On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Maastricht welcomed a distinguished visitor. Before traveling on to Brussels for the European Council meeting, Cyprus’s President Nikos Christodoulides stopped at Maastricht University to talk to students and Studio Europa. The venue could hardly have been more symbolic that evening. It was here in 1992 that the Maastricht Treaty was signed, laying the foundation for today’s European Union. More than three decades later, Christodoulides used t

Picture 1: "Greenland Security Agreement Ceremony" “For over 100 years, Presidents have known the strategic importance of Greenland, but NONE of them were able to do anything about it,” posts US President Donald Trump on his own social media platform, Truth Social, on September 18th, only one day after the White House announced a deal with Denmark granting the US a permanent and larger military presence in Greenland. Further down in the post, Trump claims himself “to be the P

A woman helplessly rummages through the remains of others, Searching desperately through the container filled with wasted potential. Her mind screams—scrutinizing the rich and sympathizing with the poor, Sympathizing with her friends, her family. She reaches further down, praying to find a dirty, used piece of cloth. She would be happy to find one. No, not happy—elated. The splitting pain in her head has remained constant, As constant as the reoccurring waves of the ocean. E

In Deep Water “Taxez les riches, pas notre avenir”, “Sois jeune et révolte-toi”, “Moins de répression, plus d’éducation”.* Here are some slogans that were seen over the last few weeks in the student protests that have flooded the streets of France. Since mid-September, dozens of thousands of students have been protesting to claim a better quality of education and better recognition of their rights by the government, and the movement has recently extended to a larger social m

Beaucoup de maux “Taxez les riches, pas notre avenir”, “La jeunesse s’exprime, la police réprime”, “Moins de répression, plus d’éducation”. Voici quelques-uns des slogans observés ces dernières semaines lors des manifestations étudiantes qui ont envahi les rues des villes françaises. Depuis quatre semaines, des dizaines de milliers de lycéens et d’étudiants manifestent pour réclamer une meilleure qualité de l’enseignement et une meilleure reconnaissance de leurs droits par le

The EU has long been criticized for failing at foreign and defence policy. Amid seismic shifts in the global order, Europe hasn’t stepped up to the challenge; it has merely stumbled from one crisis to the next. Clearly, heightened cooperation and the pooling of sovereignty are necessary prerequisites to empowering Europe to compete with other world powers. Thus far, in the crucial field of foreign and defence policy, the EU has failed to do so, a failure underscored by the re

Today I whisper tales of arachnids and mankind, of the forestry and of beauty, Beginning with the misery of a spider, who crawls below and above, seeking shelter in every possible direction. The spider, who shrieks upon the sights of the human, and buries himself within the earth. Each morning is reset once more — the same life, the same deafening fear. The drum of our footsteps echo in his mind, beating louder and louder with every passing minute. His desire to live freely

Image credit: Yuichiro Chino via Getty Images “The only winning move is not to play”. These were the words of investor Michael Burry when talking about the staggering rise of tech companies' stock market values caused by the revolutionary progress and promises of AI. At first glance, hearing the professional investor and former hedge fund manager discourage the general public from investing seems surprising. But Michael Burry is not only known as the cliché of a high-profit-s

The Power of Love “A new science of politics is indispensable to a new world.” There is no doubt that Ursula von der Leyen had a somewhat similar idea to Alexis de Tocqueville’s sentence in Democracy in America, when proposing the “Associate Membership to the European Union” to the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney. © European Union, 2026 Here is what you need to know, in a nutshell, before you start reading this article: On September 16th, in her annual speech on the

I hope I brought out the frozen beef for lunch. “Ma’am … “ I can’t imagine the extra hours I would have to put into our dinner had I not. “Sorry, excuse me ma’am…” Wait, what about the frozen vegetables? I worry, gently rubbing my fingertips against my forehead, smoothing the lines that are starting to form. Voices begin to resound around me, but I can't seem to find where it's coming from. With my hands over my ears, the sounds become muffled. But it’s not enough. I need i

Or: A Letter of Thanks to the Maastricht Diplomat Part 1: 16th September, 2023 On the 29th of August, 2023, 14:30, in the Franz Palmzaal of the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics, Dr. Sascha Hardt briefly mentioned a list of books that first-year students of the LLB in European Law had to acquire for the first period of their studies. A very prepared student asked Dr. Hardt to reiterate the titles, and she took note of them. Many of us took a picture of th

“They made us burn everything we had… documents, clothes, even family photos.” South African recruit on arrival in Russia The recruit had left South Africa months earlier after responding to what he assumed was a legitimate security training offer in Russia. Instead, he was forced into a paramilitary unit and sent to the front lines in Ukraine. He was not alone. Dozens of South Africans, Zimbabweans, and Kenyans described the same manipulation tactics by the Russian milita

