Not a babelian yet?
Not a babelian yet?
The majority of Kosovars speak Gheg, but officially use Tosk for historical reasons. As Kosovo emerges in the form of an independent state, Migjen Kelmendi, former rock star and editor in chief of 'Java' magazine, discusses 'nationalist deliriums'
Despite the lack of vegetables and electricity, or precisely because of it, young Swedes, Dutch and French Europeans enjoy working in this remote, recently independent, spot of Europe
In the Serb enclave of Gracanica, young people are becoming aware that a good future involves teenage crushes, good friends and weekends
Two out of three British Council offices were deemed 'illegal' and closed down in Russia in January. A reflection on ties between the Kremlin and London
Mexicans are losing confidence in their institutions, justice is absent, women are murdered and narcotics traffickers keep the pressure on an increasingly violent society
The price of gas has already reached 100 dollars (70 euros) per Brent barrel. But inflation figures in Europe are getting out of control. The situation in each EU country
Post-election images from the provincial tourist town of Viñales in the west, to the semi-tropical cacao plantations of Baracoa in the east. The Cuban leader will not run again as president at the National Assembly on 24 February
On 17 February, the state declared independence from Serbia, amidst a split EU outlook. Kosovar, Serb and Russian youth sound out their reactions on the day
Two weeks before his handpicked successor takes over, a Russian film released on DVD on 14 February shows a rather different side to a fictional, unnamed outgoing Russian president
13 February. Big screens, daytrips to Canberra, and a historical ‘apology’ by the new Labor government, to the 13, 000 Indigenous children taken from their Aboriginal parents after British colonisation
Neat, elegant, so clean that you want to go barefoot – that is how the Lukashenko regime likes to present the capital of Belarus - the one visible to tourists, that is
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
After Eurobarometer and the ‘Index of Happiness’, a new index launched by a British think tank on 31 January aims to ‘measure’ democracy in 25 European countries – and get Europe's citizens to customise their own indices online. Interview
On Tuesday 5 February 22 states will hold US presidential primary elections. The result will determine each party's candidate for the final elections on 6 November, 2008. Three young Europeans provide their opinion
On 5 February or 'Super Tuesday', 24 US states vote for their Democrat or Republican candidate. Spotlight on what five main leaders of the race for the American presidency are pledging
After seven years of waiting for an end to the Bush presidency, Europeans should not wait indefinitely in hope of redefining US interests
On Tuesday 5 February, 24 US states will hold their primaries or caucuses on a single day. But does the current nomination process facilitate the nomination of the best candidates?
Dutch MP Pier Anne Nawijn dancing, that Bush-Merkel massage and Finnish MP Alexander Stubb fights for vodka in the European parliament
Portuguese no to reform treaty referendum, the pan-EU music marketplace and Sarkozy’s press conference
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
Leaving an area scarred by ethnic conflict and fifty years of communism is a tempting prospect for young Kosovars. However, most of those who leave to study or work abroad decide to return for good
With unemployment at more than 40%, the black market economy and a lack of political clarity acting as weights around the country's neck, the Kosovar market is searching for a way into the wider world and a definitive boom in its growth levels
With a district extension of 572 km² and an uncertain population estimate of half a million, Prishtina is the most populated city of Kosovo and its administrative, political, economic and cultural centre
Small-time Senegalese producers are speaking out against the Economic Partership Agreements (EPAs) negotiated on 8 and 9 December at Lisbon. For them, the battle against famine means being opposed to market liberalisation
'With our victory today begins the new century.' Pro-independence opposition leader Hashim Thaçi won 17 November elections, but you won't find details in Kosovar newspapers yet - the people await a final result on 3 December
Since achieving independence in 1990, it has strived to walk steadily on its own. On the eve of reaching adulthood as a self-governing country, Vilnius is like a little girl who has been picked on too many times by her bigger neighbours
First part of an exclusive interview with the author of 'Gomorra', investigating the Neapolitan mafia. From Scottish tourism to Spanish drug trade, the Italian empire stretches throughout Europe and the world
The electoral campaign for the general elections has begun - two years early
The fifth elections in three years, the latest by presidential fiat, take place on 30 September. Europe needs to sit up and pay more attention for the country to be an effective stabile democracy
After an Al Qaeda video threat aimed at the French and Spaniards on 21 September, Islamist groups in Lebanon are ready to finish with the apparently quietened situation in the 'Middle East's Switzerland'
The 62nd UN general assembly opens on 24 September with a focus on climate change. Famous protestors remind HQ about their 2015 world hunger promises
Three years ago the Ahiska/ Meskhetian Turks resettlement programme began, from Russia to the USA. But what is in store for those who haven’t made it over the Atlantic?
