Growing up as a Christian, I was led to believe that if I accepted Christ and became a born-again Christian, my life would be filled with happiness. Then, I realised that I was wrong.

People died in the hospital because they could not bribe the doctor to get surgery. Growing up as a teenager in post-communist Romania, I heard many stories about corruption. Bribery scandals were ever-present.

In Romania, parents can still slap and spank their children. Of course, within reasonable limits. But what when children themselves get violent, asks Marius Bagu.

The European Union is the greatest civilisation ever. While I am well aware that the European Union is imperfect, the concept of human rights has come to be associated with the EU, the place where social reforms were implemented on a grand scale for the first time in history.

“Our house is on fire,” said a banner from Fridays for Future at a climate demonstration. Of course, this is not the first time someone has worried about the earth’s future existence.

I still remember my first vote. It was for the parliamentary election of 2008, the same year I turned 18. In all honesty, I cannot recall the names of the candidates or the party I voted for. All I do remember is that I was filled with admiration.

My mother is a force to be reckoned with. An actual 'machine' in her own right. Regardless of the time of day, when there is work to be done, she has unwavering determination. She has inherited her resilience from my grandmother. It is a testament to her unyielding spirit.

No modern society can do without reading, maths and science. But schools do not do well in these subjects. That is what we know from recent international research. What can we do about this? Our guest commentator Marius Bâgu tells about that.

I won’t deny it any longer: I am a hypocrite. And I realised this while watching Beef, one of the most acclaimed TV shows of 2023.