N1BOS — broadcast
20260911 213000 UTC
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[00:00:00] Queens of Dance, how the ballroom scene in Paris became a meeting
[00:00:03] place for the queer community and
[00:00:07] Berlin from the perspective of those who know it best, we'll look at the best places
[00:00:10] to visit in the German capital. These and other stories await you
[00:00:14] in today's Euromax.
[00:00:31] When you visit one of your dream destinations, do you ever wonder
[00:00:34] what it would be like to live there? A young Maltese woman reveals to us
[00:00:38] what everyday life is like on an island that attracts millions
[00:00:42] of tourists every year. I think the curiosity of people who want
[00:00:45] to leave Malta stems from the fact that living on
[00:00:49] an island sometimes makes us feel a little isolated. Whenever I go on a long
[00:00:53] trip, I am always grateful to return to the simple
[00:00:56] life in Malta, an island that I truly love.
[00:01:02] In the very heart of the Mediterranean is the smallest member of the European
[00:01:06] Union. Malta has just over half a million inhabitants and even
[00:01:09] without tourists, it is among the most densely populated countries
[00:01:13] in the union.
[00:01:19] But what is life like in a small tourist
[00:01:22] center?
[00:01:24] Hi, I'm Jessi. I'm 24 years old and I live
[00:01:28] in Malta. She grew up in Mellieha, a small town in
[00:01:32] the north of the island, and lives with her mother and sister in the family
[00:01:36] home.
[00:01:42] For the average family in Malta, and especially for young people, buying
[00:01:46] real estate is becoming an increasing challenge, yet the three of us
[00:01:50] somehow managed to buy a house.
[00:01:54] I consider myself lucky, because many young people stay living
[00:01:57] with their parents until they get married.
[00:02:02] Maltese people leave their parental home at an average age of 29,
[00:02:05] almost three years later than the European
[00:02:09] Union average of 26.2
[00:02:11] years. Life in Mellieha, however, often means a long
[00:02:14] commute to work. Public transport is free for registered
[00:02:18] residents, but whenever she can, Jessi works from home.
[00:02:22] She is employed as an operations manager in a foundation connected with
[00:02:25] the Maltese online gaming industry. After schooling,
[00:02:28] she started her career... Through professional internships, today Malta
[00:02:32] records one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European
[00:02:35] Union. I think Malta offers many opportunities to young people,
[00:02:38] especially through the hospitality sector, the
[00:02:41] gaming industry, and the technology sector, which is very
[00:02:44] developed. However, salaries are still quite low compared to
[00:02:48] the rest of Europe. The average annual income in Malta
[00:02:52] in 2024 was just over
[00:02:54] 33,000 euros. The average in the European Union was
[00:02:58] slightly less than 40 thousand. When
[00:03:01] she finishes work, Jessi enjoys the mild Mediterranean climate and
[00:03:05] beautiful beaches, just like everyone else. After a short, but also
[00:03:08] quite turbulent boat ride, she arrives at the small island
[00:03:12] of Comino. Tourism has brought jobs, economic growth, but also increasing
[00:03:15] crowds. The small population shares its national
[00:03:19] treasure with 3.6 million tourists annually. Although
[00:03:22] Jessi still enjoys visiting the famous Blue Lagoon. Summer
[00:03:26] crowds can be quite stressful.
[00:03:30] Many wonderful childhood memories are tied to it.
[00:03:33] It has always been busy, especially in summer, but I think
[00:03:37] in recent years it has gone too far,
[00:03:40] so I prefer to avoid the Blue Lagoon during the summer
[00:03:44] season. Even with millions of visitors
[00:03:48] every year, locals still have their favorite gathering places.
