Democracy

As the UK races to upgrade its electricity grid for a net-zero future, new pylons are sparking old arguments. To some, they are industrial blights on the countryside; to others, symbols of progress. Yet with offshore wind and solar booming, new transmission lines are unavoidable. The government hopes bill discounts and community funds will ease opposition – but as legal reforms curb local objections, many Britons may soon have to get used to the view.

Our Böll EU Newsletter this month looks at the future of the European Green Deal, the EU 2040 climate target and the different articles and publications we have launched in the past weeks.

The UK and EU held their first post-Brexit summit in May 2025. Its outcome was a long list of areas – ranging from emissions trading to the mobility of young people – on which the two sides intend to cooperate more closely. But formal negotiations will be neither quick nor easy. Most of the hard work is yet to come, writes Jannike Wachowiak.

A majority of citizens in Germany have a positive view of the new federal government‘s pledge for a stronger leadership role in the EU, but clearly advocate for doing so in a cooperative manner. These findings come from the latest edition of our long-term study 'Actually European!?' on Germany’s role in the EU.

The European Union is not merely facing a series of overlapping crises, but the simultaneous unravelling of the geopolitical, economic, and democratic orders that have long underpinned its stability and global role. This moment of systemic disruption poses a stark question: can Europe move from being an object of global shifts to becoming a subject that actively shapes the emerging world order?

After PiS' victory at the presidential election run-off in Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for and survived a confidence vote on 11 June 2025. What’s next for the country’s governing coalition, at a critical moment for Europe’s climate, democracy, and security agenda? Roderick Kefferpütz asked Urszula Zielińska, Green Vice-Minister for Climate and Environment, what the result means for the future of the ruling coalition, the Greens’ priorities in the months ahead and Poland’s role in the EU.

Karol Nawrocki of the Law and Justice party (PiS) narrowly won Poland’s presidential run-off—dealing a serious blow to Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition government. What does this mean for Polish politics, the EU, and the balance of power in Warsaw? In this Böll·Europe Podcast episode we focus on the run-off of the presidential election in Poland, which took place on Sunday 1 June 2025. Our guest is Maciej Makulski, Head of Europe and International Politics at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Warsaw office.

It’s never all doom and gloom. Even when political developments feel heavy and the broader context darkens, light still finds a way through. Over the past weeks, we’ve seen some encouraging signs.

The failed Presidential election in Romania last year, fuelled by a wave of disinformation, triggered an unprecedented period of political instability in this EU and NATO Member State. A rerun took place on 4 and 18 May 2025, and the Mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, was elected. We asked MEP Nicu Ștefănuță (Greens/EFA), Vice-President of the European Parliament, what this result means for the future of Romania and its role in the EU, NATO and with regards to supporting Ukraine.

Following the change of government in 2023, Poland once again faces a historic crossroads. An emotionally charged election campaign reflects deep social divisions – and the struggle for the country's future.