Actually European!? 2024 Public opinion in Germany ahead of the European elections Summary The 2024 European elections will take place from June 6 to 9 in the shadow of multiple crises. Populist and radical right-wing forces could benefit from this. Projections predict a shift to the right in the next European Parliament. These forces seek to renationalize European politics and weaken the EU‘s ability to act together. Specifically, the European Green Deal and support for Ukraine could be curbed. The EU would be weakened at a time when it has to solve major challenges for the future. In this context, the sixth edition of the long-term study Actually European!? examines how the German population views the European elections and what they expect from their government at the EU level. By Dr. Christine Pütz and Johannes Hillje
No carte blanche for Orbán - the European Parliament takes the European Commission to court Event recording The European Parliament made a decisive move on 11 March 2024 to initiate a lawsuit against the European Commission before the European Court of Justice, following the contentious release of €10.2 billion in frozen EU cohesion funds for Hungary. This occurred despite Hungary ceasing to be a democracy and continuing to suffer from systemic corruption and rule of law deficiencies according to experts, multiple indexes and the EP itself. This webinar took place on 20 March 2024, with Márta Pardavi (Hungarian Helsinki Committee), Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton School of Public and International Affairs) and Prof. Laurent Pech (Sutherland School of Law), moderated by Adéla Jurečková, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union and Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague
Towards the 2024 European Parliament elections: How can EU reform and enlargement succeed? Event recording Why is EU institutional reform important and what are the priorities? What is the connection between EU reform and enlargement? How would a possible right-wing shift affect the EU’s ability to carry out internal reforms and how can reform and enlargement still succeed? This panel discussion took place in Berlin on 7 March 2024, with Dr. Thu Nguyen (Deputy Director, Jacques Delors Centre, Berlin) and Piotr Buras (Head of Office, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Warsaw), moderated by Jan Philipp Albrecht, President, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Böll EU Newsletter 2/2024 - Letter from our Director Newsletter In fewer than 100 days, Europe’s citizens will go to the polls to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. The outgoing parliament faced historic challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s war in Ukraine. It rose to the occasion, advancing key legislative proposals and promoting the European Green Deal as a flagship project. By Roderick Kefferpütz
3 Questions on EU-Iran relations to MEP Hannah Neumann 3 questions Supporting a range of militias in the Middle East and providing weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine, Iran is increasingly in the geopolitical spotlight. At the same time, Iranian women are still fighting for their rights, while legislative voting took place on 1 March 2024. So, we asked three questions to MEP Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA), Chair of the EP Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula, Member of the EP Delegation for relations with Iran, as well as Standing Rapporteur on Iran, regarding how she sees EU-Iran relations moving forward. By Roderick Kefferpütz and Hannah Neumann
A slap in the face for all women of Europe Commentary In a blow to women across Europe, a crucial law to combat sexualized and digital violence was thwarted by Germany and France. With rape still not uniformly defined, and digital abuses narrowly defined, the fight for women's safety demands a stronger, unified front. Equal rights demand equal security. By Alexandra Geese
Lessons from the Kosovo war: no time for European complacency Analysis The Kosovo war 25 years ago serves as a reminder that frozen conflicts and bilateral disputes cannot be swept under the rug for long. In the current geopolitical environment, they will blow up in Europe’s face. By Agon Maliqi
How the Orbán administration’s political approach to the EU affects the upcoming rotating presidency Analysis Will Hungary be able to credibly fulfil its task of holding the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2024? This key question has frequently popped up during discussions in the Brussels bubble in recent months. By Kata Moravecz and György Folk
"We all must fight for our democracy" Interview The Europe that will go to the polls in June 2024 is very different from that of 2019. Pandemic recovery, the climate and energy crisis, war in the continent, and the rise of the far right are all driving the narratives of the electoral campaign, but also mobilising progressive forces. Roderick Kefferpütz interviews MEP Terry Reintke, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group and Spitzenkandidatin for the European Greens, on Green solutions for Europe in uncertain and volatile times. By Roderick Kefferpütz and Terry Reintke
What would a second Trump presidency mean for UK-EU defence cooperation? Commentary A Trump presidency would probably force the UK and EU to intensify their cooperation on security and defence. Fortunately, says Gesine Weber, this relationship was relatively less affected by Brexit. It would also push Europeans to have some difficult conversations about building on their own nuclear deterrent. By Gesine Weber