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The Euroblogosphere can be seen as a tool towards greater democratisation as i tconstitutes a community of individual citizens sharing information and ideas. Eurobloggers have the potential to become something like a popular lobby, giving voice to the interests and grievances of common Europeans.

Ramil Safarov’s surprise extradition on 31 August 2012 and his immediate pardoning upon arrival to Baku has raised a few intriguing questions not only outside Hungary but inside the country. It shows that Hungary’s current government is prepared to go a long way – if necessary, against fundamental human rights – in order to secure its economic interests.

Will the euro crisis end up in a historic tragedy? Europe’s destiny today, as so often throughout history, lies with Germany. In particular the German Left has a historic responsibility to take an active role in saving the eurozone.

A chain of rapid and unprecedented changes in Hungary’s Higher Education Act have been adopted and implemented recently by the government of Viktor Orbán. The changes share the intention of centralising power and establishing supreme control over all levels of education.

With conventional oil production in decline, the global oil industry is investing heavily in dirtier and riskier forms of oil and also in unconventional resources, such as tar sands, and oil shale. All are difficult and costly to produce, usually more carbon intensive than conventional oil and may have calamitous long-term impacts on the local environment.

The EU is facing a crisis. But this crisis is not only about a currency. When Europe’s citizens are only spectators while governments are taking decisions, democracy is in danger. To reduce this lack of democracy we do need a better election system, effective participation instruments for EU citizens and European referenda. 

Europe finds itself in a crisis. For everyone involved it is clear that a solution to the crisis requires the reduction of economic imbalances. However, it is impossible for the EU to legitimate itself only by its economic value these days. The EU’s economic crisis must be politicized and the EU citizens have to be encouraged to take an active part in a solution.  

Germany, as seen from the perspective of its neighbour Poland, is primarily the engine of the European integration. But at the same time, the German debate on European politics is viewed by the Poles both with some mistrust and the concern that the upcoming euroscepticism and populism signifies the end of Europe’s future. 

Since protests in Syria arose, Western press increasingly deals with the situation of Christians in the country. In most articles they are presented as a threatened minority. The media coverage is likely to promote the picture of an upcoming Islamization in Syria after the fall of Assad.  

More Europe. Conservatives, social democrats, liberals and Green Party members seem to agree that this is the answer to Europe’s financial and debt crisis. We really do need more Europe if we want to make the euro crisis-proof. The exciting question is how. In other words: how much do we want of which Europe?