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Inside Europe: The inside take on European affairs 16.01.10
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Croatia's new president sets his sights on EU membership
There's a new man at the helm of Croatia. Ivo Josipovic won over sixty percent of votes in presidential elections last Sunday.
He's a composer of classical music and a law professor and had been criticised for lacking charisma. But his reputation for decency and his promise to eradicate corruption struck a chord with frustrated Croatian voters. One of Mr Josipovic's main tasks will be guiding Croatia towards membership of the European Union. Mark Lowen has the details. Is La Grand Nation losing its sense of identity?
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a series of town-hall style debates around the country on the question of French identity.
He says the meetings will help to clarify and reaffirm the nation’s values in an age of mass immigration and rapid globalization. But critics say the debates are useless and divisive, and call them a thinly veiled ploy to win over right wing voters. Eleanor Beardsley has this report from Paris. Switzerland fights up uphill battle against reckless skiers
There have been heavy snowfalls across Europe leading many to predict a winter of avalanches. In Switzerland there have already been numerous avalanches, including one in which the rescue doctor died and another triggered by off piste skiers.
Now the Swiss authorities believe a "no risk no fun" mentality among some skiers and snow boarders is adding to the danger. And they're looking at ways to deter irresponsible behaviour on the slopes. Imogen Foulkes has been finding out more. The big freeze precipitates a fashion faux pas
The big freeze here in Europe means everyone's been digging out winter woollies from the back of their wardrobes.
Keeping warm is more of a priority than looking good as we hear in this Postcard from London by Carol Allen. The role of religion in Georgia
People in the former Soviet republic of Georgia have been celebrating the Orthodox Christian New Year. The Georgian Orthodox Church is the most respected institution in the country.
But it's become a focus for political controversy amid a scandal over satirical videos criticising the Church’s leader, Patriarch Ilia the Second. A small minority of liberals has suggested that the Orthodox Church now exerts too much influence over Georgian society. But many Georgians see the Patriarch’s authority as unquestionable. Matthew Collin sent this report from the capital, Tbilisi. The Irish find there's a hefty price to pay for blasphemy
The Irish are having to watch what they write and say about religion these days. A new law came into force on New Year's Day which makes blasphemy a crime that can result in a fine of to 25,000 euros.
The new law is an amendment of a defamation law dating back to 1961. And a group called Atheist Ireland has begun a campaign to have it repealed. The group's spokesperson Michael Nugent told Helen Seeney more about the new blasphemy law. Will the man who shot the last Pope make a killing in book deals?
The man who shot the late Pope, John Paul II, is scheduled to be released next week after nearly 30 years in prison.
Mehmet Ali Agca, a former far-right gangster, served 19 years in an Italian prison for the 1981 assassination attempt before being pardoned at the Pope's request in 2000. He was then extradited to Turkey to serve time for other crimes. Despite his decades in prison, he hasn't been forgotten. And as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, Agca is now seeking to cash in on his notoriety. A right royal row over solar energy in Bavaria
Germany is a world leader in solar energy. Last year, the sector's volume was around nine billion euros.
The continuing boom has been helped along by a law that offers incentives to solar manufacturers and to people putting up solar panels on their roofs. Now one of Germany's wealthiest families wants to get in on the renewable energy game. Prince Albert of Thurn und Taxis wants to build a giant solar park on family land in Bavaria. But residents in a town next to the site are saying...hey, not in my backyard. Kyle James reports on this solar standoff between the nobles and some everyday folk. Putting the brakes on law-breaking cyclists
Of course, it's not exactly ideal weather for being on a pushbike at the moment – at least, here in Europe. But nonetheless cyclists in Italy have been huffing and puffing of late.
Not because they’ve been pedalling too vigorously. They're furious about a new law which they say is unfair and discriminatory. The regulation makes it possible for traffic police to give law-breaking cyclists penalty points on their driving licences. Dany Mitzman has been finding out more. Can Germany's industrial heartland prove it’s a powerhouse of culture?
Last weekend, Germany's industrial heartland kicked off festivities to mark its year as European Cultural Capital.
The city of Essen is one of three cities which has that honour this year – the other two are Istanbul in Turkey and Pecs in Hungary. But Essen is a bit different – it's part of the Ruhrgebiet, the biggest industrial conglomeration in Europe. Which means the whole region is celebrating this year. Kate Laycock pulled on her snow boots and joined the crowds at Essen's Zeche Zollverein, a former mining complex which is now a world heritage site.
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