[00:03:51] In the capital Valletta, it's quite common to run into
[00:03:55] someone you know. I think that's something special and
[00:03:59] beautiful because... wherever you are, there's always a feeling of
[00:04:02] closeness. When it comes to dating, the situation
[00:04:05] is a bit unusual, because even if you meet someone new,
[00:04:09] it turns out they know someone who knows someone who knows
[00:04:13] the person you've already dated. English is one of
[00:04:17] Malta's two official languages, so most Maltese people speak both
[00:04:20] languages. English is widely used in business and
[00:04:24] daily life, while Jessi often speaks Maltese with family and
[00:04:27] friends. That language developed from Arabic with strong
[00:04:31] influences from Italian, French, and
[00:04:34] English.
[00:04:38] We went to Comino, there were a lot
[00:04:40] of people.
[00:04:45] Malta has been influenced by various cultures for centuries.
[00:04:48] Today, about 83% of the population identifies as
[00:04:52] Catholic.
[00:04:56] Life in such a small space is not for everyone. Research
[00:05:00] shows that a large majority of Maltese students consider
[00:05:03] leaving the country in search of opportunities off the island,
[00:05:06] but Jessi doesn't think that way. For her, this
[00:05:10] Mediterranean island was made of
[00:05:12] love.
[00:05:17] Did you know that Paris is home to a thriving underground Ballroom
[00:05:20] scene? It's a space where queer people gather to
[00:05:24] connect, feel accepted, and dance like there's no
[00:05:27] tomorrow.
[00:05:32] What's left when your family doesn't love you, when
[00:05:35] because of your skin color or queer identity you feel like you don't belong
[00:05:38] anywhere? When you receive death threats for who you are.
[00:05:43] I couldn't even imagine accepting myself, it seemed
[00:05:46] impossible, that's all I
[00:05:48] wanted.
[00:05:53] The Ballroom scene is a safe space for black and queer
[00:05:56] people.
[00:06:00] Paris is the epicenter of the European ballroom
[00:06:02] scene.
[00:06:05] Hanabi has been part of this scene since
[00:06:06] 2016.
[00:06:14] It's really hard to be black in France, especially in Paris.
[00:06:18] They just have a certain image here, a certain idea of what
[00:06:21] black people are like. I've been beaten because of my skin color, I've experienced
[00:06:25] all sorts of things because of my skin color, but I never give up because I don't care. I'm beautiful,
[00:06:29] black is beautiful, and I also have a triple culture, I'm French,
[00:06:32] Mauritanian, and Senegalese.
[00:06:35] Tired of racism and hostility, Queer, Black
[00:06:39] and Latino people built their own community in the late 60s in New
[00:06:42] York and called it the ballroom scene. At balls, they celebrate
[00:06:45] themselves, participants showcase their talents to the audience in categories
[00:06:49] such as voguing, fashion, and lip-sync. In the early
[00:06:53] 2000s, Paris built its own ballroom scene.
[00:06:56] Outside of this community, we can be stigmatized and
[00:06:59] marginalized, because we are queer, black, or transgender
[00:07:03] people. That's why it's important to
[00:07:05] gather.
[00:07:10] It is estimated that black people in France make up between 6 and 9%
[00:07:14] of the total population, although there are no official data, in
[00:07:17] Paris, African and Afro-Caribbean culture shapes entire
[00:07:20] neighborhoods, and Château Rouge and Château d'Eau are widely
[00:07:24] recognized as traditional centers of the black community, so
[00:07:27] you should be here, we are in Château, you see there's
[00:07:31] Strasbourg, Saint-Denis, there's Gargoles, so this is
[00:07:35] the center. Here you can get everything you need, you can find
[00:07:38] African care and beauty products, buy wigs,
[00:07:42] in fact... Everything Africans
[00:07:43] need.
[00:07:50] Many faces, one identity. France sees
[00:07:53] itself as a republic that makes no distinction based on skin
[00:07:56] color, where origin and skin color should not be
[00:07:59] important, but is that really
[00:08:01] so?
[00:08:05] I completely agree with that, if you understand even a little bit of biology and
[00:08:08] differences in skin color, you will understand that we are
[00:08:11] first and foremost human beings,
[00:08:14] what matters are our values, how willing we are to
[00:08:18] share who we are as individuals, I believe we have
[00:08:21] something to offer each other. Racism still
[00:08:24] exists, we experience it daily
[00:08:26] through microaggressions.
