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

And more on why you should vote on March 18 We, the students of Maastricht, have learned to live and love this city.  Even if many of us see it as a stopover on our life paths, a means to our ends, we become the actors who help make this local community shine. Over the months and years we have lived in Maastricht, we have discovered the many challenges this city faces. A majority of us have struggled to find housing, dealt with the overbearing landlord, complained about the l

On Thursday, March 12, the Maastricht Diplomat moderated a Local Elections Debate for the Maastricht municipal council elections. Sponsored by OmniUM and student party NovUM, the debate saw participation from 10 of the 17 parties, with five candidates present being leaders of their lists. They included:  Muun Ubbink  (#6) Socialist Partij, Floris Soeren  (#5) Partij van de Arbeid/Labor Party, Luc Callemijn (#1) GroenLinks, Jules Vaessen (#1) Partij voor de Dieren/Party for th

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th !  Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.  In this last episode, meet Aurele Boesten, 23-year-old co-lead candidate in the 2nd position on the list of the Party for M:OED (‘Maastricht: Open Eerlijk

Vote!  Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th!     Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.     We are already on our eighth episode! Check out the previous ones on our website. Today, we talk with Jo Smeets, from ‘Maastricht van Nu’.  About Jo

Over Jo Maastricht Diplomat (MD): Bent u in Maastricht geboren? Jo Smeets (JS): Ik ben een rasechte ‘sjeng’, ja. MD: Wat betekent het voor u om Maastrichtenaar te zijn? JS: Het woord 'Maastrichtenaar' vind ik al raar. Iedereen die in Maastricht woont, is een Maastrichtenaar. Of je hier nou geboren bent of niet. Ik maak soms wel de grap dat je alleen een ‘sjeng’ bent als je hier geboren bent, maar een Maastrichtenaar is iedereen die hier woont. Ik ben wel trots op mijn stad, n

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about – Oscar Wilde.  Hello! Welcome to our second issue of Loosely Talking, where we reflect on our lives between the cobblestones.  In case you haven't noticed, it’s almost mid March. From the third year onward, many “adult” deadlines start approaching, from planning trips for next year to applying for master’s programs and internships. All stress related events that all have one thing in common. By this point