Democracy

Through activities such as the Global Development Initiative, China seeks to redefine concepts such as democracy and sovereignty, and garner support from countries in the Global South. India and Europe are both faced with this challenge. It is time they increased cooperation.

2026 cannot be 2025 on repeat. After a year of buying time and holding ground, Europe enters 2026 facing mounting pressure on several fronts. In this newsletter, we look ahead to the key challenges and choices that will shape the year to come, and where Europe still has room to act.

As the year draws to a close and Brussels slows down for the holidays, we would like to take a moment to say thank you to our community. In our December 2025 newsletter, we share seasonal wishes alongside in-depth analysis of the European Green Party’s trajectory in 2025, a report on consumers’ rights in the context of international trade agreements, an interview reflecting on the G20 Summit, and our regular “Three Questions” on the outcomes of COP30, among other highlights.

2025 brought mixed fortunes for the European Green Party: record election results in Norway and Portugal, historic membership surges in Germany and the UK, and the election of the first Green mayor in Copenhagen and Riga. However, the loss of governmental power in Germany was a notable setback. Tobias Gerhard Schminke from Europe Elects has the data and details.

Europe once set the standards the world followed. Today, others are pushing back, challenging the EU’s regulatory power and exposing its reluctance to act strategically. Our Böll EU Newsletter 11/2025 examines Europe’s shifting role in global power politics, the rise of the green euro, new debates on security and offensive capabilities, fresh insights on the MFF, and our latest work on citizen participation in the EU energy transition.

On 29 October 2025, the Netherlands went to the polls in a much-anticipated election that could reshape the country’s political landscape – and its role in Europe. After two years of a populist government, the centrist liberal party D66, led by Rob Jetten, emerged as the winner. Meanwhile, the GroenLinks–PvdA alliance fell short of expectations, raising new questions about the future of the Dutch centre-left – and about what comes next in coalition talks. So – what happened, what’s next, and why should Brussels care? In this new Böll·Europe Podcast episode, host Joan Lanfranco upacks with Noortje Thijssen (Director of the Scientific Bureau GroenLinks, the political foundation of the Dutch green party) the election results, the prospects for coalition-building, and what this means for the Netherlands’ direction – both at home and in Europe.

Defence topped the October EUCO agenda. Read our Böll EU Newsletter 10/2025 for analysis on Europe’s evolving defence landscape, the political crisis in France, Czech elections, local housing solutions and our upcoming events.

After weeks of confusion and controversy around Sébastien Lecornu’s appointment as Prime Minister, President Macron faces mounting pressure at home and growing doubts abroad. Joan Lanfranco asked Marc Berthold, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Paris office, what this means for Macron, France’s role in the EU, and the wider impact on Europe.

The European Commission’s new LGBTIQ+ Equality strategy for 2026-2030 puts equality back on the agenda – but for Rémy Bonny, Executive Director at Forbidden Colours, it comes too little, too late. As Europe faces a coordinated anti-gender movement importing authoritarian narratives into the EU, he warns that “a few nice words won’t stop that.” Joan Lanfranco asked him where the EU needs to show real political courage, how it can counter disinformation and violence, and why defending LGBTIQ+ rights has become a test of Europe’s democracy itself.

Czechia voted for change – but what kind? Andrej Babiš makes a comeback, the Greens return to parliament, and populism takes a new shape. Adéla Jurečková, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague office, breaks down the results and what they mean for Czech democracy and the EU.