Our latest articles

Boris Johnson chairs the morning Covid-19 Meeting

How not to use tech in a pandemic - lessons from the UK

From legal challenges to delays, leaks and policy reversals, the UK has stumbled in its tech response to the pandemic. A full assessment of what happened will take time, but the record thus far already offers lessons for the future.

By Frederike Kaltheuner

Europe needs a Real Green Deal!

The German government must fight for a Real Green Deal for Europe that combines economy and ecology and sets the course for a socio-ecological market economy. Dr. Ellen Ueberschär describes what that could look like.

By Dr. Ellen Ueberschär

So it works, after all! Why I installed the German coronavirus tracing app

Open-source software, transparent communication, and public-private cooperation with both large and small companies—the development of the German contact tracing app could be a model for future government IT projects.

Q Dilution Refrigerator

Security implications of novel quantum information technologies

New quantum technologies promise exponentially faster computing and ultra-secure encryption systems. In the global race to build these systems no state actor can afford to come second as quantum computers promise ultimate strategic-military advantages.

By Juljan Krause

Egypt today: Covid-19 on top of repression, repression on top of Covid-19

Amidst the Covid-19 crisis in Egypt, a recent chain of events reveals the systemic violence that the regime of President al-Sisi exerts. To address those developments, what’s behind them and how international actors might respond to them, we are speaking with Amr Magdi, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch.

By Johannes Gunesch

Events

09

July

Discussion Thursday, 09. July 2020

Who’s Responsible for Your Data Security? Women, Cybersecurity & Remote Work

"Women Take on the Digital Divide" – A Six-Part Public Event Series - Part 3

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New Dossiers

Tech and Covid-19

Tech and Covid-19

Insect Atlas

Playing with fire: are the US and Iran risking war?

Focus on Hungary

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Our latest publications

Closed ports, dubious partners

Closed Ports, Dubious Partners

E-Paper

This study shows that port closures are governed not only by the law of the sea and human rights law, but also by WHO law and that non-refoulement obligations continue to apply even in emergency situations while a derogation is not permissible under international law.

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The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2019

The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2019 (WNISR2019) provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear power plant data, including information on age, operation, production and construction.

pdf

Multilateralism 2.0

It is time to upgrade the current debate on multilateralism, to make it greener and more global. We tried to do just this at our 20th Foreign Policy Conference, which took place in Berlin on 30-31 January 2020. This reader provides some insights into our major topics, from trade to climate to security policy, with perspectives from South Africa, India, Brazil, the US and the EU.

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International Relations

Street Art George Floyd

“Trump’s election defeat won’t end structural racism”

The murder of George Floyd has thrown the United States into a state of unrest. President Trump is throwing fuel on the fire in an attempt to increase his re-election chances. The main problem, however, is historical, structural racism – and not just in the U.S. An interview with Bastian Hermisson, Head of the Foundation’s office in Washington, and Mekonnen Mesghena, Head of Migration and Diversity at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin.

By Bastian Hermisson and Mekonnen Mesghena

EU-Neighbourhood Policy

Masculinity as a project – new film series from Russia on gender politics

Informative film

The new online course on masculinity has now been released in a version with English subtitles, making the cooperation project of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Moscow available internationally to anyone interested.

By Katja Giebel

more on "EU-Neighbourhood Policy"

International Policy

"The Coronavirus has declared war on Armenia"

While restrictions against the pandemic are gradually being lifted throughout Europe, the situation in Armenia is worsening. The capacities of hospitals are exhausted. Armenia is in a de facto state of emergency as a result of the pandemic, which could turn into a political crisis. Our colleague Eviya Hovhannisyan from Yerevan reports the current developments in the interview.

By Katja Giebel

more on "International Policy

Democracy

Main traffic road during quarantine in the capital city Bogotá

Colombia and SARS-CoV-2: Will the storm pass?

In Colombia too, public life and the economy have been at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is, however, hope that the early measures taken to stem the pandemic will pay off in the medium and long term. The country is currently between hope and fear regarding the measures to ease the social and economic lockdown in place since March.

By Florian Huber

Democracy & Human Rights

A German EU Presidency cannot succeed without France

Europe could still emerge from the pandemic crisis sustainably positioned and strengthened, but only if the Franco-German tandem works. The plans for a reconstruction fund of 500 billion euros mark a turnaround in the right direction.

By Jens Althoff

more on "Democracy & Human Rights"

Digitalisation

Protest against Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro

Infected texts: disinformation meets polarization in Brazil

The fight against Covid-19 in Brazil has developed into an ideological battle, pitting President Jair Bolsonaro - who wants to reopen the country - against those who defend the WHO protocols. Brazil’s WhatsApp culture has opened the gate to a flood of rumors and fake news, some of which can allegedly be traced back to Bolsonaro’s inner circle. But the favelas are seeking their own solutions to counter disinformation.

By Helena Costa and Mônica Chaves

more on "Digitalisation"

Ecology

Flawed but vital, “Planet of the Humans” poses several inconvenient questions

Michael Moore and Jeff Gibbs new movie, Planet of the Humans (POTH) serves to uncomfortably remind viewers that in many ways, despite our increased awareness of the growing biodiversity and climate crises, often our “environmental” and “sustainable” solutions, such as “natural” fossil gas, biomass and biofuels, have proven as bad or worse than the coal and petroleum they were intended to replace.

By L. Michael Buchsbaum

European Energy Transition

Red Alarm: Europe’s Next Drought is Already Upon Us

In much of Europe, this April is proving one of the driest in history. According to climate scientists, this could be the new normal as global warming enhances the frequency of severe droughts. Farmers though could do more to secure stable harvests: by growing more diverse crops.

By Paul Hockenos

more on "European Energy Transition"

International Climate, Energy & Agriculture Policy

CAP Strategic plans

How Transparent and Inclusive is the Design Process of the National CAP Strategic Plans?

After the first steps made towards designing the National CAP Strategic Plans, this article analyses transparency and stakeholder inclusivity in six selected Member States: France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Poland.

By Matteo Metta

more on "International Climate, Energy & Agriculture Policy"

Dossiers

Feminicide: A Global Phenomenon

The Role of the European Union in Its Neighbourhood and in the World

Energy Atlas 2018: Facts and Figures about Renewables in Europe

The State We’re in – the European Union: Still Alive but under Continuing Pressure

Workshop European Neighbourhood Policy (South)