The Monocle Minute

A few hundred neo-Nazi protesters walking through the heart of Germany’s capital formed part of the backdrop to Sunday’s federal elections. Berlin is used to demonstrations but what’s new is the far-right’s confidence. It was apparent to me, coming face to face with this protest in Berlin, that this group is comfortable voicing its opinion; the counter-demonstrators that watched and jeered from the sidelines are the ones feeling cornered. Far-right sympathies become even louder as you leave the capital – and at the polls. It was clear from the early exit polls that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) came second in Sunday’s federal elections. Its leader, Alice Weidel, disavows neo-Nazi groups and insists that she’s part of the mainstream, buoyed by a meeting in Munich with US vice president JD Vance and the backing of Elon Musk. This year, for the first time, she took part in televised debates with the mainstream Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Greens.

The only party that outperformed the AFD is the conservative Christian Democrats, winners of Sunday’s election. Their leader, Friedrich Merz, is likely to be Germany’s next chancellor and has tried to answer voter frustrations with a hard line on migration; he even cooperated with the AFD in attempting to pass a law stopping asylum seekers earlier this year. Merz has vowed not to form a coalition government with the AFD, whom he accuses of Nazi sympathies. But he’s also distrusted by the left-leaning Social Democrats and Greens. This promises difficult coalition negotiations ahead, as Sunday’s results leave no party able to govern on its own.

All this puts Germany on a rocky and tumultuous path. The post-war consensus-building tradition, which had been a bulwark against the sort of populism seen in other nations, is nearing its end. Even if Germany’s centrists refuse to work with the AFD, they will nevertheless have to find ways to form a strong government that regains voters’ trust. This matters for Europe too. After JD Vance admonished the continent in Munich, it’s clear that the bloc needs a confident centre that fights for European values and provides an alternative narrative to the far-right.

Christopher Cermak is Monocle’s senior news editor. Tune in to Monocle Radio for more on the German election results. Or subscribe to Monocle so that you never miss a beat.

In my law-student days I would often visit Amsterdam’s storied 17th-century Palace of Justice to watch high-profile trials unfold (writes Stefan de Vries). Rosewood Hotels is currently transforming the palace into a high-end destination and a beacon of luxury in a city where the calibre of places to bed down for the night is very much on the up. Yet amid all of this growth, Amsterdam’s hoteliers and restaurateurs are complaining about a dearth of hospitality workers.

The Dutch capital, once a culinary backwater, has blossomed into one of Europe’s most extravagant destinations. But in this city of multiple Michelin-starred kitchens and €1,000-per-night stays, a strong culture of service has seemingly petered away. The coronavirus pandemic only worsened the industry’s woes, sending skilled staff into other sectors, many never to return. Rosewood has entered this tricky market with a bold hiring strategy, offering four-day weeks, schedules tailored to staff and relocation perks. It underscores the importance of attracting talent and the challenges facing the Netherlands, where job vacancies far outnumber willing candidates. You just can’t get the staff nowadays.

Forget the Oscars – Japan’s 13th annual Stationery Shop Awards have been announced (writes Ryuma Takahashi). About 1,000 items were nominated and analysed by a committee of aficionados. This is big news here in Japan, the spiritual home of stationery, where everything from pencils to desk calculators are taken seriously. The awards’ brief is simple: to identify whose products are the most functional and best designed.

The Grand Award was won by the humble Pilot Kire-na Highlighter, priced at ¥300 (€1.90). This nifty pen has two nibs of differing sizes, quick-drying ink to help you avoid smudges and a clever, flat thumb plate to steady your hand on even the grainiest pages. Elsewhere, a Kori Jirushi stamp series picked up an award for innovation. Its transparent design allows you to see exactly where you’re making your mark, whether the graphic you have chosen is of a squirrel or a flowing ribbon. Congratulations to the winners.

Monocle has visited its fair share of Tokyo stationery shops to stock our bureau in the city and pick up gifts for colleagues across the globe. Here are three of our favourites:

1. Ginza Itoya
   Tokyo’s best-known stationery shop has a vast plot in Ginza. It features a gift-wrapping station, a Note Couture section (where customers can design their own notebook), a writing corner for shoppers to pen and post letters, and the Memory Tailor, who can transform your phone snaps into a photo album.
   ito-ya.co.jp

2. Think of Things
   Founded by stationery manufacturers Kokuyo, this concept shop in Tokyo’s Sendagaya neighbourhood is housed in a three-storey building with a café, a leafy garden and a studio space. The top floor is taken up by the offices of Creative Centre.
   think-of-things.com

3. Hands
   It’s part hardware shop and part department store but defies easy categorisation. A Shibuya and Tokyo institution, Hands sells just about everything and is almost universally loved.
   info.hands.net/en/

Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh has been selected to carry out a large-scale redevelopment of the British Museum’s Western Range galleries, which make up about a third of its exhibition space (writes Chiara Rimella). Ghotmeh’s Paris-based studio was chosen from a pool of more than 60 applicants, beating the likes of David Chipperfield and Oma. Ghotmeh’s proposal for the museum won praise for its approach to studying the building’s past. Renderings suggest that the project will evoke the appearance of an archaeological dig by employing generous amounts of natural materials, including Portland stone left over from the museum’s construction in 1852.

In recent years the museum has come under intense scrutiny for the provenance of its collections, at a time when many cultural institutions are grappling with the question of what to do with their often ill-gotten antiquities. Ghotmeh’s final design, which will be submitted in 2026, will hopefully provide an opportunity to reflect on the museum’s difficult history, while inviting visitors to dig into its collection.

For more on Ghotmeh, read our report on the Hermès workshop that she designed, which ran in Monocle issue 169. Pick up a copy today.

UK designer Clare Waight Keller wasn’t the obvious choice to become Uniqlo’s first global creative director. Keller had stints at high-fashion houses such as Chloé and Givenchy under her belt but a collaboration with Uniqlo in Tokyo made her reconsider her place in the industry. Here, Monocle asks her about her leap from haute couture to high-street style. To read the full interview, pick up a copy of Monocle’s February issue today.

Why Uniqlo?
I have always taken quite surprising moves in my career. I know that I’m only on this planet for a short period so I just want to make my time on it as interesting as possible. The brand is so well loved and it is also one of the few high-street labels known for innovation. For me, that was the big draw.

A lot of luxury customers rely on Uniqlo for their wardrobe basics. Is our definition of luxury changing?
There is a real need for well-made, well-priced pieces such as Uniqlo’s Airism T-shirts or cashmere jumpers. I’ve been buying Uniqlo cashmere for 10 years and it’s a great product. It lasts so long – all you need to do is maybe add a new colour or a slightly different proportion.

Is Asia setting the global fashion agenda?
People tend to take a blanket approach to Asia. The general trope is that it’s solely a source of cheap manufacturing, which isn’t true any more. There’s so much understanding and appreciation of technology’s potential there. Products receive a lot of care during the development stages in Asia so the region tends to be more open-minded and experimental.

This week on The Stack we speak with Amy Wislocki, editor of celebrated wine magazine Decanter. Plus: the winners of Japan’s Stationery Awards and Monocle’s new café and shop in Paris.