Across Europe, undocumented people are increasingly framed as a problem of control, with the discussion often turning into talk about borders and returns. Political discourse often suggests that if reception is reduced, access is restricted, or financial support is withdrawn, undocumented people will simply leave. However, the reality described by social workers in Dutch night shelters tells a different story. When the state withdraws, people do not simply disappear. They bec

Are you a fan of crime series, perhaps even true crime stories? Have you ever watched “True Detective”, “Sherlock”, or maybe even glanced at an episode of “Mindhunter”? If you have, have you ever considered what originally drew you to these shows? These series offer insight into human nature and societal norms, which can change over time. The crime stories depicted often date back decades, making them fascinating to explore. They frequently are modern echoes of past injustic

Dear Reader, if this week’s headlines felt like they were snagging on the same thread, it’s because they were. There is no such thing as a localized crisis anymore. Whether the high-stakes rooms in Tehran or a tense interception in the Mediterranean, the news this week has seemed to circle on one uncomfortable question: How quickly can a fire in one corner of the globe set the rest of the world ablaze? The answer, as we’ve seen over the last seven days, is: instantly. We are

Forty years Todya is January 1, 1986. Spain joins the European Economic Community (EEC) and becomes its twelfth member, joining alongside Portugal. These two countries, barely out of the shadow of dictatorship, integrate into the alliance with the promise of long-lasting democracy. Forty years after the Mediterranean enlargement, Spain is at a crossroads, led by its socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez (image). Between the regularization of 500,000 migrants and its high-

Music and Politics have one essential thing in common: they both permeate and affect our lives every single day. Yet their connection runs deeper than shared ubiquity. My argument here is that listening itself, the act that music trains and politics so often abandons, is a fundamental civic practice. Before one can agree, resist, vote, or dissent, one must first tune in. In an era defined by noise, reaction, and polarization, the most radical act available to us may be the si

In Europe’s eastern periphery, beyond the checkpoints and Soviet monuments of Transnistria, another kind of battle is unfolding: not one fought on front lines by armed adults, but one taking shape in classrooms, youth camps, and spaces meant for education and play. For nearly three decades, the territory temporarily occupied by Russia along Moldova’s eastern border has existed under the effective control of Russia-backed authorities. While the conflict itself, a long-running

Art law is quite an interesting multidisciplinary field. Although it seeks to regulate the protection and sale of artworks, many other branches of the law intervene to facilitate that, such as IP, contract, tax and criminal law. In my previous article A Beginner's Guide to Buying Art, another Maastricht Diplomat exclusive, I have already touched upon the dangers of the art market, which arise from its mystique and its proneness to anonymity: coming across looted art and art m

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello again, Welcome back to Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. So we need to address our absence. After taking 10 days to recover from Kingsday and a week to lock in for the thesis, we are officially back with lovely inspiration to work from! One of which was the amazing FLS Fashion Show that took place on Saturday. We always love to see student cre

Dear reader, Welcome back to your Sunday summary! This week, we’re doing something a little different in honor of Mother’s Day. Instead of doing the normal news report for the last week, we’re going to highlight our members and their maternal figures. The ‘Maastricht Diplomat’ journalists value their moms, who inspire them in their daily lives. Mother’s Day as we know it traces back to 1908 when a woman named Anna Jarvis held a memorial service to honor her late mother. Anna

Dear readers, as another week comes to a close, we are here to share some intriguing news. The school year is slowly wrapping up, and we know deadlines abound (including my own thesis submission, which has led to the delay in publishing; thanks for your patience by the way). To keep things clear and concise, the Maastricht Diplomat is back with another Sunday - or rather in this case, Monday - Summary recapping this week's important news so you can stay informed without havin

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system arrives at Osan Air Base, South Korea, March 6, 2017. Nine years later, components of the same system were transferred from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East. U.S. Air Force photo. Jeremy Larlee. -"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement." On April 8, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stood at the Pentagon podium and declared the objectives of Operat

Uniting food and community, Foodbank is a space full of inspiration. Located at Landbouwbelang (also known as LBB), the coolest non-profit organisation in the Maastricht region promotes sustainability by raising awareness about unnecessary food waste and actively reducing it. Foodbank is a place where everyone is welcome, and where people come together not only to save food and share it with others, but also to cook and enjoy delicious meals made from perfectly good food that

