The rocky path to power for the Greens in 2023 Analysis 2023 promises to be a crucial electoral year in Europe as voters elect new national leaders in several major countries, including Turkey, Poland and Spain. This article explores the role of the European Green Party (EGP) members in these elections. By Tobias Gerhard Schminke
Pyrrhic victories? The Green electoral year 2022 Analysis In 2022, European green parties increased their number of seats in most elections while witnessing some of their fiercest opponents win power. As such, the year was somewhat of a Pyrrhic battle for the Greens at the ballot box: though battles were technically won, the overall outcome can hardly be considered a complete victory. By Tobias Gerhard Schminke
Banning truth Commentary A new law in Turkey that would jail people for spreading “fake news” online has widened the rift with European digital regulations and human rights standards to tighten the muzzle on the press and social media users ahead of elections next year. By Ayla Jean Yackley
2022 US midterms Dossier On 8 November 2022, a new US Congress will be elected. What are the main points of debate? What will the results mean for the transatlantic relationship, for the climate, and for the world? How do elections function in the US? The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Washington, DC office tries to answer these questions and more.
A lot of “first times:” is Italy going to be the forerunner again? Analysis On 25 September 2022 Italy goes to the polls in an election that is characterized by many “first times.” It is the first time ever that the country votes just after the summer. Moreover, Italy is, for the first time, the country receiving most of the EU’s Next Generation EU budget (around 191 billion euros granted by common bonds). The “how to spend it” is of concern not only to the Italians and Brussels, but to the EU as a whole. By Costanza Hermanin
Gender agenda: The big conundrum in the general elections in Kenya and Senegal Analysis In the months of July and August 2022, Senegal and Kenya will hold their general elections. However, the big question remains: Where do Senegalese and Kenyan women stand on their quest to parliamentary mandates and political offices? By Dr. Saliou Ngom, Dr. Selly Bâ, Caroline Kioko and Nicola Egelhof
What do people in Northern Ireland really think about the Protocol? Commentary The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland not only remains a matter of contention in UK-EU relations but is also very much an issue that divides opinion in Northern Ireland. Polling data that we have collected allows us to see what concerns voters in Northern Ireland most about the Protocol, how opinion has evolved since the start of 2021, and the nature of the divisions that exist over it. It also shows how voters want those who won seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections on 5 May 2022 to vote in 2024 on the endurance of core elements of the Protocol. By Katy Hayward and David Phinnemore
France at a crossroads: this time, democracy itself is at stake... again Analysis After the first round of the presidential elections in France, there is everything to play for. The incumbent President, Emmanuel Macron, is in the lead (27.84%), but this time, Marine Le Pen (23.15%) has a real chance of victory in the runoff of 24 April 2022. This is our analysis of the elections. By Jules Hebert
Jobbik’s voters were the most likely to be missing from the opposition coalition’s camp Analysis Voters critical of the Orbán system are too diverse to be locked into a single camp. As it seems, it was an illusion to suggest that the majority of former Jobbik voters can vote on a list with center-left parties. The maneuvering space of the fifth Orbán government will only be limited by economic and foreign policy necessities; domestically, it has an easier job than ever before. By Róbert László
Orbán could win the election - and lose the world Analysis Putin’s war in Ukraine seems to be rewriting everything in the Hungarian election campaign, except for the balance of power between the contestants – for now, at least. The ruling party remains the most likely to win the general election, but there is something else Orbán might also lose. By Róbert László