European Rule of Law in crisis – is it too late for the EU to save it? Commentary MEP Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA) rates the new EU Rule of Law mechanism as a success despite all the criticism. For the first time, the disbursements of EU funds are linked to compliance with the Rule of Law, with the aim of combating corruption and illiberal attacks to democracy and fundamental values. By Daniel Freund
Is Covid-19 the challenge health tech was waiting for? Feature The global pandemic became a linchpin for many health-tech startup companies that were struggling to find their purpose. In 2020, the industry saw record funding and attention – and the need to balance investor’s expectations with public health concerns. By Srividya Kalyanaraman
Aegean chronicles: A reporter’s confrontation with Europe’s failures and moral imperative Background A 6-year-old boy from Afghanistan drowned in November 2020 off the coast of Samos. Ηe was with his father and other asylum seekers onboard a dinghy that was shipwrecked. The tragic loss of a child’s life hardly made an impression on the international media or public discourse in Greece. By Giorgos Christides
After the Crisis, Before the Crisis: The Rule of Law Headache that Won’t Go Away Commentary The Hungarian-Polish veto on the EU budget and the recovery fund was averted at the European Council last week, but threats to core European values were not. The EU’s rule of law crisis is nowhere near to being solved, and attacks on fundamental rights and democracy will intensify in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By Márta Pardavi
How Opposition to Gender and Feminism Emerged in Spain Commentary From Catholic fundamentalism to the far right, a diverse and loosely connected network of anti-gender movements is growing in the country and creating new challenges. By Marcel Obst
Digital Life under Covid-19 and beyond: A Video on Asian Innovators in HealthTech Video Series This article takes a closer look at some examples of HealthTech companies and startups in the Asia Pacific region who have addressed the Covid-19 pandemic with their solutions. By Kristina Ernst
Digital Life under Covid-19 and beyond: a video on innovators in TravelTech Video Series This article takes a closer look at some examples of TravelTech startups in Asia-Pacific and North America that have accelerated their business or had a market launch or even expansion because of Covid-19. By Kristina Ernst
Individual liberties in Tunisia during Covid-19: the crisis has only reinforced an existing problem Interview What are the challenges in Tunisia of deploying effective Covid-19 measures while remaining committed to the protection of individual rights and liberties for the whole period of the crisis? Mahassen Segni interviews Professor Wahid Ferchichi, founder of the Tunisian Association for the Defence of Individual Liberties. By Mahassen Segni
The present and future of the #GreenWave – Part 1: The Present Analysis The European Greens look back on two exceptional years of electoral history. In 2019, members of the European Green Party (EGP) won record numbers of seats in the European election. This two-article series shows how EGP members profited from this electoral wave in 2020 and sheds light on what to expect from elections in Europe in 2021. This first article shows that the Greens in Europe generally were able to establish themselves further at the local and regional level in Western Europe and get a foot in the door in some Eastern European countries. By Tobias Gerhard Schminke