International Relations

On 12 June 2024, the European Commission announced additional preliminary tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). This is based on an EU anti-subsidy investigation, which found that China is extensively subsidising its automotive sector. The United States also recently raised comparable tariffs to 100%. At the same time, some large European car manufacturers are anxious about potential retaliatory measures by China.

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.

After the European elections, the democratic and pro-European forces in the European Parliament (EP) have been weakened. They must make cooperation much more binding in order to ensure reliable majorities for an effective EU.

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.

2019 was an extraordinary election year for the European Green Party, and it was clear from the beginning of the 2024 campaign that it would be tough to match it again this year. While the Greens lost seats overall, most of the losses were concentrated in Germany and Western Europe, while the bloc was able to pick up new seats in the South and East.

Today, citizens will start heading to the polls to vote for the next European Parliament. The outcome will in part determine the political correlation of forces in Europe over the next five years. If current projections hold true, we will not only witness a rightward shift within the EP but also more fragmentation. Instead of seven political groups, key officials in the parliament administration expect there to be nine. These tendencies will affect political majorities.

As Europe approaches its parliamentary elections on 6-9 June 2024 and the war in Ukraine shows no sign of slowing, a pressing issue demands attention: the EU's continuing active participation in, and facilitation of, Russia's fossil fuel shipping and exports. This article delves into critical analysis and proposes strategies for reducing dependency on, and support of, the Russian fossil fuel industry, supported by data and statistics highlighting the impact of these exports on the Russian economy, the war in Ukraine and the global climate crisis.

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.

Just under six months ago, Georgia became a formal candidate for EU membership. The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, adopted in mid-May 2024, however, hinders Georgian accession to the EU and has drawn massive protests by Georgian society. The bill, which has great similarities to a Russian law, requires non-governmental organisations and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as bodies 'pursuing the interests of a foreign power.' In this context, Zora Siebert and Helena Borst asked three questions to Dr. Sonja Schiffers, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung South Caucasus office in Tbilisi, on how she views the latest developments.

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.