Democracy

The annual report 2013 of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung summarises the foundation's work on the topics European policy, ecology and justice, democracy and human rights, foreign and security policy, education, social participation and opportunities for advancement.

What will the European political landscape will look like after the election night and what are the perspectives for the European project?

Is it still possible to debunk the populist myths and mend the anti-European sentiments before the elections and how?

Is there still time to convince enough citizens, especially the young, to give their support to the European project, however bruised and battered it may look at the moment? What are the main challenges to be mastered if, at the end of the year, the European Union and its supporters will be able to look back with contentment, pride and relief and forward with confidence?

Protagonists of 1968 from Brazil, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Serbia, and Belgium share their memories and assess the events.

This paper argues that political pluralism can only be fostered by going beyond the classical areas of donor engagement such as election support, good governance, human rights and the rule of law.

The study fleshes out a number of proposals to put the EU on a more stable and democratic footing and examines the futre of the European democracy as a whole.