About Reinhard Hesse

Reinhard Hesse (1956-2004) was a writer, journalist and foreign correspondent for several German newspapers and magazines. He advised and wrote speeches for Germany's Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder.

Articles by Reinhard Hesse

The 'greater middle east' in the 21st century

Can the world’s leading conflict zone clear a path towards peace, prosperity and freedom? The last article of Reinhard Hesse – openDemocracy contributor and adviser to the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder – looks forward to analyse the forces that might transform a troubled region.

Crossroads or roundabouts: where now for Europe?

The European Union is learning the art of synchronicity. In December 2003, the soon-to-be-enlarged community of twenty-five failed to agree the text of a constitutional treaty laboriously negotiated in the period since the Laeken summit of 2001. A painful anti-climax, it is now also a distant memory.

Turkish honey under a German moon

Turkey and Germany, long encoiled in one of Europe’s most intimate relationships, are still growing in each other’s hearts. Reinhard Hesse, feeling the boundaries melt further at the Berlin Film Festival, sees their cultural intermingling light the way for a new European politics.

An alarm-call for Europe

A large number of our continent’s leaders are fresh from spending an early summer grand tour hopping from one picturesque European setting (St Petersburg) to another (Evian-les-Bains), culminating in the European summit in the ancient city of Thessaloniki. If the climax of their travels is a reminder that the good old continent is still a favoured gathering-site for the world’s big bands and key players to mix summits and circuses, the rest of us are waking up to the sound of a shrill alarm clock sounded by some of Europe’s finest intellectuals.

Europhoria

As a special convention on the EU’s constitutional future opens in Brussels, Reinhard Hesse argues that an active, cohesive European foreign policy is essential. The successful launch of the Euro is its own lesson: we can see Europe with fresh eyes.

A letter for Europe

Dear openDemocracy

I feel very honoured to be asked to open the Europa topic of your ambitious openDemocracy project.

I had a dream (or was it a nightmare?) that my literary agent urged me to write that one ultimate non-fiction book. You know, “the book only you can write”, so that people will stand in line just to get a copy... and I said, taking what’s left of my guts, “I could write a top non-fiction book on the most interesting question of our age: Europe!”

This week's editor

Heather McRobie


Niki Seth-Smith is a freelance journalist and co-editor of OurKingdom.

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