“You know what I fucking did to get back to you? “No.” Grace replies, her voice quiet. “You know what I fucking did— to get back to you? Sam shouts, using a crowbar to destroy the newly renovated kitchen. “You know how he fucking suffered?” Sam rages. “He fucking suffered because of YOU!” he says, pointing fingers at Grace. “And what have you done to my fucking house, my fucking kids, Grace?” In his rage, Sam continues to destroy the kitchen, and Grace's devastated eyes

On April 21, 2026, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum opened a discussion on “Hybrid Threats and Disinformation: The Role of Civil Society in the Armenian Elections” in Brussels. The conference gathered European Union policymakers on one side, represented by MEP Miriam Lexmann, MEP Andrey Kovatchev, and Jan Latal from European Union External Action Services; on the other side civil society representatives, including Lousineh Hakobyan from the NGO Europe in Law Associ

«Je suis fasciné par les orques, car elles sont pleines de mystères.» Ce n’est pas exactement la phrase d’ouverture à laquelle on s’attendrait de la part de Guillaume Meurice lors d’une interview. Laissant de côté la satire politique pour un (petit) moment, nous avons commencé notre interview, donnant immédiatement le ton d’une discussion autour de l’une de ses passions les plus chères : son admiration pour les orques. S’il est encore nécessaire de le présenter: Guillaume Meu

“I am fascinated by orcas, as they are full of mysteries.” This is not exactly the opening line you would expect from Guillaume Meurice during an interview. Leaving political satire on the side for a (little) while, we started our interview, immediately setting the stage for a talk about one of his dearest passions: orcas. For the non-French readers among you, Guillaume Meurice is a 44-year-old comedian, radio host, and author of several essays and novels. He is also an anim

In 2018, a British rock band released a song that sounded less like music and more like a news feed having a breakdown. “Love It If We Made It” by ‘The 1975’ was written as an introspective reflection of the social and political climate happening since 2016. It was not a protest song. It was not a call to action. It was something more unsettling, a shrug dressed up as a scream. “It’s the gem of hope amongst all of the rubble.” - Matty Healy, The 1975 "Love It If We Made It"

This week I have overheard numerous conversations about King’s Day. I was asked what my plans were although I’m working and I don’t mind missing out on most of the festivities. The only thing I’d be interested in is the flea markets in the park in front of the library. This section of the park is called Monseigneur Nolenspark. Who was he? How do I feel about this remembrance? Who would I like to remember instead? A Dutch classmate is going to Amsterdam to celebrate King’s

In our ever changing society, we have fallen in line with viewing the Middle East through a very narrow lens. This lens is deeply problematic. Governments, particularly U.S.-backed states like Israel, have long shaped policies directly impacting the lives of citizens in the region. Additionally, Western outlets tend to portray citizens as enemies and reduce lived human experiences to mere statistical numbers. As students, we are introduced to a variety of perspectives of the

Maastricht is a large student city, with 23.000 students coming here to study, live, and shape daily life. However, when it comes to political representation, this reality translates into few seats at the municipal table. In 2022, only 7% of municipal councillors in the Netherlands were under 30. The average councillor was over 50. Therefore, students are hardly represented in daily local politics. This matters. Decisions on housing, mobility, safety, and public spaces direct

“I still think about our revolution in 2018 when all Sudanese people were on the streets, united against Omar al-Bashir. The most beautiful was the sit-in on April 6, 2019, outside the General Command headquarters. We were all in the square. I remember people saying this was the future of Sudan.” — Musa, age 40, from Khartoum We are living in a day and age where some are granted the privilege to remain ignorant, while others suffer daily. If you belong to the former category

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello, welcome back to our eighth edition of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. We wanted to avoid this topic, but living in Maastricht, it’s impossible to ignore. Today, we’re talking about dating. More specifically, the syndrome that seems to have struck us all. There must be something scientifically wrong with Maastricht. One would think that with t

One of the grandest love letters to the city of Venice can be found at The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF) 2026. Though a month has passed since the event, conversation and sharing of impressions of those who have had the chance to attend continue to stir. Through painting and illustration, the highly anticipated annual art fair walked its patrons through squares, canals, and centuries. It became a beguiling invitation to those who have never been, and a chance to fondly reme

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello, welcome back to Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. Let’s be real – even though the cobblestones are beautiful, they can get boring. This is a transcript of a conversation we had with Maastricht during a late night at LBB [ We are sitting on the couches, complaining about Maastricht, when all of a sudden they appeared – SHIT] Us: Oh, hey Maastri

Happy Easter Monday: Splash! For those living in Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, this week started with many of them getting soaked— and not because of the rain. In many Slavic cultures, Easter Monday holds a long-standing tradition of Wet Monday (Śmigus Dyngus/Oblievačka). The practice of Wet Monday has its roots and diverse pasts in Slavic pagan cultures and practices. Nowadays, the core of Wet Monday is splashing water on those around you, and many families continue to part

