2023 was a particularly challenging year. With the highest number of conflicts since 1945, we saw a world at war. It was the hottest year in recorded history, with “climate records tumbling like dominoes”. Challenges don’t disappear with a new year; we know that 2024 will be demanding. This year’s super election cycle is also testimony to the resilience of democracy and offers an opportunity for like-minded states to come together to solve shared challenges.
Dear friends,
2023 was a particularly challenging year. With the highest number of conflicts since 1945, we saw a world at war. It was the hottest year in recorded history, with “climate records tumbling like dominoes”. And the cost of living and budgetary constraints contributed to growing social discontent, exploited by populist and autocratic forces.
Challenges don’t disappear with a new year; we know that 2024 will be demanding. But with peril can come promise. 2024 will witness a worldwide super election cycle – from the EU, US, and India to Taiwan, South Africa, and Mexico, over 80 national elections will take place, as will elections to the European Parliament in June. Voters will base their choices largely on local issues and party policies, but their views on shared global challenges such as climate change and the wars in the world will also play a role.
The choices made will be significant, affecting not just the national but also the global. The risk of disinformation and election interference by authoritarian forces is high, especially in the context of the systemic competition between democracy and autocracy. Democratic backsliding has become a defining trend over the past decades. But this year’s super election cycle is also testimony to the resilience of democracy – a promise to people that they can together forge a new path forward – and offers an opportunity for like-minded states to come together to solve shared challenges.
As the European Union office of Germany’s Green political foundation, we want to contribute to these opportunities by publishing expert views on key issues and creating a space for discussion, debate, and shared thinking. As particular highlights, we look forward to:
- launching a European elections dossier featuring articles and interviews, among others with historian and political commentator Timothy Garton Ash;
- publishing a briefing paper with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on how European transatlanticists should approach a potential second Trump administration, as well as conducting a study on how we can strengthen transatlantic democratic resilience;
- looking into EU-Taiwan relations after the island’s presidential election and the geopolitical competition with China, inter alia in outer space;
- continuing our successful climate disinformation series;
- supporting human rights defenders and democracy activists from the RARE network with an EU capacity-building workshop;
- continuing our work on the green transition by engaging in the discussion on the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2040, considering how the social dimension can be strengthened in this context, as well as presenting a study on how the European Central Bank can support climate mitigation.
This is just a snapshot of our work ahead. Please do reach out if you would like to pro-actively engage with us on these and other issues. We look forward to continuing our work and discussions together.
Wishing you a promising year ahead.
Warm regards,
Roderick Kefferpütz
Director
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union