One year after the bloody terrorist attacks of November 2015, it is more urgent than ever for the French people and government to critically evaluate the present situation before the 2017 presidential election; otherwise that election might easily be won by a racist, anti-European, extreme-right political party.
Read MoreEuropean countries have traditionally had political parties that range from the very liberal to the very conservative, stretching further in both directions than, say, the two political parties in the United States. Historically, the more conservative parties remained firmly on the fringes of society and did not gained much power politically. The recent changes in the ethnic distribution of European population, mainly due to a massive influx of immigration, have popularized the furthest-right parties, most of which have an aggressive anti-immigration stance.
Read MoreYet, this new affair could prove highly embarrassing: if convicted (though that seems unlikely) Sarkozy risks jail. Even if he ends up being acquitted, the long judicial process will likely drag on to be an embarrassment, especially given the despicable behavior of most cadres of his party who have publicly doubted the judge’s independence.
Read MoreOnly when the European Union adopts a truly collective and consensual foreign policy will it matter internationally.
Read MoreEnsuring a no-fly zone over Syria would be a good way to start empowering the rebels. Though it may be a risky gamble, with much uncertainty lying ahead, it is very courageous of Hollande to try and force the hands of his fellow heads of state and attempt to put an end to this massacre.
Read MoreThe past year has been a most tumultuous one for the nations of the eurozone, from the sunny shores of debt-ridden Greece to her disgruntled northern neighbors. The seventeen-member union has approached the brink of disaster and backed down seemingly several times a day for months, exhausting lenders and spectators, while inciting political unrest throughout the region.
Read MoreThe Persecution of the Roma in Europe
Read MoreWith the help of the French, the veil—also known more accurately in various forms as the burqa, hijab or niqab—has conquered both the bra and the bikini as the world’s most contentious piece of women’s apparel.
Read MoreThe US Congress recently attempted to pass a law officially recognizing Turkish genocide of Armenians. Backed by more than half the members of the House, the bill called upon the Turkish government to acknowledge the Ottoman Empire’s role in committing atrocities against its Armenian population from 1915 to 1924. Yet the motion was ultimately quashed. As a New York Times editorial put it, “Historical truths must be established through dispassionate research and debate, not legislation.” In other words, history, like religion, is not something the state should be institutionalizing.
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