The conflict in Syria which began with a peaceful civil movement in Dara’a: Haytham Manna asks if it is possible to build on that when facing the threat of foreign intervention. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen considers the Gulf States’ relationship to the conflict, and Rita sends a message to openSecurity’s first conference on Syria's peace: what, how, when?

We started the week with a devastating analysis of Belgium’s ‘burqa ban’. Jelle Flo and Jogchum Vrielink expose this action – which followed France’s example late last year – as unconstitutional. Its arguments are based on legality, safety and women’s rights, but simply do not stand up to scrutiny.

More than three weeks into the Egyptian political crisis, it has become clear that Egyptian democracy is even more volatile than previously thought. On openDemocracy, Heather McRobie reports from the streets of Cairo, Sara Labib offers a devastatingly thorough analysis of the new draft constitution that triggered the crisis, and Arab Awakening columnists share their perspectives in our weekly Window on the Middle East.

People have a pent-up need for discussion’, remarks Finnish journalist Johanna Korhonen, winding up this week’s launch of a Counterpoint series on oD exploring rising right wing populism in Europe, and asking how to retrieve support for our democracies. We learn about a contrasting case of failed consensus in the Netherlands; the ease of stigma in Denmark; and Greece’s self-defeating ‘national exceptionalism’ as compared with ‘identity populism’ being a ‘no-go area’ in Germany.

On openDemocracy last week the unfolding tale of Iceland’s innovative constitutional experiment is deconstructed by Thorhildur Thorleifsdottir, Kristinn Már Ársælsson looks at the lessons learned, arguing for randomly selected citizen assemblies, and we have an inside view from a former member of the Constitutional Council.

With just one week left until the US picks its President, openDemocracy continues its series of global viewpoints on the election, How it Looks From Here.

Is there another way forward for Europe? Mary Kaldor and Sabine Selchow introduce our theme of the week, looking at the continent’s Subterranean Politics. Its frustration and inventiveness are evoked by Geoffrey Pleyers; new ways of decision-making challenge German democracy and attract David Budde; the indignados inspire trade unions in Italy and in Spain; Hungarians are not alone in asking on whose side is the EU; and Londoners put the European back into their global city. The team mull over what they have found in ‘Re-imagining Europe’, while Sean Deel updates us on the first transnational direct democratic tool ever.