by Neophytos Loizides

There is an important distinction in describing political systems that most current analyses on Turkey seem to have missed. In majoritarian democracies decisions are usually determined by a plurality of voters while in consensus democracies by 'as many people as possible.' Both options claim to foster moderation...

What separates a good idea from a revolutionary one? How can a small business grow into a global corporation? Alexander Görlach and Thore Barfuss asked Richard Branson to explain.

Do you today see an inflationary use of the terms "innovation" and "innovative"?

Joseph Schumpeter's defines entrepreneurs as "innovators...

Kevin Kelly, The European Magazine

New technologies are breaking down the border between the real and the virtual. And ethical questions posed in The Matrix turn from fiction into fact.

A major theme of this century will be the pursuit of our collective identity. We are on a...

By Juan Enriquez, The European Magazine

What can a chronic traffic jam around Washington, D.C., tell us about the future of biotechnology and the hidden costs of excessive caution?

A few decades ago, as strange as it may seem today, cars on the beltway that surrounds Washington, D.C.,...

Her Majesty the Queen is the head of the Church of England. She inherited the title Fidei defensor, "Defender of the Faith", from her ancestors. In the British constitutional monarchy, the head of state not only invokes God on certain occasions but also protects what is perceived as the "true...

Don't look to Hollywood for historical truths: Movies like "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty" are based in fairy-tales rather than fact.

by Matthew Alford

Four of the ten nominees in the Best Picture category at the 2013 Academy Awards were clever-clever political movies: Django Unchained, Argo, Zero Dark...

The pope's resignation has broken with the traditions of Roman centralism. The Catholic Church is moving towards a more democratic era.

The pope has resigned. He will be eulogized in history books as the German interim pope. He has demystified the highest office of the Catholic Church, he has stripped...

America likes to talk about race, but not about class.

by Martin Eiermann

The psychological constitution of a country and a society partially reveals itself through that which we commonly call "public discourse": The process of publicly exchanging praise and criticism, of collective celebration and mourning. After the tragedy at...

By Richard Collins

Instead of lamenting the death of old legacy papers, journalists should confront the challenges ahead of them. It's time to reconsider a public funding scheme.

An intriguing U.S.-based website, newspaperdeathwatch.com , tracks American newspapers' deaths. The recent closures of the Financial Times Deutschland (Germany), the...

A referendum on Britain's EU membership is likely. And if the country secedes, others could soon follow its example.

by Alan Sked

In 1991 I founded the Anti-Federalist League, which changed its name in 1993 to the UK Independence Party (Ukip). I remained party leader until 1997 when, for a...

The Doha Conference has illustrated the inability of the international community to pursue global solutions. Maybe it's time to shift to a more local approach.

by Jörg Friedrich

The Doha Climate Change Conference has illustrated one thing above all else: Current global structures do not allow for consensus agreements on...

A monetary war has been fought in the eurozone and Greece has lost. It's in the best interest of the Greek people and of the rest of Europe to cancel the country's debt and organize its exit from the common currency.

by Stefano Casertano

Greek opinions about Germans are changing....

The Internet is affecting all aspects of our lives. It's no surprise that love is moving into the digital world as well.

By Catalina Toma

The introduction of new technologies in a society is often met with both hopes and fears. Enthusiasts expect the technology to alter the society for...

Despite all the hopes of sun and win enthusiasts, the real revolution in the energy world has been driven by old-style fossil fuels. Shale gas now dominates global energy policy.

by Stefano Casertano

Despite all the hopes of sun and wind enthusiasts, the real revolution in the energy world has...

By Martin Eiermann

Public debt has become the main argument against the welfare state. But the two are barely related.

Five years have passed since the advent of the current crisis, and while the beast has since morphed from a financial crisis into a confidence and debt crisis, some...

Vint Cerf is known as one of the "fathers of the Internet." He sat down with Alexander Görlach to talk about innovation, social networks and the future of human society.

The European: When you started working on the Internet, did you have an idea of how big it would become...

Alexander Görlach, The European.

For centuries, Italy's main focus was on its domestic affairs. Today, the country can no longer afford such parochialism. An essay on Italy for Linkiesta.it and The European.

My earliest memory of Italy comes from TV: Don Camillo and Peppone. My grandparents loved Fernandel,...

by Christian Böhme, The European Magazine

The system shows its nasty side: If you dare to insult patriarch Putin, you'll be locked away. But the writing is on the wall after the Pussy Riot case.

Their names are Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevitch. They are...

The more Germany tries to save the Eurozone, the more it become the union's scapegoat. The best response: ignore the populists, and keep on trucking.

We Germans like to see ourselves as Europe's rescue patrol. But the more influential Germany becomes and the more responsibility it shoulders, the stronger...

By Sebastian Pfeffer

The German parliament has rejected a proposal for same-sex marriage. Despite a lack of good arguments against marriage equality, gay, lesbian, and bisexual Germans remain second-class citizens as homophobic moralists triumph once again.

I'm tired of it. I'm tired of people who purport to know what is...