[00:08:31] In Paris, everyone lives as one family, white, black,
[00:08:35] everyone does things together. So in my opinion, everything is
[00:08:38] fine.
[00:08:42] The city's diversity is closely linked to France's colonial
[00:08:45] past. Many people of former colonial descent have lived here
[00:08:49] for generations. For Hanabi, it's time to get ready for
[00:08:52] tonight's Lavandix ball, he's going with his house,
[00:08:56] Unbottered Partiers. In the
[00:08:58] Ballroom scene, a house is much more than just a dance crew.
[00:09:02] I see my house as a kind of gang. We're here,
[00:09:06] we're a team. We'll go to the ball and present ourselves. Houses
[00:09:10] are named after high fashion brands like "Look house,
[00:09:13] fashion is a big inspiration for us, so we pose like in magazines.
[00:09:31] For many, the ballroom scene represents a chosen family because it
[00:09:34] provides support to those who would be rejected by their biological
[00:09:37] family. For three years I was away from my
[00:09:40] family, but now everything is fine because I managed to
[00:09:43] educate them. I'm happy that I managed to save that
[00:09:47] relationship because I was starting to lose them, I was ready no matter
[00:09:50] what, to choose myself in the end I got
[00:09:53] everything.
[00:10:03] The ballroom scene may be a competition, but it is primarily
[00:10:07] a community.
[00:10:14] Are you planning a visit to the German capital? Euromax reporter
[00:10:17] Hana Humel has lived in Berlin for over 10 years and has
[00:10:21] some tips for you.
[00:10:24] Berlin is a city where you need to know not only what is worth
[00:10:28] seeing, but also what is best to skip. First
[00:10:31] on the list is Alexander Platz. This square is always
[00:10:35] full of tourists, but honestly, it's not among my favorites.
[00:10:38] It's just a square full of fast
[00:10:42] fashion stores and fast food restaurants. Noisy,
[00:10:45] dirty.
[00:10:49] And very tiring to be in.
[00:10:52] The only thing it's good for, at least in my opinion, is the view of
[00:10:55] the TV Tower, the tallest building in Germany, 368
[00:10:59] meters high. It was built by
[00:11:02] the East German government in the 60s and opened in
[00:11:06] 1969. The idea was to show the world, and
[00:11:09] especially West Berlin, that the GDR was a modern
[00:11:13] and capable state. Do I think it should be completely
[00:11:16] avoided? No, it's a part of history that you should at
[00:11:19] least pause at. A ticket costs around
[00:11:22] 25 euros. Lines can be
[00:11:26] long, especially in summer. The view, although good,
[00:11:29] is not dramatically better than the one you'll get for free at other
[00:11:33] places. I advise you to head west and walk
[00:11:37] along Unter den Linden street. This street is full of German
[00:11:41] history. The walk takes about 25 minutes and
[00:11:44] costs you nothing. First you'll pass by Museum
[00:11:48] Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are five
[00:11:51] world-renowned museums, including the New Museum, which houses
[00:11:55] preserved artifacts such as the bust of Nefertiti and treasures
[00:11:58] from ancient Egypt. If you want to spend money on this
[00:12:02] walk, spend it on a day ticket for Museum
[00:12:05] Island. Continue walking and you'll reach the Brandenburg
[00:12:09] Gate. The Brandenburg Gate has been the backdrop for some
[00:12:13] of the most important moments in history. Napoleon
[00:12:16] marched through it. The Nazi regime held
[00:12:20] parades beneath it. And then in 1900
[00:12:23] 89, a crowd gathered here when
[00:12:26] the Berlin Wall fell. Admission is free, and the gate is
[00:12:30] also a great place for photos. It's often
[00:12:33] very crowded here as it's a popular stop for tour guides, so
[00:12:36] I wouldn't recommend staying long, but you definitely have to
[00:12:40] see the gate. And now
[00:12:43] let's turn left, because just a few minutes from here is
[00:12:46] one of the most moving monuments I have ever
[00:12:50] seen. The monument is dedicated to the murdered Jews of
[00:12:53] Europe, about 6 million of them. It was designed by
[00:12:56] architect Peter Eisenman and consists of a field
[00:13:00] of 2,711 concrete blocks of different
[00:13:03] heights. There are no names here, no faces.
