Democracy

Denmark's Green Party (SF) has just made history, entering government as the country's second-largest party after the March 2026 election reshuffled the Folketing. With five ministers in the new cabinet, SF holds more influence than at any point in the party's history. MEP Rasmus Nordqvist reflects on what that means for the green transition, how Danish climate ambition connects to a stalling EU agenda, and how the party is navigating the tension between its values and the security priorities of a new coalition operating in an uncertain geopolitical moment.

From the Digital Services Act to EuroStack, MEP Alexandra Geese argues that Europe's digital sovereignty will not be won by copying US platform models. It requires investment, industrial policy, and the courage to build on Europe's own democratic strengths.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is welcoming applications for its traineeship programme, running from September 2026 to February 2027. The deadline for applications is Sunday 28 June 2026, 23:59 CEST.

The AI gold rush is rewriting the rules of energy, politics and society at once. Europe's answer so far has been a sovereignty debate. Our latest newsletter argues the bigger question is what kind of society AI will create.

New geopolitical realities also call for new strategies for tech sovereignty: The EU’s digital strategy links its own competitiveness and autonomy with new international partnerships.

Between digital dominance and democratic freedom: how can Germany and Europe strengthen their digital sovereignty? Rebecca Lenhard, spokesperson for digital policy for the Greens in the Bundestag, provides some answers.

Fragile institutions, deep polarization, and growing pressures on the country's civic identity reveal how much remains unfinished. European integration is Montenegro's decisive chance, not just to close negotiating chapters, but to transform state and society from within.

After 16 years of Viktor Orbán, a change of government in Hungary seemed almost unthinkable until recently. And yet Péter Magyar and his TISZA party won the election on April 12, 2026 by a clear margin. The new government’s next steps are important milestones for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law.

Friedrich Merz’s popularity is plummeting, and Germany’s ruling parties are fighting for survival. But now isn’t the time to focus on the fate of individuals and political groupings: Europe needs to be made fit for its new geopolitical reality.

Christian Schmidt's resignation as High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina was not a routine handover. It followed intense US pressure, linked to a controversy over the Southern Interconnection pipeline, where Bosnian legislation handed a major energy project to a Trump-linked company over EU objections. With Republika Srpska's Milorad Dodik presenting the departure as his personal triumph, and European actors conspicuously silent, Bosnia's fragile post-war order is under serious strain. We asked Paola Petrić, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Sarajevo office, what this moment means for Bosnia's institutions, for Washington's role in the Western Balkans, and for the EU's credibility as a guarantor of the Dayton framework.