Robert Menasse's new novella, "Die Lebensentscheidung," centers on Franz Fiala, a 58-year-old EU Commission official in Brussels contemplating retirement and a new life, including proposing to his love interest, Nathalie. Fiala, who struggles to maintain his idealism amidst corruption, draws moral strength from his cultured, nearly 90-year-old mother, who embodies a humanist European ideal through her extensive knowledge of classical literature and art. The narrative takes a tragic turn when Fiala is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, forcing him into a heroic, albeit doomed, decision to live and conceal his illness from his mother, thereby avoiding the taboo of dying before her. This personal struggle is framed against Menasse's critique of contemporary politics and a celebration of the cultural bourgeoisie, ultimately suggesting that Fiala's sacrifice allows the "European dream" to persist.