Germans used to think of Poland as a country full of car thieves and post-communist drabness. On the eve of hosting the European Football Championship, however, the country has become the most astonishing success story in Eastern Europe. Relations between Berlin and Warsaw have never been better. By Erich Follath and Jan Puhl more... [ Forum ]
Can doctors and investment advisers be trusted? And do we live more for experiences or memories? In a SPIEGEL interview, Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman discusses the innate weakness of human thought, deceptive memories and the misleading power of intuition. more... [ Forum ]
With Europe beginning to look for alternatives to its exclusive focus on austerity, the German government has developed a six-point plan to foster economic growth in Europe, SPIEGEL has learned. Included in the proposal is the creation of special economic zones in struggling euro-zone countries. more... [ Forum ]
Anxieties have reached a new high in Europe as uncertainty reigns over a potential Greek exit from the euro zone and new figures raise fears that the crisis may be affecting the German economy. German commentators on Friday review the currency union's options. more...
Urban researchers in Berlin are exploring an eerie phenomenon -- the modern ghost town. From a deserted Cypriot holiday resort to a brand new Chinese city devoid of inhabitants, they are asking why people abandon their communities and exploring the stories that make these empty places so compelling. By Kate Katharina Ferguson more...
Though they often vote for a party rather than an individual lawmaker, German citizens can question their elected local and federal representatives directly, thanks to a website called Parliament Watch. The founders have expanded to other European countries and have plans for Tunisia and possibly even the United States. By Paul Glader in Hamburg more...
The Eurovision Song Contest has a massive gay following. But homophobia is rife in this year's host country, Azerbaijan, where gays and lesbians have to keep a low profile and fear violent attacks. Even so, locals say that gay Eurovision fans traveling to Baku needn't fear for their safety -- because the regime doesn't want any trouble. By Annette Langer in Baku more... [ Forum ]
Many of the illegal immigrants in the EU arrive via Greece, which is overwhelmed by the flood of incomers. The would-be migrants are ruthlessly exploited by people smugglers, and many of them die in the attempt to get to Europe. SPIEGEL heard the stories of a group of young Bangladeshi men who made it to Athens -- and discovered the reality behind the dream. By Andreas Ulrich in Nea Vyssa, Greece more... [ Forum ]
With low unemployment and solid economic growth, things are going better than ever for Germans. But a new study shows they're practically incapable of enjoying it. Not only do they find it difficult to cut loose and experience pleasure, but their "joy gene" is broken, researchers say. By Maria Marquart more...
They were looking for a body, and ended up shooting a dog. Some 1,000 police took part in a series of raids on sites linked to the Hells Angels outlaw biker club in northern Germany on Thursday morning. Several arrests were made in the search for evidence in connection with various crimes, including human and weapons trafficking. more...
Because wind and solar energy are inconsistent, energy managers are looking for ways to fill in the gaps when it is dark outside and the air is still. A Norwegian company wants to turn hydroelectric power stations in the north into Europe's battery packs. By Christoph Seidler more...
A German court last week convicted and sentenced five siblings in the kidnapping and murder of their younger sister Arzu. Prosecutors, however, are still not satisfied. They believe that the family's father ordered the honor killing and are hoping to find enough evidence to put him behind bars. By Antje Windmann more... [ Forum ]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a summit Wednesday to review the lack of progress in the country's dramatic nuclear phaseout and shift to renewable energies. On the editorial pages, many commentators are critical of government policies that have caused electricity prices to soar. more...
French President François Hollande managed to set the tone at his first EU summit with his proposal for euro bonds. It was the first such meeting in years that was not dominated by Chancellor Merkel. Hollande wanted to send the message that France will be more assertive in the future. By Carsten Volkery in Brussels more... [ Forum ]
Preparations for the first semi-final of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday were overshadowed by a diplomatic row between host country Azerbaijan and its neighbor Iran. The latter recalled its ambassador over accusations that Baku was planning an accompanying "gay parade." more...
With Greeks heading to the polls once again in June, finance ministries in euro-zone member states are preparing for the worst. Several media outlets are reporting that contingency plans are being developed to prepare for a Greek exit from the common currency zone. more...
In a SPIEGEL interview, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman argues that this is not the time to worry about debt and inflation. To save the euro zone, he argues that the European Central Bank should loosen monetary policy and the German government should abandon austerity. more... [ Forum ]
Germany's energy revolution has hardly begun, but it's already running out of steam. There is a lack of political decisiveness and companies are complaining of a dearth of incentives to invest billions in necessary infrastructure. Progress or no progress, taxpayers continue footing the bill. By Frank Dohmen, Alexander Jung, Michael Sauga and Andreas Wassermann more...
The German national team is playing all of its 2012 European Football Championship group games in Ukraine -- two in Lviv and one in Kharkiv. In these cities beyond the borders of the European Union, fans from both Eastern and Western Europe will meet, and the experience could be jarring for some. By Walter Mayr more... [ Forum ]
For the first time in history, Germany issued long term bonds with a zero percent coupon rate on Wednesday. The demand reveals the deep concerns investors have about the euro zone and their desire for a safe place to park their capital -- even if it costs them money to do so. more...
Hitler's polemic "Mein Kampf" has long been a no-go zone for German publishers. But a Munich historical institute is now publishing the first scholarly edition of the book since World War II. In a SPIEGEL interview, project head Christian Hartmann discusses why it is both controversial and necessary. more...
After years of growth, Germany's Left Party is in disarray. Weeks of bitter infighting have weakened the far-left party and now its most important figure Oskar Lafontaine has withdrawn his candidacy for its leadership. German commentators say he alone is to blame for the chaos left behind. more...
The Muslim Brotherhood is the strongest political force in Egypt, which is holding presidential elections this week, yet opinions are divided over the nature of the movement and what it really wants. A visit to Ismailia, the small city on the Suez Canal where the movement began, provides an insight into the Islamists' goals. By Alexander Smoltczyk in Ismailia, Egypt more... [ Forum ]
Charismatic, eloquent and defiant, the leader of Greece's Radical Left party, Alexis Tsipras, visited Berlin on Tuesday to ram home the message that he will scrap austerity if he wins the June election, and that no one, not even mighty Germany, has the right to evict Greece from the currency. By David Crossland more...
The situation has seldom been this serious for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leader is increasingly isolated in Europe because of her rigid austerity policies, while at home, criticism is growing of her decision to fire her environment minister last week. Her new toughness could backfire by making her look unsympathetic to voters, say analysts. By Philipp Wittrock more... [ Forum ]
Germany is Europe's paymaster because it committed the Holocaust, claims a new book by Thilo Sarrazin, a firebrand author and former board member of the German central bank. The claim by the controversial writer achieved the desired effect of stoking publicity for Tuesday's launch of 'Europe Doesn't Need the Euro.' more...
