How to reduce Europe’s flood risk
European nations need to be vigilant and forward-thinking to prevent further disaster
French politics: a question without an answer
Macron seems to think his new choice of prime minister is the answer to France’s problems. He might be the only one who does
When British pop went European
How British music turned away from America and learned to love the continent
The trials and triumphs of Madame Le Trump
Marine Le Pen stands accused of risking her country’s stability to keep herself out of jail. Sound familiar?
Letters: Starmer’s silence on rejoining is deafening
To all the naysayers who doubt we can return to the EU, we have no choice. If Starmer really believes in Britain, it must be done
Paula Rego’s nursery nightmares
Inspired by Goya, the Portuguese artist’s versions of Humpty Dumpty and Three Blind Mice are very much not for children
How Thomas Mann taught Germans to chill out
First published in 1924, his masterpiece Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) is a highbrow ode to chilling
‘A digestive tract with a tie’
No matter how the plot of this particular election thriller ends, Romanian institutions must do better in the future
Georgia’s symphony of protest
A fine balance between popular anger and state violence engulfs Tbilisi every evening
Italy’s laughs in translation
Sometimes when you leave the mistakes in, conversation can become even more picturesque
Bernd Rosemeyer, Hitler’s driving ace
The German racing driver’s memorial site is in a fitting location, close to a fast-paced autobahn
Merkel on Brexit: “I felt disappointed and abandoned”
Britain’s decision to leave the EU “was an incredible event”, says the former German chancellor. David Cameron “delivered himself into the hands” of the eurosceptics, she tells The Rest is Politics
Ukraine is the new Berlin
As the second coming of Donald Trump threatens a sell-out of Kyiv, Europe finds itself pondering events of 75 years ago
Le Pen and Mélenchon’s Lewis Carroll politics
Barnier’s budget was relatively mild – but Tweedledee and Tweedledum said he had to go
Has Notre Dame lost too much?
The success of Notre Dame’s comeback depends on whether we view it as an architectural gem or a functional religious building
The little machine with a higher gear than the rest
The intensity he displayed in the saddle was an extension of his personality. He was spiky, surly and could bear a spectacular grudge
Through the lens of truth
At a glitzy Paris art fair, a dose of reality from eight photographers who have something to say about
the world
Switzerland votes ‘oui’ to Eurovision
After Nemo’s 2024 victory, Eurovision has become increasingly political for the Swiss
The Georgian government versus the people
In Tbilisi, weeks of despair have turned into rage as the authoritarian government ignore Georgians’ cries for EU integration
The pain makes its way to Spain
The old artisanal baker is not as prevalent in France as you might think
Sweden’s trouble with Russian neighbours
Sweden is now a Nato member and Russia is escalating its threats against the country
The comeback of Notre Dame
President Macron said Notre Dame would be rebuilt within five years and would be even more beautiful. And so it came to pass
How universities can avoid cancellation
Academic institutions, such as Leipzig University, must learn how to stand firm and not let intimidation become routine
Prepare for the Trump-Fico bromance
The Slovak prime minister agrees with Trump about everything — well, almost
Germany’s space odyssey
The first man-made object in space was built by Germany – and the country’s space programme is now the biggest in Europe
Romania’s election chaos
Călin Georgescu is a textbook post-truth politician: a conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer, climate change denier, and moon landing sceptic
Inside Norway’s Brexits
The country has twice rejected the chance to join the EU, including in a referendum 30 years ago this week with a 52:48 split. Why did they say no? And how’s it working out for them?
How French corruption turned Lebanon into a warzone
I was there when Chirac asked for money that should have gone to Lebanon’s citizens. Now Macron is struggling to save the country from destruction
James Beattie and his timeless cello
The forgotten Scottish philosopher’s legacy resurfaced last week when his historic cello was played for the first time in 220 years
Carsten Höller’s bored games
The German artist returns with a playful book that shakes things up by bringing the surreal into the everyday
Letters: Stop blaming boomers for all our problems
People who were born during the postwar ‘baby boom’ are sick of being tarred with the same brush. One size does not fit all
Writing to Putin’s gulag
Following a rise in politically motivated sentences after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, prisoners in Russia and Belarus have come to rely on letters from strangers
How to cause a stink in Switzerland
The country has an obsession with cleanliness but there are some kinks in its food waste system that need to be ironed out
Who took Belgium’s national biscuit?
Despite the new globalised name, speculoos, thankfully, still taste like home
Tusk is the Donald we all need most
We cannot finesse our way out of the problem that the American people have swung isolationist
The return of Merkelmania
The former German chancellor has played it smart again by shrouding her memoirs in secrecy ahead of their release
My trip to the saddest place in France
The 643 villagers of Oradour-sur-Glane were wiped out by the Nazis. Untouched by order of de Gaulle, the place where they lived and died is now a shrine
The actress pursued by misfortune and tragedy
Her young daughters grieving before a grave she didn’t occupy was not even the worst tribulation to afflict the life of the Hungarian
Stories from Berlin, a city of history
From Sally Bowles to George Smiley by way of Kreuzberg and Alexanderplatz, the best books about Berlin
When Depeche Mode conquered East Berlin
How the band may have played a bigger part in the country’s history than is yet appreciated
Darkness on the edge of town
Two stunning exhibitions at the Helmut Newton Foundation celebrate the great photographer and the city he escaped from
Is Germany’s economy kaput?
With a declining industrial base, a lack of support for emerging sectors, and a shaky financial landscape, the country’s downturn might be here to stay
The killing field: Where Berlin confronts its Nazi past
An empty square in the centre of the German capital gives a warning from the recent past
How Berlin got under my skin
My first Berlin adventure began at Checkpoint Charlie. My second began in Islington
Misunderstanding Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s legacy
Bonhoeffer fought against exclusion and for those who couldn’t fight for themselves
Putin’s war on the womb
If you love children and happen to live in Russia, the kindest thing you could do would be not to have any
Who’s to blame for Spain’s floods?
The Spanish press are asking pointed questions about the lacklustre warning system and slow crisis response
Is Berlin losing its voice?
In September, the senate suddenly announced 10% cuts to the city’s arts budget
Trump is coming, so we need a UK-EU security agreement fast
History shows Britain becoming more Europhile when a wild card is in the White House
Cork’s boozers, ghouls and jazz fans
Ireland’s pubs are struggling but a music festival brings people to the streets