Julia van de Boel, Author at Shaping Europe

The politics of time

Posted on 24 October 2024
by Julia van de Boel

Time, trains and time zones. It’s that time of year again: the leaves are turning brown, trees are becoming bare, evenings are getting shorter, and the clocks go back an hour. This yearly ritual results in the same discussions and questions every time again: on…

Culture and Sports

Nazi-looted art: current developments

Posted on 10 September 2024
by Julia van de Boel

Current affairs on the restitution of looted art from World War II. During World War II, art in Europe was unlawfully appropriated on a large scale. Many Jewish victims were forced to sell their art at extremely low prices, or it was outright stolen. Numerous…

Elections

Profile of EU member Cyprus: A Political Puzzle

Posted on 30 April 2024
by Julia van de Boel

Cyprus: a divided country. Cyprus is an island geographically located in Asia but considered part of Europe due to its political and cultural affiliations and history. According to Greek mythology, it is the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite, and Nicosia is its capital. The island…

Drie steden, één parlement: een unieke zetelverdeling - Shaping Europe

Elections

Three cities, one parliament: a unique distribution of seats

Posted on 25 April 2024
by Julia van de Boel

The locations of the European Parliament, and the discussions regarding them. Although members of the European Parliament meet in Brussels most of the time, they also have to travel to Strasbourg for four days each month for plenary sessions. This is, in fact, the official…

Climate and Sustainability

Climate emergency under the Arctic Circle

Posted on 29 February 2024
by Julia van de Boel and Sabine Herder

The dual threat of climate change to Europe's last indigenous people. Climate change affects us all. Both the effects of climate change itself, and the measures that need to be taken to deal with it affect our lives. However, some groups are hit harder by…

Countries and Regions

The Sámi: Indigenous lands in Europe

Posted on 6 February 2024
by Julia van de Boel

The land rights of the Sámi over their traditional territories. Discussions about Indigenous communities and their rights often feel like a world away for Europeans. We hear about it from countries like Australia and the United States, or it comes up when discussing the rain…

De groene wereld van botanische tuinen - Shaping Europe

Climate and Sustainability

The green world of botanical gardens

Posted on 21 November 2023
by Julia van de Boel

The history and current role of botanical gardens, and the mutual cooperation between them. Exotic plants that you normally never see, the sweet smell in the tropical greenhouses or the special style of a Japanese garden. These are the views that surround you in botanical…

Fossielen als roofkunst? - Shaping Europe

Culture and Sports

Fossils as looted art?

Posted on 5 October 2023
by Julia van de Boel

The position of fossils in the debate about looted art. Looted art is a subject that has received increasing attention over the past few decades. Often this involves art objects that were taken from colonies and have since resided in European museums. There also exists…