The Monocle Minute

When you first move to a new country, the intricacies of its electoral system are usually far from your mind (writes Alexei Korolyov). Perhaps you’re still preoccupied with the politics of the place that you left – as I was when I moved from Moscow to Vienna in 2012. Over time, however, you become more invested in your adoptive home and start asking questions about how it’s being run. But in Austria, as in almost every country on Earth, non-citizens are barred from voting in national elections. Is that still fair in an era when more people are living outside their country of birth than ever before?

A growing number of cities – mostly capitals – allow permanent residents to vote in local elections. But many global cities with large populations of working expats, who contribute to the economy and their communities, are holding firm and refusing to give their long-term guests a say in the decisions that shape their lives. Take Vienna, where more than a third of the city’s two-million-plus people are barred from electing the mayor and city council, and will have no say in the elections on 27 April. Vienna’s Social Democratic Party mayor, Michael Ludwig, who is seeking re-election, recently reiterated the mainstream Austrian view. “The right to vote should remain a citizenship right,” he said. For a city that prides itself on its history of multiculturalism and its social-democratic ethos, this is surprisingly restrictive. But it also exposes another tension. If you want to attract foreign talent to your city, as Vienna does, but insist on tying political participation to citizenship, you should make a passport easier to obtain.

In 2024 I attended an urbanism conference in Bratislava. Many of the speakers were mayors and they all made the same simple point. What we experience as real, tangible change – new roads, schools, hospitals – almost always happens at the local level. Logically, those changes should reflect the needs of everyone living in an area. But that will never happen unless voting rights are extended to as many law-abiding, tax-paying residents as possible. Globalisation needs this vote of confidence.

Korolyov is Monocle’s Vienna correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

France’s largest hospitality company, Accor, is making moves in India (writes Simon Bouvier). Yesterday it announced a partnership with Indian conglomerate Interglobe and an ambitious target of 300 hotels in the country under Accor brands by 2030. The French group is seeking to position itself as India’s top hotel operator and overtake the current market leader, Marriott.

“The mistake that we made was to think that we could grow in India by opening one office in Mumbai and another in New Delhi,” Accor’s CEO, Sébastien Bazin, told French business daily Les Echos. “In reality, there are about 20 cities with a population of more than five million people, which requires the deployment of teams that understand each environment.” India has one of the fastest-growing middle classes in the world and domestic travel continues to gather steam. To keep pace, Accor plans to triple the size of its location-scouting team. It’s a big gamble but a smart one.

Germany’s two major centrist parties, the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), have reached a coalition deal unusually quickly following February’s elections (writes Chris Cermak). The urgency was partly due to a tumultuous global outlook and the resurgence of Germany’s far-right. With a deal in place, Friedrich Merz, the chancellor in waiting, says that he hopes to rebuild a “strong, confident country”. Here are three questions facing the new government.

How will Germany respond to US tariffs?
For the moment, Germany prefers talking to retaliating. This might prove a smart move, considering Donald Trump wants to negotiate with national leaders rather than the European Commission in Brussels. But Merz is a one-time transatlanticist who has recently soured on the US and Trump. He’ll have to find the right doses of strength and deference in dealing with the mercurial president.

What does the coalition mean for German industry and defence?
The country’s politicians did the heavy lifting on this ahead of the coalition deal. A constitutional reform measure that was passed in March eases Germany’s debt brake and allows the incoming government to spend hundreds of billions of euros on infrastructure and defence. Next, Merz and co need to act. The goal, says SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil, is the “systematic modernisation of our country”.

Can the new coalition lead the continent?
Merz says that “Europe can rely on Germany” once again. This is particularly significant at a time when the continent is beset with major global challenges, from Russian aggression to US tariffs. To lead, Germany will have to stop the infighting that characterised its previous government. Both coalition party leaders say that they have built a “basis of trust” – the first step towards strong German leadership.

Eurostar’s near-30-year monopoly on the Channel Tunnel route could soon be coming to an end (writes Carlota Rebelo). Italy’s state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Italiane) has announced plans to invest €1bn in a new high-speed link between London and Paris. A collaboration between FS Italiane and Spanish rail operator Evolyn, the service is on track for launch by 2029. Earlier this year the UK’s Gemini Trains and the Virgin Group also expressed an interest in a cross-Channel service but if FS Italiane manages to stay on schedule, it will be the first to do so.

Since the EU liberalised the high-speed-rail sector nearly 10 years ago, several companies have expanded their services across the continent, offering a reliable and affordable alternative to air travel. The London-Paris train route is among the few stretches in Europe that still lack a choice of operators. Competition will be a boon for passengers. Perhaps Japan Railways might consider bringing some of the shinkansen spirit to the Channel too?

Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper, the duo behind US design practice Stephen Burks Man Made, are bridging the gap between craftsmanship and industrial innovation. Monocle caught up with the pair in Milan to hear about Particulaire, their first collection for US-based brand Calico Wallpaper.

What inspired this wallpaper?
Stephen Burks: We started by looking around our home and asking ourselves, “What do we decorate the rooms with?” The answer was objects from our travels. They tell a story about us and the cultures that we have interacted with.

Malika Leiper: Our travels are a way for us to get closer to acts of making that involve different techniques and materials. In some ways, the Particulaire wallpaper offers a window into our design process.

Where have you sought inspiration?
SB: From all over the world. The gorilla image is from a young man who we met in Rwanda carving wooden figures. But we also took inspiration from Japan, Senegal, the Dominican Republic and even Brooklyn. The elephant watering can is a flea-market find.

ML: The most recognisable character on the wallpaper is the little dragon. It’s a reference to a craft called alebrijes from Oaxaca, where people often draw inspiration from their dreams to create hybrid fantastical animals.

How does it feel to develop such a personal design?
SB: Someone looking at the wallpaper said to me, “I don’t know you but I feel like I do.” I didn’t really think about it that way. It surprised me because I see the design more as a representation of my creative process than an insight into my personal life.

ML: Design is intimate. We’re very transparent people and it felt natural to bring that level of generosity and insight to the wallpaper.

Turbulence makes flying unbearable for some and uncomfortable for all. As bumpy skies become more common, we meet the CEO of an aviation company that’s focused on making flights smoother with groundbreaking turbulence-cancelling technology.