January 8, 2010: The archconservative Society of St. Pius X has trouble staying out of the headlines in Germany, vowing to continue to speak out on the moral laxness in modern society. Others see the accusation of "moral laxness" as an expression of bigotry. Read more »
January 20, 2010: German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, who is gay, visited Saudi Arabia earlier this month in a major test of his ability to interact with representatives of conservative cultures. Did Westerwelle made good on his pledge to address gay rights? Read more »
February 8, 2010: The German government calls for the creation of an EU army to enhance the European Union’s role as a major force on the world scene. The proposal is based on the provisions of the new Lisbon treaty. But would an EU army wind up competing with Nato? Read more »
February 23, 2010: Controversies over minarets and burkas highlight the clash of cultures and whether Europe’s traditional religious heritage should be defended in the face of a fast-growing Muslim minority. Will Islam eventually displace Christianity in Europe? Read more »
March 7, 2010: The EU Lisbon treaty provides a new tool for direct participation by EU citizens in shaping Europe’s future. A group of Europeans concerned about the erosion of Sunday as a work-free day hopes to use the provision to protect Sunday as a day of rest. Read more »
March 25, 2010: Members of the European Parliament, labor organizations and mainstream churches unite to promote EU legislation promoting Sunday as EU’s official day of rest. If passed, what will this mean for religious minorities that keep the biblical Sabbath? Read more »
April 20, 2010: Two deadly Taliban attacks against German patrols left seven German soldiers dead in less than two weeks at the beginning of April, with German opinion polls showing a record number of Germans opposed to their country’s presence in Afghanistan. Read more »
May 14, 2010: The European Union eurozone has been under attack due to the Greek debt crisis. Would the easiest solution simply be to kick Greece out of the eurozone? Some might think so, but German chancellor Angela Merkel sees the future of the EU itself in jeopardy. Read more »
June 10, 2010: Yesterday’s election in the Netherlands was definitely a big surprise for commentators and analysts. Maverick conservative politician Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party gained 15 seats and now hold 24 of the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament. Read more »
June 30, 2010: Will a two-tier euro zone be the solution to the euro’s debt crisis in southern Europe? A report published earlier this year suggests dividing the euro into northern and southern zones. Will this be the first step toward a "core Europe?" Read more »
July 20, 2010: The current economic crisis and the weakness of the euro have some Germans wondering whether it might be better for Germany to reintroduce the German mark. However, statistics and Germany’s export oriented economy clearly favor the euro. Read more »
August 10, 2010: A member of the German federal bank board of directors wonders about the overall educational level of Germany’s populace with immigrants of lower education having a higher birth rate than Germans, who are better educated. A German Geert Wilders? Read more »
August 28, 2010: With birthrates among traditional Europeans in decline and population growth in Europe’s Muslim communities soaring, one persistent European voice asks whether Europe wants to preserve its traditional cultural and religious identity. Read more »
September 21, 2010: Over the last 50 years change has come slowly within the European Union. However, the impact of the worldwide financial crisis forced the European Union to respond much faster than would have been the case in "normal" economic times. Read more »
October 7, 2010: Geert Wilders spoke in Berlin last Saturday, igniting a mild protest across the street from the hotel where Wilders spoke to some 500 invited guests. Wilders disagreed with German chancellor Angela Merkel’s stance on Islamic influence in Germany. Read more »
November 16, 2010: Populist sentiment may be just a groundswell of discontent and concern among a minority, but it can also affect major political developments, depending on its momentum and the issues involved. A case study is growing Islamic influence in Europe. Read more »
December 17, 2010: At their summit in Brussels, EU leaders agreed yesterday on a plan to provide greater stability for the euro. With French backing, Germany got her way in refusing to accept a euro bond float as an option for thwarting speculative attacks on the euro. Read more »