[00:13:07] The abstract design has its purpose.
[00:13:10] The only thing I want to say about
[00:13:14] this place is that you should take care not to take inappropriate photos or
[00:13:17] selfies here, be respectful. This is not just
[00:13:21] a work of art. The third monument, the last stop on this
[00:13:24] walk, is the German parliament building
[00:13:27] (Reichstag). The glass dome at the top was designed by Sir
[00:13:29] Norman Foster and was added after the reunification of East and
[00:13:33] West Germany. You can go up to it completely
[00:13:37] free of charge, just register online beforehand.
[00:13:40] The view is incredible, and through the transparent dome above
[00:13:43] the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, citizens can
[00:13:46] literally look down on their representatives. The symbolism
[00:13:50] of transparent democracy is completely
[00:13:53] clear here.
[00:13:56] Next
[00:14:00] on my list of places you might not need to
[00:14:04] visit is Checkpoint Charlie, it's in every tourist
[00:14:07] guide to Berlin. To be honest, I understand its
[00:14:10] historical significance. It was the most famous crossing point between
[00:14:13] East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Many daring
[00:14:17] escape attempts by people who wanted to cross to the West
[00:14:20] took place here. It was right here
[00:14:23] in 1961 that a tense confrontation
[00:14:26] between American and Soviet tanks occurred. Today there's
[00:14:29] a McDonald's, a fake guard house and a souvenir
[00:14:33] shop, that's not exactly the image of the Cold War you'd
[00:14:36] expect. Instead, visit the East Side
[00:14:39] Gallery, a 3 km long section of the original
[00:14:43] Berlin Wall. It's the longest remaining section of the wall
[00:14:46] that has been converted into an open-air art gallery. After the fall of the wall in
[00:14:50] 1989,
[00:14:53] over a hundred artists
[00:14:55] from all over the world came to paint it. I have
[00:14:58] one more local tip for you, spend some time by the
[00:15:02] water, Berlin is surrounded by lakes, so if you have
[00:15:05] time, take a train and visit some of them,
[00:15:09] for example Wannsee, and if you'd rather stay in the city, come to
[00:15:13] Cafe am Neuen See in the middle of Tiergarten Park, there's
[00:15:17] a huge open-air beer garden right in the heart of the largest park in
[00:15:20] central Berlin. This is what Berlin looks like when you scratch
[00:15:24] beneath the surface of the tourist checklist of sights.
[00:15:27] Take a walk around the city, and when you're done, stop for
[00:15:31] a drink by the
[00:20:54] your top priority, but sooner or later it becomes a topic of conversation. That's why we
[00:20:58] asked young people across Europe how they bring up the topic when they start
[00:21:02] dating.
[00:21:06] Money, money, money. Sometimes it can be awkward.
[00:21:10] Generally speaking, it's a taboo. Money can
[00:21:13] become a problem as early as the first date. Who pays or
[00:21:16] do you split the bill? Is it awkward to talk about money? If...
[00:21:20] European couples manage all this, we sought answers from
[00:21:23] the couples themselves and an expert.
[00:21:26] Let's start with the basics, do you know how much your partner
[00:21:29] earns?
[00:21:32] Yes, I have a pretty clear
[00:21:33] idea.
[00:21:36] Yes, I would openly talk about my salary.
[00:21:40] Me too, I think I know. Not on the first
[00:21:43] date, but later it's good
[00:21:44] to know.
[00:21:49] It seems one. Simply, most people know how much their partner earns, maybe
[00:21:53] it's not a taboo.
