The European Union and the Western Balkans: Bad Plans and Unfulfilled Promises

Generally, the reconciliation processes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in most other Balkan countries seem to retrograde. Economic and political situations are still unstable and a brutal plunder of state and social property left devastating consequences. The EU's interference in the region doesn't help stabilising the 'black mosaic'.

Upping the Ante on Bulk Surveillance

The precarious balance between the need for security and the right to privacy will continue to characterize “risk societies” of the 21st century. This compendium by Thorsten Wetzling and Kilian Vieth provides robust oversight practices and good laws that can serve as bulwarks against the erosion of fundamental rights in Europe and America.

What Is at Stake in the 2019 European Election?

The upcoming European election in 2019 might bring about an unprecedented political earthquake, already foreshadowed four years ago, blowing away the political centre altogether. What is likely to happen in the end: the feared come-back of nationalism or is there hope for a pro-European revival?

Great expectations, low execution: The Katowice climate change conference COP 24

The Katowice climate package brings minor progress, but COP 24 failed to deliver on the most fundamental issues such as raising ambition of national contributions, implementing human rights, and ensuring support for developing countries.

Unpacking COP24 and its implications for Southeast Asia

This year’s United Nations climate conference wrapped up this month in Katowice, Poland with just enough progress to make the Paris Agreement operational. Yet too few countries stepped up in response to a year of extremes and a slew of reports, all highlighting the widening gap between what science demands and what is actually being acted upon.

Reinforcing Environmental Dimensions of European Foreign and Security Policy

The paper outlines the environmental dimension of the European security policy and security-related foreign policy and discusses how the integration of environmental concerns into this policy framework could – and should – be improved to support the delivery of the 2030 Sustainability Agenda, both in the EU and globally.

“All we want is to work in partnership with our readers”

Journalism is in a serious crisis. Nevertheless, alternative left-wing media are still out there in Europe, providing quality news and analysis with financial backing not from oligarchs or big business but from their readers. An exchange between the makers of merce.hu (Hungary), republik.ch (Switzerland), oko.press (Poland), and taz.de (Germany).

Political action for fundamental right of information and a democratic public sphere

Christophe Deloire, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, explains the vision of how to secure the public space of communication.

Democracy is out of order: CEU forced to leave Hungary

The Central European University (CEU) announced that it is forced to launch all degree programs in a new location in Vienna in September 2019. The Hungarian Government has made it impossible for the university to ensure its operations in Budapest on the long run.

Safeguarding Democracy in the European Union

Liberal democracies are under pressure, both worldwide and in Europe. For example, in Hungary and Poland, farright nationalist to nationalistic parties are in government and propagate an ‘illiberal’ democracy. The dismantling of democracy in an EU member state is not a national problem – it is a European one. The study makes clear the dilemma in which the EU finds itself and what possibilities for action are available to it.

Reconnecting Europe

Our blog deals with the main challenges the European Union faces and provides posts by a range of high profile authors and young talents with different professional and national backgrounds.

New blog posts coming soon! In the meantime read the latest contributions :​

• How to Prevent the Chaos of Disintegration by Ricardo Cabral, Viriato Soromenho-Marques
• Striving for Gender Equality by Charlotte Joppien

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is a global network of 34 offices worldwide. Once a month, we will present you in this section one of our offices and its work.

The Washington Office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung was established in 1998, the same year as the Brussels office, and is the foundation's strategic transatlantic office. Registered as 501(c)(3) organization in the US, the Washington office promotes policy reform and political dialogue in their program areas. Through informational programs, study tours and visitor programs; special events, meetings, workshops and conferences; public seminars and training programs; and monitoring of the work of international organizations, the Washington office seeks to advance democracy and human rights, protect the environment and climate, and promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts. It also places particular emphasis on gender democracy, meaning social emancipation and equal rights for women and LGBTI communities.

To find out more about their work, watch their video 'Who we are' and read their dossier Welcoming Communities Transatlantic Exchange (WCTE), a project running over two years to share ideas and best practices on welcoming and integrating refugees at local level.

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