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello! Welcome to our sixth issue of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. Happy Easter! We hope you ate loads of chocolate in-between egg hunts and time in the sun! While preparing today’s column, we (for the first time), entered into a full-blown disagreement. Who has better chocolate? Celia insists the Belgians do, while Ella defends the Germans. Here i

From constitutional battles to street protests and from anti-corruption crackdowns to diplomatic equilibrium, the Western Balkans remain a region where politics never stand still. This week once again shows how closely domestic reforms, identity debates, and regional tensions are tied to a shared ambition: joining the European Union. But as governments push forward, internal divisions, public distrust, and unresolved historical disputes continue to shape the pace and the limi

Whilst the current crisis in Iran has demonstrated that geography is a strategic asset in times of conflict – with the Strait of Hormuz bringing global energy trade to a standstill when it was closed – this strategic chokepoint is, unfortunately, not the only one threatening what little stability appears to remain in the region. Another strategic point could be held hostage, but this time extending the conflict zone beyond the Gulf States to include the countries of the Horn

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello! Welcome to our fifth issue of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. Welcome to April! What better way to kick it off than with a celebration that demands no budget, no family dinner, no formal outlet. All you need is a little sense of humor and some imagination to make someone's day a little brighter or worse… April Fools' Day is our kind of celebr

Welcome to the new six part series here at the Diplomat, called Democracy Dismantled . My name is Ella Leffler, I am a third year UCM student studying international relations and philosophy. As a German-American, the history and state of U.S. politics has frustrated me for as long as I can remember taking an interest in politics. The past year however, has been especially angering. Donald Trump has facilitated a multitude of domestic and especially international violations,

in the back of my mind there’s a door big hardwood door painted white, cracks in its paint a testament of time that’s passing by. the door left ajar, invites to a storage-like room, where one can stop by and think of all the things that lay covered in dust, present, and past, in my mind’s labyrinth of tall, standing shelves. on one shelf, there’s a home: cozy and warm, parental love, filled with laughter, music, and games, blankets and hugs, kisses goodnight, my duvet tight;

As the war in Iran is now into its fourth week, concerns are growing that this could pull Europe and in particular the Netherlands, into economic instability. According to a report by the Atlantic Council , Europe’s decision to move away from using Russia’s pipelines for oil following the war on Ukraine in 2022 is now putting pressure on Europe to find other means of refilling their reserves. Even though the war unfolding in Iran might seem distant to students in Maastricht,

Life feels like it’s passing by in a blur— where has time gone? With exam season luring me into a constant schedule of studying, university work had me in a chokehold. It was a practical one week, a project the next and a proposal to write the day after— it had me occupied. So occupied that my unread messages had been piling into one big, giant list. Friends whom I had the time to meet so much last year, suddenly were the very people I only see weeks after. On top of that, th

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello! Welcome to our fourth issue of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. On March 29, the clocks will leap forward one hour, marking the start of daylight savings aka the best time of the year! As we welcome the season of longer daylight, warmer weather, and more time in the park with friends, we can’t help but feel how sudden this has all come on. It

The results of the 2026 municipal elections in Maastricht reveal a significant change to the city's political landscape. Voters reshuffled the balance of power, paving the way for coalition talks that will determine policy for the next four years. These elections will directly impact daily life in Maastricht, affecting everything from student housing to cultural spaces and urban mobility. Following the ‘Visions for Maastricht’ Editions, it is interesting to examine the outco

This was a week in which the weight of the world was felt with particular acuity. Three separate major theatres of conflict, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Ukraine, each produced developments of serious consequence, while diplomacy struggled to keep pace with events on the ground. Amid it all, quieter evidence emerged that collective action can bend the arc of history toward progress. The Kabul Hospital Stri ke The most grievous event of the week was the destruction of

Eyes on South Korean Cinema IMDb, still from Lady Vengeance by Park Chan-wook. (2005). 여자가 한을 품으면 서리가 내린다 If a woman harbors han, frost will fall “The concept of han (한) has been invoked as crucial to understanding the Korean character. A supposedly untranslatable term, it denotes a uniquely Korean sense of profound sorrow, regret, resentment, rage and other negative emotions that are all bound up inside an individual as well as the people as a whole. It has been clai

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde. Hello! Welcome to our third issue of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones. Yesterday, TEFAF closed its doors. For those who don't know, The European Fine Art Fair is one of the most prestigious art fairs in the world and it happens right here in our beloved Maastricht. Conveniently, or rather inconveniently, it takes place in the MECC: the very same venue