austerity measures - The Chronikler

Tunisia: Freedom and the pursuit of unhappiness

With greater freedom has come greater unhappiness in Tunisia. Behind this apparent paradox is economic hardship and nostalgia for a past that never was.

Egypt: When the opium of football sharpens the pain of existence

Instead of acting as a pain killer for a traumatised country of heroes treated like zeroes, the World Cup has provided a painful reminder to Egyptians seeking escapism of just how desperate their situation is.

Egypt: 21st-century plagues threaten the country’s survival

While the Egyptian regime battles for its survival, Egypt itself may not survive as a viable state, as it faces a ‘plague’ of potentially crippling environmental, economic and social challenges.

How can refugees invade Europe without invaders?

Any objective observer can see that the refugees of today are not the invaders of history. So why are so many Europeans afraid of refugees?

The poverty epidemic in Greece

“They may have the money, but we have each other,” insists the cook who feeds Athens’ poor. “This is not philanthropy, this is the natural human state.”

The concealed links between Israel’s “invisible” citizens

An electoral campaign video targeted at Israel’s “invisible” poor unwittingly highlights the long-neglected links between Mizrahi Jews and Arabs.

Greece and the euro – a Trojan tragedy

The Greeks are putting a new spin on the legend of Troy by snubbing the fattest gift horse they’re likely to get from the weary euro club.

Feeling Europe’s pain

All is not well in the old world of organisational paternity, job security and economic rationality. But the silver lining is that we have millions of virtual ‘friends’ to feel our pain.