For sixteen years, Angela Merkel was Chancellor of Germany and at the forefront of European and international politics. In her memoir, she looks back on her life in two German states―East Germany until 1990, and reunified Germany thereafter. How did she, coming from the East, rise to the top of the Christian Democratic Union to become the first woman to hold the office of chancellor? And how did she then become one of the most powerful heads of government in the Western world? What guided her?

In Freedom, Angela Merkel recounts daily life in the chancellor’s office as well as the dramatic days and nights when she made far-reaching decisions in Berlin, Brussels, and beyond. She traces the long lines of change in international cooperation and reveals the pressure politicians face when seeking solutions to complex problems in a globalized world. Here, she takes us behind the scenes of international politics, demonstrating both the importance of personal conversations and, crucially, their limits.

Reflecting on politics in a time of increasing confrontation and division, Angela Merkel’s memoir offers a unique insight into the inner workings of power―and is a determined and timely plea for freedom.

Given the controversies and difficulties which preceded the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it is easy to forget that the Treaty is a complex legal document in need of detailed analysis for its impact to be fully understood. Jean-Claude Piris, the Director General of the Legal Service of the Council of the European Union, provides such an analysis, looking at the historical and political contexts of the Treaty, its impact on the democratic framework of the EU and its provisions in relation to substantive law. Impartial legal analysis of the EU's functions, its powers and the treaties which govern it make this the seminal text on the most significant recent development in EU law.

Given the controversies and difficulties which preceded the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it is easy to forget that the Treaty is a complex legal document in need of detailed analysis for its impact to be fully understood. Jean-Claude Piris, the Director General of the Legal Service of the Council of the European Union, provides such an analysis, looking at the historical and political contexts of the Treaty, its impact on the democratic framework of the EU and its provisions in relation to substantive law. Impartial legal analysis of the EU's functions, its powers and the treaties which govern it make this the seminal text on the most significant recent development in EU law.

Die Agenda 21, die als Abschlussdokument der UN-Konferenz uber Umwelt und Entwicklung 1992 in Rio de Janeiro verabschiedet wurde, stellt den Kommunen die Aufgabe, mit allen Interessengruppen ihrer Burgerschaft uber einen Konsultationsprozess einen Konsens uber eine lokale Agenda zu erzielen. Diese Agenda soll die wirtschaftliche und soziale Entwicklung ebenso einbeziehen wie die Erhaltung und Pflege der naturlichen Ressourcen. In der vorliegenden Publikation berichten Autoren aus mehreren deutschen Kommunen uber ihre Konzepte, Methoden und Wege bei der Ausarbeitung einer lokalen Agenda. Sie bietet daher Kommunalpolitikern, Mitgliedern von Burgervereinen, Beratern und anderen Interessierten eine wichtige Handlungsgrundlage und Informationsquelle.