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Critics dismissively speak of “luxury prisons” when they see images from Norwegian correctional facilities such as Bastøy: small, bright rooms, televisions, kitchens, workshops, gardens and prison officers who do not behave aggressively. But behind this system is not leniency. It is based on a sober question: What ultimately makes society safer? Almost all prisoners will eventually be released — and then they will be our neighbors, or stand next to us at the supermarket checkout. Norway says: Prisoners should not be “broken” or humiliated. They should be prepared to function in the real world later on and make a contribution.
Read more: Less Harshness, Less Reoffending: What Norway Does Better in Prisons
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Spain is regarded in Europe as a leading example in the protection of women against violence. The country combines specialised courts, the police, support services, prevention measures and electronic monitoring into a comprehensive system. At the same time, new forms of digital violence, such as deepfake pornography or the case of Collien Fernandes, show that measures to protect against violence must be constantly adapted.
Read more: How Spain Protects Women from Violence and Tackles Deepfakes
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Since 2022, Giorgia Meloni has led Italy’s most stable government in decades. Despite social cuts and authoritarian policies, the opposition has so far been unable to find a way to challenge Meloni’s right-wing coalition. Last year in Genoa, Italy’s sixth-largest city, former Olympic hammer thrower Silvia Salis demonstrated how an independent candidate, backed by a centre-left alliance, could oust a right-wing city government after eight years in power. The mayor is now seen as a left-wing anti-Meloni figure who could stand against the prime minister in 2027.
Read more: Silvia Salis: Former Olympian Emerges as Italy’s Anti-Meloni Figure
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There is a side effect of wind turbines and wind farms that is still rarely discussed: offshore wind farms, located in coastal waters, are creating new habitats under the sea. Around their foundations, protected reef-like structures are forming, where more crabs settle than on the surrounding seabed. These wind farms are therefore not only relevant for the energy transition but can also support sustainable fishing.
Read more: Hidden Benefit of Wind Farms: How Turbines Boost Marine Life
“War is not a law of nature” – peace researcher Wintersteiner on rearmament, inequality and optimism
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The world today seems more unstable than it has been for a long time: wars in Iran, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Sudan, plus countless minor military conflicts that barely make the news in Europe. So is war an inevitable part of human nature? Peace researcher Werner Wintersteiner disagrees: wars are not a law of nature, but a historical product of social, economic and political conditions. They only emerged with the increasingly complex organisational forms of societies and can therefore also be abolished.