Most recent articles by Heribert Prantl
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Germany and the semantics of exclusion"We are not burka"
German Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere has doused a hotchpotch of both trivial and relevant concerns in the black, red and gold of the national flag and declared it to be the German "Leitkultur", meaning the country's core, dominant or leading culture. This is just plain silly. Commentary by Heribert Prantl
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Freedom of religion at workIslam – a disruptive influence?
A ruling by the European Court of Justice allows employers to prohibit their staff from wearing headscarves. In doing so, it affords greater freedom to companies than it does to religion. A commentary by Heribert Prantl
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Germany′s refugee policyFour words for humanity
"We can do it" – Merkel's utterance has become an historic remark. To actually pack it with some political substance is the big challenge of the 21st century. A commentary by Heribert Prantl
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After the refugee catastrophe in the MediterraneanHow the EU is killing refugees
The figure is shocking: an estimated 800 people lost their lives when a boat carrying refugees sank off the coast of Libya. According to Heribert Prantl, the EU has the ways and the means to rescue refugees in the Mediterranean, but because it is guided by a cynical logic, it is letting them drown
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Human rights court upholds burka ban in FranceAn unfortunate ruling
Does the burka ban supported by the European Court of Human Rights help oppressed women? No, says Heribert Prantl: it's more likely to breed resentment
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Dispute about Dual Citizenship in GermanyWhy the Obligation to Choose is Damaging Integration
The fight against dual citizenship is an assault on the reality of life in Germany. While it is true to say that those who want to assume German citizenship have to decide, they are not deciding whether to feel a little bit more Turkish or a little bit more German; they are deciding in favour of democracy, a state governed by the rule of law and the basic principles on which the constitution is built. A commentary by Heribert Prantl