Eurovision and Olympics: can culture be separated from politics?
As the Olympic Games and Eurovision once again claim political neutrality, ongoing wars, selective bans, and public protests expose how fragile that statement really is. By comparing the IOC’s and EBU’s inconsistent decisions on participation, this article questions whether events built on national representation can ever be apolitical — and whether continuing to pretend so only deepens public distrust.
Blame it on the Newcomers: Who is really to blame for the Dutch housing crisis?
In the Netherlands, finding a place to live has become harder than getting admitted to university. As politicians point to international students as part of the problem, the real question remains: is the housing crisis caused by the people arriving, or by the houses that were never built?
The Rise of the “Instagram Face”: When Beauty Becomes a Template
Scroll through Instagram long enough and the faces begin to blur together. The same lips, the same cheekbones, the same sculpted jawline. In the age of the “Instagram face,” beauty is no longer about individuality — it’s about fitting the algorithm.
Malta Pays Drivers €25,000 to Quit — But the Traffic Keeps Coming
Malta’s latest transport policy offers €25,000 to drivers who surrender their licence, but many argue the scheme risks becoming an expensive distraction from the island’s deeper traffic crisis.
What It’s Really Like to Run a JA Company at 16
Running a company at sixteen may sound unrealistic, yet the Junior Achievement Company Programme proves that young people are capable of building real businesses when given the opportunity. What began as a classroom project quickly became an immersive lesson in entrepreneurship, teamwork, and leadership. From building a brand and pitching on television to representing Malta at Europe’s largest youth entrepreneurship festival, the experience showed me that entrepreneurship is not just about ideas, it is about adaptability, responsibility, and the courage to turn solutions into reality.
Euroconsumers Start Talking Webinar — Teens Take On Digital Fairness (My Experience on the Panel)
Teenagers from across Europe came together in a Euroconsumers webinar on digital fairness to discuss the internet we grew up with and the responsibility of navigating it today. As a panelist, I joined the conversation to challenge assumptions, question systems, and bring forward the realities young people actually experience online.
Can Thrifting Really Combat Overconsumption?
Let me ask you a question: How many articles and videos have you seen in recent years promoting sustainable fashion that encourages thrifting? But then you see videos featuring the...
Was Timothée Chalamet actually wrong about opera and ballet?
Let us pause for a moment: Timothée Chalamet’s remark on opera and ballet was not just provocative, but strangely loaded, coming from someone raised so close to that world. Delivered with a smirk, it sounded less like observation and more like dismissal. That is precisely what makes the comment — and the backlash to it — worth examining.
The Canadian Establishment: How Elite Networks Shape Democratic Power
Peter C. Newman’s The Canadian Establishment examined how elite networks shape political and economic power. Nearly fifty years later, its insights still resonate in modern democracies.