Colonialism and empire
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France: Long history of a forgotten massacre
17 October 201158210 Le Monde Paris -
France-Tunisia: How Paris missed the Jasmine Revolution
18 January 2011711 Presseurop -
Netherlands: Explaining Wilders to Indonesians
11 October 2010392 De Volkskrant Amsterdam -
Africa: Anything to celebrate in DR Congo?
30 June 201034 Presseurop -
Debate: Why do they hate us?
3 June 20101341 EUobserver.com Brussels -
Haiti: Blame it on France
21 January 20101315 The Times London -
Literature: Max Havelaar, more than fair trade
30 December 2009321 Trouw Amsterdam
Exactly 50 years ago today, between 100 and 200 Algerians, who were taking part in a peaceful demonstration, were murdered by Paris police. After decades of official cover-up, the collective memory of the events of 17 October 1961 is finally being restored. 
Overtaken by events, slow in supporting the forces of democracy, the French government seemed to be backing the regime of Ben Ali to the very end. Today, it’s having a hard time justifying its position. 
Citizens of the former Dutch colony have trouble understanding the populist leader’s rise to power. The Netherlands was long considered a beacon of tolerance for the world’s most populous Muslim country, but those days are over. 
While the Democratic Republic of the Congo celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence, the European press wonders about the future of the country, which remains a symbol of colonisation on the African continent. 
While Europe sees itself as a benevolent superpower with an enviable lifestyle, the rest of the world sees nothing more than a shambling, increasingly introspective ex-colonial master that hides behind the United States. If it wants to become a major global actor, it must change. 
Before the devastation of the 12 January earthquake, Haiti was already an economic disaster zone, crippled by centuries-old debt at the hands of its former colonial master – France. A “j’accuse” from Ben Mcintyre in The Times. 
Published in 1859, the book that gave its name to the fair trade movement remains a classic work of fiction. Notwithstanding, or perhaps, because of its avant-garde style and continued attempts to wrong-foot the reader, Max Havelaar's portrayal of colonial oppression in Indonesia still has lessons for modern readers.