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Full episode 25.08.10 | 22:30 - 23:00 UTC

European Journal - The Magazine from Brussels

Full episode

European Journal - The Magazine from Brussels

Topic

Village Scenes - Tales of Rural Life in Europe

Topic

Germany – Bees for Hire

While Germany is debating whether to suspend mandatory military service, Poland has already taken the step of eliminating conscription. For many young Poles, the new professional army offers attractive job prospects.

Topics

Poland: Studying for the Army

Since the beginning of 2010 Poland no longer has compulsory military service. Now secondary schools are offering courses in military theory to make the new professional army more popular.

The new Polish army is cultivating an open and modern image, offering equal opportunities both for men and women. Apart from combat troops, the military needs specialists - logistics experts, engineers, and doctors. According to surveys, 20 percent of Poles would like to join the army, viewing it as a secure, well-paid, and prestigious career. With the move to a professional army, Poland is in line with a widespread trend in Europe.

Italy: Collecting Fines to Fill Government Coffers

Building sand castles and eating sandwiches in public squares are forbidden activities in some Italian towns. Local officials are busily collecting fines for such transgressions - especially from tourists.

It is not the Italian government, but municipal authorities who are responsible for deciding which acts to prohibit, and what penalties they can charge for them. Such apparently arbitrary legislation has one main aim - to collect as much money as possible for cash-strapped local governments. This can provide visitors with unwelcome surprises. Who would guess, for instance, that in some places kissing in a car may incur a 500 Euro fine?

Village Scenes - Tales of Rural Life in Europe

France: Erquy - the village where the Gauls really lived

Spain: Catholics Rebel Against the Church Hierarchy

small parish church in the working-class Madrid neighborhood of Entrevias is famous for defying the city's powerful archbishop. One of the church's left-wing priests, Javier Baeza Atienza said he wanted to continue working with the poor, instead of performing empty rituals.

AIn 2007, when the archbishop ordered the parish closed, support for the "Red Church" came from all over Spain. Even members of the clergy took a stand against the officials. Ultimately, Father Javier was allowed to continue his work. The church now holds not just sermons, but political discussion sessions and solidarity meetings for illegal immigrants. Everyone can voice their opinion; everyone receives help - including criminals, drug addicts, homosexuals and atheists.

Germany – Bees for Hire

German beekeepers are now aged an average of 60 years old due to a drop-off in new, young recruits. To make up for the shortfall in personnel, many have resorted to hiring out their hives.

Germans eat 1.4 kilos of honey annually per head. The industry faces problems on various fronts, from a decreasing bee population, to overfertilization, and excessive use of pesticides. The main problem, however, is the dwindling number of beekeepers. There are now just 400 professionals – and supplies would be even lower were it not for Germany’s 80,000 amateur beekeepers. The search is now on for outsiders willing to hire a hive. It may not be a lucrative pastime, but for many it's a lot of fun.