Rule of Law

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.

Hungary has chosen a new start, giving a boost to democracy across Europe. A broad alliance of politics and civil society demonstrates just how powerful solidarity and the courage to embrace change can be. This presents both opportunities and challenges for European cooperation.

The opposition’s overwhelming election victory and the ousting of the Orbán regime are of historic significance for Hungary and the whole of Europe. A conversation with Bulcsú Hunyadi from the Budapest based think tank Political Capital on the reasons behind the success of the TISZA party, the challenges facing the future government, and the tireless efforts of civil society.

Hungary has voted, and in doing so, sent a message to democratic forces worldwide. Péter Magyar's Tisza Party won a historic supermajority, ending 16 years of Viktor Orbán's authoritarian rule. But rebuilding democracy, restoring the Rule of Law, and repairing Hungary's relationship with the EU will be a monumental task. We asked Adéla Jurečková, Director of our Prague office (covering Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary) what the result means for Hungary, Europe, and Ukraine.

The European Commission released its new EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, setting the course for EU gender policy over the next five years. While the previous strategy (2020–2025) brought progress in several areas, it struggled to effectively address the rise of anti-gender ideologies and integrate gender equality across broader EU policy frameworks. In recent years, the growth of far-right and anti-feminist movements across Europe has highlighted the urgent need for a more comprehensive and resilient approach to defending gender equality and democratic values. In this context, we discussed on 19 March 2026 the new EU Gender Equality Strategy and our newly published report 'Defending Equality in an Age of Democratic Decline – Reframing Europe’s Gender Equality Strategy for 2026–2030' with its author Rémy Bonny (Forbidden Colours) and MEP Alexandra Geese (Greens/EFA), moderated by Louise Mollenhauer (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU | Global Dialogue).

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.

Hybrid threats, rooted in authoritarian uses of technology, cause everyday harm. Collective resilience requires dismantling their ecosystems through reconceptualising these threats, comprehensive countermeasures, and cross-regional cooperation. Europe and Asia already cooperate on cyber defence but must go further to disincentivise authoritarian practices directly.

In November 2024, the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people and sparked the largest student-led protests in Serbia's modern history. Initial grief gave way to a decentralised movement that is demanding accountability, far-reaching reforms and new elections, despite brutal repression by the regime. The protests have exposed the failure of 'stabilitocracy' and brought Serbia's democratic future — and the EU's role in it — to the forefront of political debate.

A wave of pro-democratic uprisings is pushing back against the rise of authoritarianism in the United States, Turkey, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and many other countries. In Serbia, four months of sustained protests have left the country in political limbo — without a functioning government and facing the prospect of yet another snap election.

From July 1 to December 31, 2024, Hungary held the presidency of the EU Council. The presidency underscored Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's foreign policy approach: a clear separation between communication and day-to-day operations. Despite growing tensions between Orbán and EU leaders, as well as unresolved disputes with key EU institutions, the Hungarian presidency has done its work accordingly in the second half of 2024. 

2024 was a challenging year for any government’s ruling party. Incumbent governments struggled as the cost-of-living crisis disgruntled voters around the globe. This was especially true for junior coalition partners, who often bear the brunt of electoral backlash. Green parties were no exception to the rule.

Poland takes on the EU Council Presidency in January 2025. What does this role mean, and what challenges lie ahead? Our latest article explores the key context and what to expect during this pivotal six-month period.

On 18 July 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was elected for a second mandate and presented to the European Parliament her Political Guidelines for the next European Commission. A new European Commission will kick-off its work on 1 December 2024, after its approval by the European Parliament. We take a look at von der Leyen's promises for the first 100 days (and beyond) of the new European Commission.

An umbrella does not shield against flooding. For the European Democracy Shield to do what it says, it must encompass the full spectrum of hybrid threats, not only foreign disinformation. Like any shield, it is only as strong as its bearer. If it is to be more than a fig leaf, our work to defend democracy must start at home.

Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections signal the country’s descent into hegemonic authoritarianism. The ruling Georgian Dream party won by engaging in election manipulation, adopting the classical illiberal-authoritarian playbook, spreading disinformation about simultaneously remaining on the EU enlargement track and instrumentalizing Russia’s threat to the country. If the government stays in power despite these violations, Georgia’s relationship with the EU will further deteriorate.

Orbán aims to make a big impact during Hungary's six-month EU Council presidency, starting with a controversial visit to Moscow. Shortly after, his party, Fidesz, joined the far-right Patriots alliance in the European Parliament—a long-time goal for Orbán, despite its likely marginal influence. Betting on Trump's re-election, Orbán still ensured a handshake with Biden at the NATO summit. Meanwhile, EU leaders are increasingly sidelining him during the presidency.

As part of an EU Democracy research project funded by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office, Sophie Pornschlegel interviewed European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, during the summer break of the European Commission. In their conversation, Vice-President Jourová reflected on five years of efforts to safeguard democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the EU, amid increasing threats against democracy and a shifting geopolitical context, not least due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. 

Already within its first few weeks, Hungary’s EU Council presidency has managed to outrage many international commentators. Still, there are indications that Viktor Orbán’s six-month gig in Brussels aims to be first and foremost a PR stunt to sell the Hungarian prime minister and his ideas to the European public. In Europe, this mission is supported by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Hungary’s principal “talent promotion institution”. 

On 23 June 2024, Chancellor Scholz will receive Argentinian president Javier Milei with military honours. Not only do Milei’s reform plans accept the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law, they will also deindustrialise Argentina. This does not correspond to Germany's interests.