[00:21:55] I don't think it's an overly important thing, the less you talk about it, the
[00:21:59] bigger the problem will be, it becomes more and more
[00:22:01] awkward. It can be an important topic,
[00:22:05] a little
[00:22:05] awkward.
[00:22:09] Yes, in a previous relationship I had problems because of
[00:22:11] money. So, it's not that simple after all.
[00:22:15] We showed these answers to psychologist Gulchihan
[00:22:18] Korkmaz. The therapist knows financial conflicts well.
[00:22:22] Interestingly, but I don't think it's
[00:22:25] a taboo topic when financial problems don't
[00:22:28] exist. Communication is key, you need to
[00:22:31] talk, because when conflicts related to gender
[00:22:34] or nationality arise, it all comes down
[00:22:38] to
[00:22:39] expectations.
[00:22:46] It's no coincidence that money is an important topic, especially among genders,
[00:22:49] because women on average earn less than
[00:22:51] men. In the European Union, the gender pay gap is about
[00:22:55] 12%, and a British study showed that men
[00:22:59] who earn more than their wives are happier. Interestingly, what
[00:23:03] if the wife earns more, is that
[00:23:07] okay? Even better. Yes,
[00:23:10] of course. If two people have different incomes, it's hard to
[00:23:14] reconcile. In a previous relationship, my partner earned
[00:23:18] much more than me.
[00:23:20] Sometimes your ego kicks in and you want to pay, but mostly everything is
[00:23:24] fine.
[00:23:26] And what does
[00:23:30] the expert say?
[00:23:33] Interesting, but completely
[00:23:34] wrong.
[00:23:39] From birth, we are strictly shaped into gender roles, we grow up in
[00:23:42] a system where the man is dominant. Money means
[00:23:46] power, that's what it is too.
[00:23:51] When there's a shift in power in a relationship, or when a woman wants to work
[00:23:55] and the partner stays at home and takes care of the children, that's when
[00:23:59] problems
[00:23:59] arise.
[00:24:04] So, money and gender roles are very closely related, but
[00:24:07] according to this psychologist, money is less of a problem for same-sex
[00:24:11] couples. Come to think of it, financial topics
[00:24:15] are rarely mentioned among them. According to
[00:24:18] surveys, about 3/4 of German couples avoid financial
[00:24:21] conflicts, some feel awkward asking for a
[00:24:25] refund, so more than a third of Germans avoid the topic and never
[00:24:29] ask their partners to repay them amounts between 10 and 100
[00:24:33] euros. How do European couples decide who
[00:24:35] pays? I think the one who earns more should
[00:24:39] contribute more. I think it's okay for it to be fifty-
[00:24:43] fifty. If someone earns significantly less, I'd like
[00:24:46] to take care of them and spoil them a little.
[00:24:51] "It's important for me to be independent, we usually
[00:24:54] split everything fifty-fifty. It seems that splitting costs fifty-fifty
[00:24:57] is quite common in Europe, but Gulchihan Korkmaz doesn't
[00:25:01] think it's necessarily fair.
[00:25:05] Yes, that's silly, I'm sorry, you can't just split
[00:25:08] 50-50, people are never 50-50, you'll have
[00:25:12] relationships 60, 40, 70,
[00:25:14] 30, we have to be
[00:25:17] flexible, and what's your opinion
[00:25:21] on money in relationships?
[00:25:24] With that in mind, we've come to the end of the show. For more interesting
[00:25:28] and inspiring stories from all over Europe, don't forget to follow us on
[00:25:31] social media. As always, thank you for being with us and see you
[00:25:35] next week, until then, goodbye!
[00:29:32] Towards the uncensored truth in times of social moral crises,
[00:29:36] from a time that is increasingly missing every day in the struggle for the top
[00:29:40] that never ends, without manipulation,
[00:29:43] journalism for social justice, independent and
[00:29:46] disciplined, not at all sensational. I am
[00:29:50] Mamed Krivoši, you are watching N1.