Against the Darkness Published: 9 November 2023 böll.column These days it is easy to become pessimistic about social cohesion and the state of democracy. But the results of the recent Polish elections show that it pays to fight for democracy. By Jan Philipp Albrecht
Climate disinformation media fellows 2023 Published: 26 October 2023 Fellowship Giorgos Christides and Katy Fallon are our 2023 Climate Disinformation Media Fellows! They will pursue on-the-ground reporting on climate disinformation case studies. Their articles will be published as part of a web dossier on battling climate disinformation. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union
Germany can still be a valuable UK ally Published: 25 October 2023 Commentary Brexit and Britain’s Indo-Pacific tilt may have convinced Germany that the UK is no longer interested in defence co-operation, writes James Rogers. That would be a mistake. The two can build on each other’s strengths in NATO and in the defence of Ukraine. By James Rogers
What could the European Political Community do for Britain? Published: 20 October 2023 Commentary People who are keen to see an improvement in UK-EU relations should not overestimate the power of the European Political Community, says Luigi Scazzieri. It is not a route to rejoining the EU. Nonetheless, on some foreign policy issues and especially those affecting the EU’s borders, it could prove very useful. By Luigi Scazzieri
Making coffee and the art of coding: who works in the field of AI? Published: 6 October 2023 Commentary Working on and with AI is inherently influenced by gender and race. The small number of women and minorities among AI developers has even been described as a "diversity crisis". At the same time, however, women from the Global South are strong in lowly-paid areas of the field, from hardware assembly to crowd work addressing bias and injustices in AI. Understanding these present discriminating structures is the first step to social change. By Katharina Klappheck
"Elections in Slovakia: Fico is dangerous, but he knows the power of social protest" Published: 26 September 2023 Interview With the return of former Prime Minister Fico, old authoritarian patterns could resurface in the upcoming elections. However, progressives also have a chance to win. By Jan Philipp Albrecht , Adéla Jurečková and Zuzana Kepplová
Back to the 1970s: why the Conservatives are cooling on net zero Published: 25 September 2023 Commentary Plans to revive North Sea oil and push back 2030 net zero targets could mark the end of the UK’s 35-year cross-party consensus on the need to cut emissions. Fiona Harvey explains why some Conservatives see an electoral advantage in pulling the climate emergency into the ‘culture wars’. By Fiona Harvey
Climate disinformation media fellowship 2023 Published: 21 September 2023 Fellowship With this fellowship, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union gives a select number of journalists the opportunity for on-the-ground reporting on climate disinformation case studies. The articles will be published as part of a web dossier on battling climate disinformation. By Zora Siebert
State of the Union address: Ursula von der Leyen’s bid for a second term in office Published: 20 September 2023 Analysis In her address, European Commission President von der Leyen missed the opportunity to develop bold proposals for the future. This contribution analyses her informal bid for a second term in office by looking at her thematic focuses. By Roderick Kefferpütz , Lisa Sandtner (on parental leave) , Anton Möller , Zora Siebert , Melanie Bernhofer and Hannah Goerlich
Hungarian rainbow families: raising children in a hostile political context Published: 18 September 2023 Commentary In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Government, in power since 2010, has systematically curtailed LGBTIQ+ rights. Hundreds of such parents have adopted children with their same-sex spouses or partners, have given birth to children themselves or have availed themselves of surrogates to have their own genetically-related offspring. This article offers a glimpse into the lives of two such families in Hungary. By Anna Frenyó