eurostat) and a nice cultural year to all of you, from the Slovenians
This nation of barely two million inhabitants joined the European Union in 2004 and have just become EU presidents for the first six months of 2008
Twenty-something baby losers. Often disparaged, yet the 'eighties generation' harbour multiple talents. Third part of a series of portraits exchanging Paris and Berlin
To reduce the prices of calls made or received when you are outside your home country, the EU has approved maximum rates that phone companies cannot exceed
The euro may be breaking records compared to the dollar, but the explosive breakthrough of the Chinese yuan in the international monetary system has upset the traditional parities of currencies. Plus a condom price checklist
The EU parliament has withdrawn from the debate surrounding the latest reform treaty
