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NL 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 [...]
Expansion or stagnation? Our progressive agenda for (Southern) Eastern Europe in 2026
Ukraine: war, reforms and EU accession In Ukraine, war still rages daily. Peace seems far away due to persistent Russian aggression and US aberrations, despite intensive Ukrainian and European efforts to achieve peace. At the same time, Ukraine is fighting on a second front: democratising and strengthening society, institutions and politics with a view [...]
INTERVIEW: “One World, One Fight” – why the student protests in Serbia concern us all
The photographs in this article were taken by Jan Arsenovic on 1 November 2025, Utrecht. For over a year, Serbia has been in turmoil due to large-scale student protests. Young people are demanding justice, an end to corruption and the restoration of the rule of law. The spark was ignited when the newly renovated roof of the train station in Novi Sad […]
Why the Netherlands avoids the debate on extreme wealth
Source: Flickr Extreme wealth inequality is detrimental to societies. It leads to less trust in the government, less social cohesion and a greater risk of politicians being influenced by a small group of wealthy individuals. This is a hotly debated topic in Europe, but in the Netherlands it seems to have little political influence and is dismissed as a […]