Affairs
Page 183
Europe
What should be on the UK government’s agenda (Brexit aside) and Austria’s provocative foreign minister.
The time is now
It’s time to consider the role of the diplomat and the use of wining and dining in soft power. Plus, our Travel Top 50, a tempting gift guide and plenty of potted plants.
Power play
Monocle’s annual Soft Power Survey charts the strengths and weaknesses of national brands and the changing landscape of cultural influence. How do the hard truths of politics affect nations’ softer sides?
A new leaf
Want to spruce up your barren balcony or bare window box? Look no further as we round up the most luscious – and adventurous – botanical offerings for the home and garden.
Observation
Tyler Brûlé sees parallels between Denmark’s ‘hygge’ and investment – both financial and emotional – in Christmas.
Lashings of schlager
What is ‘schlager’? Our Culture editor, smelling faintly of beer and with party music still ringing in his ears, has emerged from Dortmund’s Grosse Westfalenhalle with the answer. Boom!
Work flow
The Netherlands’ fourth-largest city is attracting young entrepreneurs in droves. They come for a slower pace of life and to work in one of Europe’s friendliest and best-connected mini hubs.
Canada special: get your skates on
Ice hockey is Canada's national obsession and junior hockey is where the dream of going pro is closest to being realised. Monocle Films heads to London, Ontario, to meet the fans supporting the puck…
Beat a retreat
The Canadians’ love of cottage country is more than a lifestyle choice: it’s a way of linking to that vast landscape and being part of the nation.
