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NL It ain't easy going green, part 1: Montenegro
This series is written in collaboration with International Foundation GroenLinks (IFG). EU enlargement is back on the agenda. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and amid growing uncertainty about the United States’ role in Europe, EU leaders have increasingly stressed the need to expand the Union. Closer cooperation with countries in Eastern Europe [...]
Von der Leyen's self-interested thinking is a danger to everything Europe stands for
What does Europe stand for in the world? It is a question that seems increasingly and increasingly difficult to answer. The identity crisis our continent is caught up in is becoming increasingly visible in the foreign policy of European countries and EU institutions. Previously self-evident principles, such as protecting and upholding international law and promoting [...]
The Bukele model: an export product of democratic erosion
In an increasing number of Latin American countries, one political promise currently seems to sell best: security above all else. In practice, that also seems to mean security at all costs - including the rule of law, human rights, international cooperation and institutions. Since his election in 2019 (and re-election in 2024), Nayib Bukele has been positioning himself as the [...]
Diploma ceremony of the Progressive Ukraine Programme
The online graduation ceremony of the Progressive Ukraine Programme, organised within the Open Progressive University (OPU), took place this week at the European Parliament in Brussels. The ceremony was organised by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), in cooperation with the S&D Group in the European Parliament and the Max van der Stoel Foundation (FMS). [...]
Time to win a battle in the fight for democratisation
Image: WOS Time to win a battle in the fight for democratisation As campaign signs colour the streets ahead of the 18 March municipal elections, local democracy is under pressure. Not only because of aggression and intimidation, but also because of a national politics that throws oil on the fire and abandons administrators. [...]
Ukraine after four years of war: “We need new arguments”
This article is also available in English. Tomorrow, four years will have passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. What began as a shock in February 2022 has turned into a protracted and exhausting reality - for Ukrainians, but also for Europeans. While European governments have consistently continued financial and military support, it seems [...]
What's going on between Damascus and the Kurds in Rojava
Source: Macondo In recent weeks, people around the world have taken to the streets to protest for the rights and autonomy of the Kurdish people in northeastern Syria, known as Rojava. In cities such as London, Berlin and Amsterdam, demonstrators filled squares and streets to call on internationals to address the growing pressure [...]
Coalition agreement: “Getting started” in Europe, at your own pace?
D66, VVD and CDA this week presented their coalition agreement for the upcoming minority government that will govern the Netherlands under Rob Jetten's leadership. That the cabinet will have a significantly higher pro-European signature than its predecessor is clear from the outset. The three coalition parties devote considerable attention to geopolitical and European affairs, with the aim of putting the Netherlands back in [...]
Multiannual European budget 2028-2034 and EU enlargement: a turning point
Read the note here This policy note explains how the European Commission's proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 responds to EU enlargement, a topic that is again high on the agenda after a decade of stagnation and in light of the full-fledged Russian invasion of Ukraine. With Ukraine's EU membership applications, [...]
In conversation with green activist: Andrej Zlatović on Serbian student movement, EU cooperation and neo-idealism
Source: Mašina/People's Dispatch This article is the first in a series of conversations in which International Foundation Groenlinks will engage with green activists from different parts of the world. The series looks beyond specific moments or campaigns and instead focuses on how activists reflect on their work, their context and current [...]