On 10 and 15 September former prime ministers Sharif and Bhutto plan leaving London for upcoming elections in Pakistan. Military president Musharraf was hit hard by the ten-day ‘Red Mosque’ siege by armed fundamentalists in July
Russian magistrates, politicians and media are concealing more and more racist attacks on foreigners
In line with World Water Week, Hamburg has been observing 2007's 'Days of Water' since 22 August. A vitally serious issue is at the core of this series of remarkable events
The May 2007 creation of a French ministry of immigration and national identity led by Brice Hortefeux ponders paying immigrants to go back to where they came from. Multiculturalism – a European asset?
14 June 2007 marks twenty-five years of liberation from the Argentine military by British forces. A Falkland Islander born after the war discusses his islands' economical, European and neighbourly strides
Missile shields in Poland and the Czech Republic are military targets, according to Russia: if it cannot control its own airspace, Europe could become a global battleground
The atmosphere from within Iran is increasingly hostile - president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s nuclear ambitions don't help
EU President Barroso calls for a common European energy policy, as Russian president Putin amongst others propose a gas cartel
After Estonia’s parliamentary elections on March 4, Culture Minister Raivo Palmaru casts a critical eye over the nation’s press and young democracy
Plans to build US missile sites force Europeans to reconsider their position
Independent from or autonomous within Serbia? Negotiations on Kosovo’s future status wound up in March
Independent or not, today the people of Kosovo want only one thing: the end of the United Nations’ ‘occupation’ of their territory
Women’s rights are neglected in the Caucasus, as illustrated in Tblisi, Georgia's capital
In pre-civil war ambience, how are the Lebanese making a living?
On February 27 the Saharauis celebrate independence day. International aid makes survival possible
On Feb 27 in Belgrade, 15, 000 Serbs protested against the UN's plans for
independence from Serbia. What do Serbs and Albanians think about Kosovar identity?
Afghanistan - delicate name for European governments. Italy is bridging the gulf between its international obligations and the Senate
The Sahrawis celebrate their 30th Independence Day on February 27
February 21 is the United Nations deadline for Resolution 1737 for Iran to stop its uranium-enrichment programme
400 million Euros from the Commission, $770 million from the US. But Lebanon remains consumed by instability
The five-year-old Euro may be trading above the dollar, but a stronger currency can damage Europe
In Cuba, the Castro administration is on the verge of ‘going to a better place’
The German presidency of the EU judged the local elections on January 14 in Belarus ‘undemocratic’. The country’s opposition has already announced its intention of contesting Lukashenko
Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal, on the European dream, a constitution revival and feeling Portugese
In 2005, 60% of Europeans were against the death penalty. A month after Saddam Hussein's execution, opinion particularly divides Eastern Europe
The Slavic languages all have their roots in Proto-Slavic. Since the twelfth century, however, they have drifted apart. One of them reached its zenith in the seventeenth century: Polish.
We spoke to the Iranian graphic novelist, 37, in January, after she shot to fame with her black-and-white comic book ‘Persepolis’. It's currently hitting movie screens in its animated French version
On the eve of the global Davos Economic Forum, North American intellectual David Calleo describes his vision of the role Europe plays in globalisation
Syria is the only Mediterranean country which has not signed an agreement with the EU. Can a timely carrot-and-stick strategy re-engage both?
For years the unspoiled beauty of Montenegro used to be the best kept secret in Europe. Now the sights of old Venetian squares, spectacular mountains, bays, sandy beaches are once more a favourite destination for globe-trotters around the world
Following the adoption of resolution 1701, European countries are preparing a peacekeeping force for Lebanon. The European Jewish Congress explains to us why resolution 1701 brings hope but no tangible guarantees
Iceland, summer 2006
Since the gift of the Erasmus exchange programme, more and more young Europeans have fallen in love abroad. But on return to their home countries, euphoria soon gives way to everyday problems. Three couples tell their story.
With violin and accordion slung over his shoulder, Goran Bregovic, Serbo-Croatian composer and former rockstar, known for his cinematographic collaborations with Emir Kusturica, travels the four corners of Europe. A gypsy rhythm with European harmonies.
Sport proves it: the majority of people still identify themselves along national lines. However, beneath the surface, all is not as it seems.
This week freedom of expression has taken up an inordinate amount of column inches in the European press. But where do the boundaries lie between freedom of expression and causing offence?
One of Poland’s best known personalities is the politician, writer and journalist Tadeusz Mazowiecki. In an interview with cafebabel.com, he considers the effect of Polish accession and how Europe can move forward.