Dear Reader, welcome back to your Sunday Summary! This week, we focus on the United States and the major left-wing wins. Ballots were sent in Virginia, New Jersey, California, Texas, and New York City. California and Texas voted on amendments, whilst the East Coast side elected new federal offices. Proposition 50,  approved by California voters, allows the state legislature to redraw California’s U.S. House districts until after the 2030 Census. This amendment is predicted t

Nations insisting on investing in a temporary medicine for a deadly disease is how to best describe current climate change policy. However, instead I urge for us to focus on a solution for the structural origins of the climate change issue. It ’s as if we are prescribing medication to an obese person who wants to lose weight and expect this is all that's necessary. Whereas the more effective and preventative solution would be to exercise and eat well. This same logic applies

It’s a wrap! Legislative elections took place on October 29, 2025, and it is time for us to summarize everything you must know about the outcome of the vote. You can easily get lost when looking at the winners, losers, surprise outsiders, and seeing a Parliament in such a fragmented  state…  To help us understand more about these results, we explored press articles and analyses. Also, on election night, a team of Maastricht Diplomat journalists attended the Studio Europa  eve

On October 29, 2025, the French Senate passed a bill introducing the notion of consent into national law, marking a major reform of the country’s approach to sexual violence. The legislation now defines consent as “ free and informed, specific, prior, and revocable, ”  and clarifies that silence or lack of resistance cannot be interpreted as consent. This means that now, under the French Penal Code, any sexual act without such consent will constitute sexual assault. This refo

From the womb, our mothers cry out with joy Happy at the thought of having a daughter  For their silent prayers have been heard  To have someone to hold dear   And the fathers who look forward to having a daughter Shout like a town crier on the street Others watch, a fool they all think he is  But they know what they seek A daughter, a symbol of riches, love and blessings – No lies have been told But daughters, do you know?   Mother and father shout “You are all equal in this

Dear Reader - you have guessed correctly, Sunday Summaries are back in fashion at the Maastricht Diplomat! So, if you would like a recap of the week’s essentials, you are in the right place. This week in particular has been eventful on the international stage with devastating news emerging from Gaza, the Caribbean, and Rio. Additionally, the general elections in the Netherlands have taken place. Read on to learn more about what took place this past week. Violence in Gaza The

Just as the sun rises each morning and sets each evening, the inevitable is upon us. Society is tipping into a critical state. Inequality is growing, democracies are swerving to the extreme right, the environment is collapsing, and the social and political quandaries of today are bigger than ever. Some would say we are moving backwards, with violence and injustice becoming customary, while equality and empathy slowly disappear.  Tragically, countless communities are facing un

Her lungs stung with each breath she took in, the air like needles against her cheeks as she sped over the cobblestones. The sun had long set, the moon had not shown itself that night, and the sky hung heavy, as if smothered under damp wool. With each strong lash of wind leaving her face raw, she clung onto her scarf tighter, slick with mist. She hurried to reach the faculty library in time. The only thing aiding her vision were the streetlights, bleeding their reflection int

Statements of empowerment fuel Western feminism. The “Girl Boss” era left its mark on our culture through a legacy of stories like “Legally Blonde”, “Erin Brockovich”, “The Devil Wears Prada”, and “Gilmore Girls”. The protagonists of these stories were always ambitious and driven, working hard to balance their professional and public lives, all on their own. Women are superheroes who can do it all; in most cases, they can do it on their own, too. This culture and representati

Sitting with some friends at the terrace of a GS25 in Hongdae, we were celebrating the end of our midterms with Korean beer and peach soju. Before arriving at a consensus on what to do next - either playing darts at Corner PUB or dancing at MON5 - a Korean man kindly asked to sit with us. Gladly welcoming him, intrigued by the newcomer’s confidence and boldness, we resumed our varied discussions. At first, I didn’t pick up much of what he was saying from across the table, but

It is election day in The Netherlands and I, like many, cannot help but be pessimistic. Only two years ago I found myself in this same place: the voting booth. It was my first time voting for the national elections and, even though I was far from content with the Dutch political situation, I was cautiously optimistic, hoping for improvement. Now I am here again and my cautious optimism has made place for regrettable pessimism. Instead of stability and solutions, we experience

D-1 Tomorrow, Dutch voters will go to the polls for what could be the most decisive legislative elections in recent decades. Indeed, the Netherlands can turn the page on the far right and place the left-wing coalition ahead. On October 29, young voters will head to voting stations, hoping to find solutions to issues that matter most to them. Many students feel a growing gap between political promises and their daily realities. Some candidates try to appeal to the youth, using

Eyes on Iranian Cinema Source:   IMDb, Still from the film Holy Spider, directed by Ali Abbasi (2022). ز گهواره تا گور دانش بجوی Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. Directed by Ali Abbasi   and sadly inspired by real events that took place in Iran in the early 2000s. A thriller set in Mashhad , one of Iran's largest holy cities, a series of crimes targeting sex workers who disappear in the streets at night is rampant. Following these disappearances, a journalist from

French government Lecornu II has made it beyond the one-week goalpost! S é bastien Lecornu´s second attempt as head of government is off to a better start than his first mandate, which ended on October 6, given his voluntary abduction and the consequent dissolution of the government (after 14 hours of effective governance). By accepting a second mandate offered by President Macron on  Friday, Oct. 10, and presenting his cabinet on Sunday, Oct. 12,  Lecornu is the first French

The official government building where the President of the Republic of Chile seats. Photo by Eleonore Dlugosz Donnen, September 2025. This November Chile will hold their presidential elections, a decisive vote for the political future of the country. These significant elections will require all Chileans to vote to elect the successor to current President Gabriel Boric of the Socialist Party. For these presidential elections, the three frontrunners include: Jeannette Jara, Jo

Last June the Dutch demissionary cabinet, then still composed of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) and the Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC), presented a bill  that would criminalise the ‘glorification of terrorism’ as well as any public support shown towards terrorist organisations. Whilst the bill is still in its draft stage and therefore could be amended, dozens of human rights organisations including Amnesty International  and PAX  hav

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moldova's accession to the European Union is no longer just a fraternal project but a vital necessity for the Republic, as well as for the 27 member states of the Union. On July 4, 2025, Chisinau hosted an EU-Moldova summit for the first time, following the Council decision of June 26, 2025. Indeed, recognising Moldova's meritorious efforts to become a member of the European Union, The EUopened the first negotiation clus

Laughter, Clinking, Grief, Silence  As the large entrance in the corner of the room opened, the room filled with the clinking of cutlery...

Journalistic work has become increasingly dangerous in recent decades, with bodily harm becoming a normalised condition for war reporters...

Second Take  The Netherlands heads to the polls again, earlier than expected. If you missed the headlines this summer, you should know...