Briefings
-
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 10: A multicultural renaissance
2 January 201150710 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 9: Yearning to remain optimistic
1 January 20111421 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 8: Negotiation rocks
31 December 201075 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 7: When my daughter wears the burqa…
30 December 20101655 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 6: EU’ll grow out of it
29 December 20103042 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 5: Join the Church of the Concrete
28 December 20104934 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 4: The EU is a car
27 December 2010391 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 3: Learn to get older, gracefully
26 December 20101001 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 2: Saddle those horses
25 December 20103682 Presseurop -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 1: Pariah therefore European
23 December 20101865 Presseurop
Say goodbye to conformity, corruption and fawning to elites, and make way for a multicultural melting pot to renew the continent’s sapped energies, writes Italian economist Loretta Napoleoni in a letter to her son. 
Novelist Tim Parks argues for a Europe built on a shared vision, one that gets excited about refashioning the world rather than fighting to keep it as it is. 
The EU's greatest and most beautiful idea? Sitting down at a table for talks that are conducted with tolerance and style, answers Romanian historian Mircea Vasilescu. 
Magazines tell us that women are the future of Europe, but exactly what kind of future do they mean? Czech novelist Petra Hůlová offers her tragicomic vision. 
The EU is behaving like a moody teenager trying to come to terms with a growth spurt, remarks French researcher Philippe Perchoc. Only in the mirror of new dreams inspired by fresh political ambitions and new partner countries will it come of age and assume its role in the world. 
In the eighties and early noughties as stock market prices soared, we were burning cattle in the fields of Europe. But now the cult of abstract value is giving way to a return to faith in the real value of material things, Portuguese writer Gonçalo Tavares explains. 
Europe isn’t exactly a wellspring of artistic inspiration, writes German author Thomas Brussig. It’s really more like a car, which, though a fetish object for some, is for most just a vehicle that takes you where you want to go. 
Europe is at a crossroads, but will find a way if it shares with the rest of the world its attractive political, social and economic model, writes Paweł Świeboda. 
Given the political, social and religious confusion that plagues Europe, Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater pleads for a new spirit of openness to talents, ideas and creeds. 
Dutch writer Arnon Grunberg says he had to move to New York to begin feeling truly European. This may be because his family’s identity was built on exile and rootlessness. This is a story that, today, applies to many others. Editorial
In a year of sound and fury marked by the virtual bankruptcy of Greece and the Irish crisis, Europe spent most of 2010 fearfully wondering if its currency was going to survive. National governments responded by announcing austerity measures that will likely be with us for many years to come, and by committing to an unprecedented European Stability Mechanism. As time went on, Germany appeared to be on the verge of setting aside the principle of solidarity between European states, France deported thousands of Roma, the extreme right took 20 seats in the Swedish parliament and secured a behind the scenes deal with the Dutch government.
In Poland, grief over the loss of the country’s political elite in a second Katyn tragedy degenerated into a quarrel about where to bury its deceased president, Italy was forced to contend with the ridicule of yet another Berlusconi sex scandal, while in Hungary, the nationalist right moved to limit freedom of speech.
In short, it has been a chaotic year for Europe, which is struggling to compete with a developing world that may be less democratic but is consistently more dynamic. And it has been a difficult twelve months for the EU, which appears destined to play an increasingly marginal role in international affairs.
In the light of all of this grim news, it is time to take a fresh look at where Europe is going. With this in mind, we invited a selection of ten European authors and analysts, including well-known writers and new voices, to write about their vision of Europe, and their understanding of how ongoing events will affect their lives and the future of all European citizens.
Arnon Grunberg (Netherlands), Fernando Savater (Spain), Paweł Świeboda (Poland), Thomas Brussig (Germany), Gonçalo M. Tavares (Portugal), Philippe Perchoc (France), Petra Hůlová (Czech Republic), Mircea Vasilescu (Romania), Tim Parks (UK) and Loretta Napoleoni (Italy), will hopefully inspire you with another view of Europe.
These articles were published in conjunction with The Guardian (UK) Der Spiegel (Germany) and Respekt (Czech Republic).