Democracy

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3 Questions on the Greens’ first Westminster by-election win to Natalie Bennett

3 Questions
Westminster woke up to what the BBC called a "seismic event." In the Gorton and Denton by-election, Green candidate Hannah Spencer didn't just edge ahead. She won decisively with over 40% of the vote, reshaping assumptions about the limits of Green politics in the UK. It marked the first ever Westminster by-election victory for the Greens, adding to their seats from the 2024 general election and bringing their total to five MPs. In a fragmented political landscape where Labour and Reform were expected to dominate the contest, voters chose a different path. What does this victory tell us about shifting political coalitions? Is this a protest vote or something more durable? And can the Greens translate a by-election breakthrough into sustained national momentum? Roderick Kefferpütz asked Natalie Bennett, Green Party peer in the House of Lords, and former leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (2012-2016), for her take.
Natalie Bennett, Roderick Kefferpütz
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Latest publications

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Defending Equality in an Age of Democratic Decline

Report
This report by Forbidden Colours argues that the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 was designed for a political moment that has since shifted dramatically. Although it secured important legal advances, it failed to anticipate the rise of coordinated anti-rights movements challenging fundamental freedoms across Europe. As the EU prepares its 2026–2030 Strategy, a decisive shift is needed: gender equality must be anchored as a core pillar of democratic resilience, security and rule-of-law protection – not treated as a standalone social policy.
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Global Europe, Global Democracy, and uncertain futures for supporting civil society?

Paper
This analysis argues that democracy should feature more prominently in the Global Europe pillar of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), both in terms of objectives and of instruments. It then locates democracy among the European Union’s external strategic objectives, arguing for a more central role as democratic governance has the potential to contribute to other policy objectives such as security and economic development.
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Our main focus

The work of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union on Democracy & Development is based on the understanding that democracy and development are a socio-political processes driven by citizens.
 
The adoption by the EU of subsequent constitutive treaties has created sufficient provision for the respect of human rights within EU internal and external policies including Common Foreign and Security Policy, trade, cooperation and development. Thus, the EU's external relations' activities must not only respect but also promote human rights and democratic development. Legal provisions on gender equality are, unfortunately, less consistent. 
 
The hbs European Union promotes the integration and implementation of existing EU legal provisions on democracy, human rights, gender equality, sustainable development and civil society participation in the contractual relations with developing countries. This is put into practice with active participation from partners in Brussels and abroad.

Cornelia Hoffmann
Head of EU Programmes & Democracy
Tel. +32 (0)2 743 41 01
Email: cornelia.hoffmann[at]eu.boell.org

Zora Siebert
Head of EU Policy Porgramme
Tel. +32 (0)2 743 41 19
Email: zora.siebert[at]eu.boell.org

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Dossiers

2019 elections: the European Parliament Goes Green!

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Democracy & Human Rights

3 questions on Iran protests to Hannah Neumann MEP

3 Questions on the Iran protests to MEP Hannah Neumann

3 questions
Iran is facing the most serious challenge to the regime in years. Unprecedented protests, a collapsing economy, and a brutal crackdown are pushing the system to its limits. What is happening on the ground, why this protest cycle is different, and what Europe must now do: we asked three questions to Hannah Neumann, Green MEP and Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Iran.
Roderick Kefferpütz, Hannah Neumann
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Digitalisation

Henna Virkkunen

A Shield Without a Sword

Interview
In November, the European Commission unveiled the long-awaited Democracy Shield initiative, designed to counter threats such as disinformation and foreign interference. While it acknowledges the systemic risk European democracy faces, the Shield falls short of addressing its root causes: engagement-based algorithms, Big Tech dominance, geopolitical dependency, and deep divisions that make Europe vulnerable to polarising messages. An interview with Alexandra Geese, Green Member of the European Parliament. 
Alice Stollmeyer, Alexandra Geese
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3 Questions on what a positive digital future could look like to Payal Arora

3 Questions
In this super election year, concerns loom over how artificial intelligence might impact elections worldwide. Technology’s advances, coupled with the potential misuse of bad actors, are a real threat. However, there are intriguing contrasts in attitudes towards AI and the use of technology between Europe and the Global South. Prof. Dr. Payal Arora, Chair of Inclusive AI Cultures at the Department of Media & Culture Studies at Utrecht University, challenges prevailing narratives of techno-pessimism. She offers a nuanced perspective on the transformative potential of technology within inclusive frameworks. Zora Siebert asked her three key questions.
Zora Siebert (on parental leave), Payal Arora
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Feminism and Gender Democracy

Gunda Werner Institut

The Gunda Werner Institute of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is a multifunctional meeting place and discussion forum, whose purpose is to promote theories of feminist and gender democracy, support grassroots projects and global feminist women’s movements, and envision gender-democratic and political strategies that effect change in social organizations. With varied political perspectives and personal experiences, our organization seeks new, unifying answers to the remaining unsolved questions of gender justice.

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