Debate among citizens about society’s functioning is a core attribute of the public sphere. Yet with the onset of recent crises across Europe—including health emergencies, economic insecurity, and border porosity—the significance of the public sphere appears to be increasing in some societies while declining in others. More information on how Read more…
Information around the world has become increasingly decentralised, making it easier than even to disseminate it. Consequently, the risks of increased decentralisation have become apparent; the ease of disseminating false information online has allowed fake news to become a dominant force in the public debate. The endemic nature of fake Read more…
176 women were killed in the first 169 days of 2021, in Turkey. Most of these women were killed by their husbands or partners in their own houses. Data from 2020 shows that the situation can get much worse: of the 300 women killed in 2020, 97 were murdered by Read more…
The climate crisis began to take precedence in an international context with the dawn of the new millenia. Global warming and climate change quickly became commonplace in the vernacular of political debate, along with the blossoming notion of sustainability. As the years stretched on and little effective solution was achieved, Read more…
In March 2021, France’s senate passed a significant amendment to an already controversial bill. This amendment bans the wearing of hijab by any minor, or by women who accompany their children on school trips. France, and by extension Western Europe, has long grappled with the issue of public displays of Read more…
2020 was without a shadow of a doubt one of the most challenging years in the history of the European Union (‘EU’), with the COVID-19 pandemic relegating even the interminable Brexit process to secondary importance. Events and traditions that had not been interrupted since the Second World War ground to Read more…
Taken from the executive summary of Alex Weltin’s research project undertaken as part of the Australian National Internships Program. Link to the full report available below The German meat industry has long been known for the precarious conditions under which its production employees are working. The affected workers are almost Read more…
When looking at abortion, it seems to me a personal choice that is highly politicised. In late October, a ruling in Poland’s highest court resulted in an almost total ban of abortion within the country. As a half-Polish woman living in Australia, who stands proudly in her beliefs that women Read more…
The year is 2020. I am completing the final year of my Bachelor’s Degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the Australian National University (ANU). This semester I have been part of the Australian National Internships Program (ANIP), paired with the ANU Centre for European Studies and had to produce Read more…
On 7 July, riots broke out on the streets Belgrade following the Serbian government’s announcement of strict lockdown measures in the country. While the prospect of re-entering lockdown is certainly a frustrating development for Serbians, their response is a reaction to a culmination of anti-democratic behaviour from President Aleksander Vučić Read more…