Trend 2026

“It’s like the exhilaration of the first summer days spent in amazing places. The energy of the hot sun gives me a boost and drives me forward.” May 24, 2026 

 Tracklist:

Flava D, Anaïs, Dread MC — Entertainer

1991 — Kabuki

Harriet Jaxxon, Jolie P — Everything But U

Makoto, Rasmus Faber — Swing Drops

Technimatic — Days That I Once Knew

Indivision — Sweet Surrender

Viridity, Acris — Golden Skies

Bcee, Charlotte Haining (Emba Remix) — Give Me a Break

Beat Merchants, Dan-I (Command Strange Remix) — Hurricane

Alexvnder — What I do I Love

Gabriella Bongo, lina lexa — Chemistry

Lebensqualitätsindex

Den Haag

 To say a few more words about the Netherlands, it has already been mentioned on the blog that the Netherlands was ranked Best Quality of Life 2026. In my opinion, the recognition is well deserved.

The Quality of Life Index by City 2026 is also dominated by Dutch cities. My favorite, The Hague, holds first place, followed by Eindhoven in second, Rotterdam in third, and Utrecht in fourth. Groningen also appears in the top ten, ranking seventh.

Frauenkirche, Nuremberg

And it is not only Numbeo where these Dutch cities rank so highly. Similar conclusions can also be found in other sources, including Eurostat, the OECD Better Life Index, the European Commission’s Quality of Life in European Cities survey, Mercer Quality of Living, and others.

Beyond what I consider the obvious strength of the Dutch cities, the top ten also includes two German cities. Nuremberg ranks ninth.

I like Nuremberg and often make a stop there while traveling. I was therefore not surprised to see it receive such a high rating from Numbeo.

Nuremberg also has a great deal to offer from both an architectural and historical perspective. Although the city was heavily bombed during the Second World War and much of its historic fabric had to be reconstructed, it has retained a remarkable character.

Sometimes I think that Prague’s historic center itself is somewhat overrated when compared with German cities such as Nuremberg. (Prague is one hundred and fifteenth in the ranking of Numbeo.) At the same time, this also works in Nuremberg’s favor: it is generally less crowded with tourists, feels calmer, and is noticeably cleaner—cleanliness being one of the factors considered in Numbeo’s rankings. It is also less sprawling, another aspect reflected in the index, and its historic center is well integrated with the nice and strong modern parts of the city.

Where are you from?

 Given that I am among the people whose     more attractive appearance itself, stemming from the intellect and personality behind it, has become a problem for a significant part of society in a certain country around me, I am interested in the security of certain countries.

First of all, in my opinion, if a society is described as economically and culturally more advanced, while someone’s appearance alone becomes a problem, this claim appears to be untrue. Secondly, statements about safety for ordinary people in general are also misleading.

Because of these experiences, my experiences with other European countries, and statistical data, I was once again struck by the following statement:

“I know, and I think your people know as well, that the Czech Republic is the safest country in Europe and definitely one of the safest countries for people from Israel. And the reason is completely clear: we simply do not have any migrants from Islamic countries here.”

The statement was widely quoted by Czech media as part of appearance at a joint press conference with the Israeli Foreign Minister.

There are several false claims in this quote. First, the Czech Republic is not the safest country in Europe. It is not even among the top ten safest countries in Europe. Secondly, in my opinion, based on my experience as an “Aussie,” the Czech Republic does not necessarily have to be considered a safe country for Israelis, just as it may not be safe for people of Muslim origin or people of any other background. Thirdly, there are more countries in Europe that are safer than the Czech Republic, and their general populations include people from Islamic countries. One example is the Netherlands, and Switzerland is also among the top ten safest countries in Europe.

My examples of the Netherlands and Switzerland show that countries with a significantly higher proportion of residents with a migration background can also be very safe. The decisive factors are primarily the functioning of institutions and the structure of society.

I could also mention that, due to “shortcomings” in the country mentioned above, I have experienced smiles and positive attitudes toward me from people of Muslim background as well, for example in the Netherlands. Therefore, someone could even argue that one may feel safer among these communities, just as the Netherlands or Switzerland itself is also statistically a safer country than Czechia.

How Migration Is Changing European Demography

 Perhaps some “environmentalists” may see a positive side when a population, civilization declines somewhere: less space is needed for people and fewer resources are consumed.

I sometimes smile at the fact that in the Benelux countries, France, or Germany, populations are growing, while elsewhere stagnation is taking place.

If immigrants and war refugees were also to leave, as many politicians suggest by appealing to widespread public sentiments, the population would decline by another roughly 10%. In an ironic sense, I have also thought that both mentally and because of a reduced population, this could become a political tool and might even help some countries in the event of a potential invasion.

This is about Czechia, where the population is declining, and Western Europe, where populations are growing and civilization in progress. I recently wrote about Rotterdam, where construction continues on a large scale, and about Luxembourg as well. In Czechia, less is being built partly because there are fewer people to build for, including as a consequence of migration policy.

Czechia is among the countries that have experienced a long-term population decline. The number of births is lower than the number of deaths, and demographic projections indicate that without sufficient migration, the Czech population will decrease over the long term.

On the other hand, Western Europe has growing populations. Countries such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and, in recent decades, Germany have managed to offset population decline caused by low birth rates through immigration.

According to Eurostat, since 2012, the European Union’s population growth has been almost entirely dependent on positive net migration, which compensates for the natural decrease in population. Migration policy has therefore become one of the main factors shaping demographic development, alongside strong economic growth, as seen for example in Luxembourg.

In Germany, people with a migration background already account for approximately one-third of the population; in the Netherlands, nearly one-third; in Belgium, up to 40 percent; and in Luxembourg, the majority of the population consists of people born abroad or their descendants.

Baden

 I would say that I like Karlsruhe in Germany. Karlsruhe is located in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany, not far from the French border.

I was also in Karlsruhe during one of the nights over Christmas in 2025. As usual, I walked to Karlsruhe Palace (Schloss Karlsruhe). Even from the park, you can see how long the palace is—it almost doesn’t fit into a standard iPhone photo.

On warmer days or nights, when approaching Karlsruhe Palace along the main road, you can often smell the nearby zoo. It is located just behind the fence next to the sidewalk, so its presence is usually quite noticeable. During the freezing Christmas nights, however, I noticed it mainly because of the interesting sounds of the animals. There are residential buildings on the opposite side of the street.

I also like that the walk to Karlsruhe Palace takes you past Platz der Grundrechte (Square of Fundamental Rights), which is located in the lower part of the Schlossbezirk, in front of the Federal Constitutional Court.

The square features 24 double-sided street signs displaying quotations from judges, lawyers, scholars, and ordinary citizens about law, justice, and democracy. Each sign places two different perspectives on the same subject face to face, creating a public dialogue about the meaning of law, justice, and democratic society. The entire installation forms a unique public reflection on law and democracy.