In analysing the Catalan situation in 2021, Ned Thomas gives an insight into the institutional complexity and behind-the-scenes politics that means there is no simple answer to the question of whether the EU is capable of enabling self-determination more broadly; but concludes on an optimistic note.

Anthropologist Jonathan Evershed describes how his life has been defined by Irish Sea crossings. He draws on the deep history of connections between Wales and Ireland to detail what’s at stake with post-Brexit border changes, and how a renewed, progressive Pan-Celticism could benefit both nations.

Film director Colin Thomas takes a trip back to Ireland, remembering how he resigned from the BBC over censorship of his Troubles coverage. He discovers that the country has lost none of its charm, but that in a Brexit era there is still no escape from British politics.

Steven Lovatt draws on Raymond Williams to describe England’s material, spiritual and ecological malaise, and how he and his Hungarian partner felt compelled to cross the border. Why does the Welsh independence movement feel more inclusive than the nationalism of his home country and Hungary?

An editorial by Emily Trahair.

Huw Williams argues that whether or not we leave the EU, many of the underlying dilemmas for Wales are the same. He offers concrete proposals for how to strengthen a weak public sphere, bring reconciliation to a fractured nation, push for greater autonomy and contribute to the global struggle for an alternative to neoliberal politics.

A Poem by Neetha Kunaratnam.

In an article that exposes the roots of Brexit-era Germanophobia, Rita Singer details how Welsh press coverage and poetry about U-Boat attacks on Welsh ships evolved into racialised depictions of German U-Boat combatants as ‘Huns’, monsters, ghouls and Satanic fiends.

Responding to the current Brexit stalemate and the looming prospect of No-Deal, in this free Planet Extra article, Daryl Leeworthy proposes how to strengthen the Remain campaign in Wales, and reflects on how this feeds in to creating a new, 21st-century social democracy, designed by Welsh Europeans.

Garry Tregidga reflects on the centenary of the Levant mining disaster as a starting point for wider discussion of Cornwall’s fluctuating cultural, economic and political fortunes over the last century. What does the future hold after Brexit?

An editorial by Emily Trahair.

An editorial by Emily Trahair.

Hywel Dix argues why the popularity of the Nordic noir genre, and its Welsh noir offspring, has something significant to say about the lack of a collective, aspirational European identity; and Wales’ isolation from both continental Europe and the other nations of the UK.

Mick Antoniw AM draws on his family background as part of the Ukrainian refugee community, and his experience on the EU’s Committee of the Regions, to detail how Wales could build on its historic relationship with Ukraine, from coalfield solidarity to language planning, and learn from other non-EU member nations further east how Wales could forge an alternative set of relationships with the EU after Brexit.

Alyce Von Rothkirch experienced the death of her mother at the same time as the aggressive fallout from the EU referendum led to her decision to leave her home in Swansea for her birthplace of Germany. She describes how this double loss followed a similar pattern…

Aled Gruffydd Jones interviews Syriza's Minister of Culture Aristide Baltas, who reveals how Greek citizens are reclaiming their ancient heritage in the name of radical democracy and internationalism, and offers inspiration for how other nations could expand cultural provision in the face of severe austerity.

Another Europe: An Atlantic Archipelago by Meic Llewellyn