CITIZENS OF THE EU
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How to Forge a Common European Identity
Many feel that if the EU is to survive, residents of its 27 member
countries need to develop a stronger sense of a common European
identity. But is it even possible to forge a European nation? The
continent's leading thinkers have plenty of ideas, but national
governments are reluctant to give up power.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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'NO IMMEDIATE SOLUTION'
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Merkel Pledges New Fiscal Unity for Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday delivered a speech outlining
her vision for the course Europe must chart to escape the ongoing
sovereign debt crisis. The EU, she said, needs strict new rules to
ensure budgetary discipline across the Continent. But it will take time
to overcome the crisis, she warned.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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A MYSTERIOUS CALM
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Germans Remain Unflappable During Euro Crisis
The euro is teetering, neighboring countries are complaining about
pressure from Berlin, and the German chancellor is rushing from one
crisis summit to another. Typically more anxious, the Germans appear to
be strangely unperturbed amid the furor. What is the root of this new
serenity?
http://www.spiegel.de/
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PREPARING FOR WITHDRAWAL
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German Military Fears Civil War in Afghanistan
Officially, NATO troops in Afghanistan are making progress in the fight
against the Taliban and will be able to hand over security
responsibilities to Kabul as planned in 2014. Unofficially, according to
secret US and German documents revealed in a German daily, military
leaders fear civil war once they depart.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN BONN
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What Afghanistan Really Needs
The international conference on Afghanistan, which begins on Monday in
Bonn, is supposed to convince Kabul that the West will not abandon it
after foreign troops leave in 2014. But if the meeting is to be more
than just a show, the international community needs to abandon its ideas
of imposing Western values on the country.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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NEO-NAZI POLITICS
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Germany Preparing Renewed Effort to Ban the NPD
A past attempt to ban Germany's far-right National Democratic Party
failed, but alleged connections between the party and a murderous
neo-Nazi terror cell have sparked renewed efforts. State interior
ministers reportedly plan to create another proposal for outlawing the
NPD.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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THE WORLD FROM BERLIN
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'Never Before Has the World Been as Close to War with Iran'
The EU tightened sanctions against Iran Thursday, but stopped short of
imposing an oil embargo against the country. Meanwhile, pressure in the
US Congress mounts for stricter penalties on Iran. German commentators
weigh the options against Iran Friday, concluding that none of them are
promising.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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ABANDONED SOVIET OUTPOST
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Glimpses of a Forgotten, Forbidden City
The town of Wünsdorf near Berlin was once the headquarters of the
Soviet military in East Germany and home to some 50,000 soldiers. But
after the Red Army's departure in 1994, the buildings were left to
crumble. One photographer explored the grounds, and was fascinated
by their silent charm.
http://www.spiegel.de/
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Photo Gallery: A Secretive Soviet City in Germany
http://www.spiegel.de/
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PICTURE THIS
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Ice Bound
http://www.spiegel.de/
