Security and defence

As Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine reminds European countries about the importance of manpower, many are once again weighing the promise and perils of compulsory military service. 

Labour is still allergic to the E-word, says Ros Taylor. But the party’s manifesto offers hints of what a far closer relationship with the EU might look like.

Europe has voted! The new European Parliament will shape the future trajectory of the European Union. The election results will not only influence the constellation of the next European Commission. They will also affect future EU policies such as democracy, climate, economy and social affairs. In this context, we discussed what are the main takeaways from the EP election results, what political groups will be formed, what majorities are possible, and what potential political alliances can be foreseen, and what does this mean for key issues such as the green transformation as well as the EU’s reform and enlargement agenda. With Jan Philipp Albrecht, Prof. Simon Hix, Joanna Maria Stolarek, Dietrich Herrmann, Marc Berthold, Michalis Goudis, Nóra Köves, Armida van Rij, Mar Garcia Sanz, and Roderick Kefferpütz.

What are international avenues to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its human rights violations such as internet shutdowns, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and sexual and gender-based violence? How should the European Union respond to the regional and domestic dynamics and what could be the contours of a new European policy on Iran? How could the European Union effectively support Iranian civil society actors and activists and their spaces of action in Iran and in the diaspora? Webinar on 16 May 2024 with Gissou Nia, Founder and director of the Strategic Litigation Project, Atlantic Council & Cornelius Adebahr, Non-resident Fellow, Carnegie Europe. Moderated by Bente Scheller, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Berlin.

European policy-makers need to rethink their approach to Iran and formulate a new policy that puts people and human security at its core. Such an approach would centre on a consistent human rights perspective and the sustained support for civil society.

More than 400 million people are expected to vote in the European elections on 6-9 June 2024, and decide on the next European Parliament. According to the polls, a shift to the right is expected in many EU countries, with populist, radical far right parties gaining votes and seats across the EU. What impact would this have? We will try to understand how the Europe we know might change in 2024 and foresee how the EU’s policy agenda and the direction of future EU legislation will be affected by it. And in line with this, we will also discuss the potential effects of an isolationist US administration after the November 2024 elections. Gail Rego talks to Roderick Kefferpütz, Director of the European Union office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, and Sophie Pornschlegel, Director of Studies and Development at Europe Jacques Delors.

Timothy Garton Ash is one of the greatest political voices in Europe. In his latest book “Homelands,” he tells the story of how Europe emerged from the ravages of war in 1945, recovered, rebuilt, and moved towards the ideal of a Europe that is “whole, free, and at peace” ‒ until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A conversation with Roderick Kefferpütz about shattered illusions, the war in Ukraine, democratic backsliding, and the fight for freedom.

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.

On February 27 2024, the well-known Russian human rights activist Oleg Orlov, co-founder and long-time director of the Memorial human rights centre, was sentenced to two years and six months of prison Moscow and arrested in the courtroom - for "repeated discrediting of the Russian army."