Articles

Europe is about to get a new digital law. It will change the way Google, Facebook and Amazon do business. The mechanisms that allow them to make billions are polarising society. We need robust new rules to protect our democracy.

One of Joe Biden’s first acts after he entered the White House was to sign a series of climate-related executive orders, signalling a clear intention to waste no time in reversing the destructive policies of his predecessor. Reflecting the urgency of the matter, the new US president has presented the most ambitious climate plan to date. What has he promised, and which measures can be implemented – and how quickly?

Silicon Valley businesses will be able to re-establish old connections within the Biden-Harris government. Civil society organisations are warning that Big Tech will have too much influence in the political discourse. But there will be no return to the Obama era – from competition law to data protection, the sector will have to expect tougher rules.

Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Czechia, Cyprus, and Russia are just some of the European countries set to hold national parliamentary elections in 2021. Beyond that, voters have the chance to elect crucial regional and local assemblies, for example, in Scotland and Catalonia. The following article sheds light on elections relevant to the European Green Party (EGP) in the next twelve <months in the EU and beyond. It will show that the Greens have the chance to change the face of the continent, as they are well-positioned to perform strongly in multiple electoral races in powerful states and regions.

The queer community is not free from exclusions and the fight for resources.. Class plays as much a role as ideas about femininity and masculinity. Black trans*women from rural areas, who are often poor, face particularly strong discrimination. Therefore, the queer community itself must address its own internalised prejudices, distorted perceptions, and exclusions. A conversation with Seoketsi Mooketsi (Seopowerr).

In recent decades the internet has transformed how people share knowledge, but the web has also diverted from its early promise of democratisation. Currently, rewards mainly go to media platforms instead of original content creators, leading to market distortion and frustrated expectations. 

This article series by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Hong Kong office explores possible alternatives to the internet’s current mechanisms and practices in content curation.

In the last few months, more than 500 migrants have lost their lives trying to leave West Africa for the Canary Islands and thus Europe, in a terrible repeat of the situation of 2005/2006. In 2006 alone, more than 32,000 migrants set off on the perilous journey from the coast of West Africa hoping to reach the Canary Islands across the sea.

Worldwide we are witnessing the return to great power rivalry, and – as a reaction – the calls for strategic sovereignty of the European Union are gaining strength. But how can the EU navigate through a more competitive world and maintain its core values at the same time? These questions are at the core of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's 21st Foreign Policy Conference.