Affairs
Amsterdam’s rebel mayor on sex, drugs and tourists
Femke Halsema, the Dutch capital’s first female mayor, doesn’t shy away from radical yet rational policymaking. Here she tells us how she aims to take drug distribution out of criminal hands and cut overtourism.
Latest in Monocle Radio
Latest
Why are Finns enlisting in the military?
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Finns are learning to fight, mindful of their country’s 1,300km border with its bellicose eastern neighbour.
Berlin’s Eternithaus returns to its roots
Once one of the showpiece buildings in a vast mid-century exhibition, the Eternithaus has been restored and part-converted into hospitality venue Fulds.
The €70,000 bikes are helping German athletes to make faster tracks
Can we ride one of their speedy inventions? Er, no.
Interview: Vattenfall’s Anna Borg on navigating global energy challenges
We meet the CEO of Vattenfall, who understands that fuelling change in the energy industry requires a positive outlook.
Noise pollution is an urban racket: why our cities need a bit of shush
The hum of engines, chatter of crowds and beeps of digital devices in our cities are often equated with success. Yet, in this pursuit of growth, we might be undervaluing one of urban living’s…
The Netherlands is re-establishing its tank battalion as it gears up to face increasing world threats. Europe should take heed of its warning
In a major volte-face, the Netherlands has decided to re-tank its military a mere decade after selling its entire mechanised fleet to Finland. The move speaks volumes about Europe’s rapidly changing security landscape and…
Opinion
Egypt and Turkey seek to repair long-severed ties. Will Hamas stand between them?
2 min read
If even Switzerland is re-examining its neutrality in light of Russian aggression, there’s no excuse for the rest of the fence-sitters
Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine was the kind of thing that should have been a clarifying, pick-a-side moment: a European democracy was invaded and terrorised by a revanchist autocracy for no good reason. Russia’s…
