| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on February 21, 2013, 06:21 PM CET |
| BERSANI'S BET Will the Anti-Berlusconi Triumph in Italy? Few outside Italy are familiar with him and even his compatriots say he's a bore. But polls suggest Social Democrat Pier Luigi Bersani may win this weekend's election on a platform of work and less spectacle that is the antithesis of Silvio Berlusconi. |
| 'GAMBLING AWAY TRUST' Fears Rise of a Berlusconi Resurrection European Parliamentary President Martin Schulz has warned Italians against voting for Silvio Berlusconi in upcoming elections. He joins a growing list of leaders who are wary of the return of "Il Cavaliere." The worry is particularly pronounced in the financial world. |
| TEST FOR NATO US Plans Mini-Force in Post-2014 Afghanistan Officially, the West plans to continue helping Afghanistan beyond the conclusion of the NATO mission at the end of 2014. But the US is planning a massive withdrawal, leaving behind a skeletal force of only 10,000 troops. Washington's allies will have to fill the gaps that result. |
| 'THEY WILL GIVE IN' Turkey Pressures Germany on EU Accession A European commissioner's remark that Germany and France would one day come crawling "on their knees" begging Turkey to join the EU has miffed Berlin and thrilled Ankara. As German Chancellor Merkel prepares for a visit to Turkey, the country is pushing for concessions. |
| THE FLOOD? Western Europe Fearful of Eastern Immigration British, French and German politicians are all sounding the alarm. In 2014, Romanian and Bulgarian citizens will be given free movement within Europe's labor market. They are concerned about a wave of immigration, yet most of those who want to head west likely already have. |
| ABYSS OF UNCERTAINTY Germany's Homemade Nuclear Waste Disaster Some 126,000 barrels of nuclear waste have been dumped in the Asse II salt mine over the last 50 years. German politicians are pushing for a law promising their removal. But the safety, technical and financial hurdles are enormous, and experts warn that removal is more dangerous than leaving them put. |
| UKRAINIAN POWER STRUGGLE Tymoshenko Threatened with Life in Prison Yulia Tymoshenko is already serving a seven-year prison sentence for abuse of office during her term as Ukraine's prime minister. Now public prosecutors in Kiev are gearing up for a second trial that could extend Tymoshenko's sentence to life. This time, the charge is murder. |
| 'LIQUID DEMOCRAZY' Pirate Party Sinks amid Chaos and Bickering Germany's Pirate Party is falling apart. Instead of finally beginning work on their election platform, leaders of the Internet-freedom party are fighting among themselves instead. By SPIEGEL Staff |
| PICTURE THIS Despair in Damascus |
