I have drafted a first proposal for a new way in which we could tell our story around six goals to which most Europeans aspire: Freedom, Peace, Law, Prosperity, Diversity and Solidarity.

You can read the English version in Prospect magazine. Versions published in other European languages will be posted as soon as they appear.

This is only one writer’s first draft. The story is no good unless enough Europeans think it is pointing in the right direction. Please join in the debate. Feel free to use any European language you like.

The discussion is completely free, but it will be followed by a group of our European students here at Oxford. We will remove anything that is downright obscene or constitutes incitement to hatred, and may tidy up the formatting, but otherwise we will leave posts exactly as they come.

Posts from TGA are my contributions to the ongoing debate.

If there is sufficient interest, we may start new threads on particular issues. If it turns out that people are not interested, that will be a kind of European story too.

Come and join the debate.

Best wishes

Timothy Garton Ash



Foreigners good for Miami condo developers
There is no denying that the housing market of Miami is seeing a huge surge of demand. Looking at the
numbers, according to Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the value of the luxury real estate market has shot
up tremendously from last year. High-end properties are currently selling at an average of $1.57 million,
an 18.5% increase from the first quarter of last year.

A huge source of this demand is from foreign investors, who are grabbing homes with upfront
cash. However, even with the huge numbers of buyers, developers are now seeing insufficiency in
their inventories. As such, more and more projects are now being planned and pre-constructed to
accommodate the need for luxury residences better.

Developers are targeting specific areas of interest, mainly design and amenities. Spacious terraces,
privacy, security and contemporary design are musts for these properties. Going along the trend is the
up and coming project, Faena House by an Argentine developer. The luxury development will feature
a sprawling terrace called “aleros.” And even with a price tag ranging from $2.3 to $50 million, the
developers are seeing a good future for their property.