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Category: Democracy

Dutch letterbox firm facilitates Georgian propaganda channel

Headmen of ruling Georgian Dream party at a protest in favour of the 'foreign-agent law' (April 2024, Jelger Groeneveld, Wikimedia Commons) The role of the Netherlands as home to dubious, tax-dodging letterbox firms is well known. However, our country also appears to host propaganda channels that threaten democracy in other countries. Research by the Max van der Stoel Foundation [...]

Three years of war: six studies on Ukrainian reconstruction

Source: Getty Images Today marks the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine. In the context of the war that is still ongoing, Foundation Max van der Stoel has contributed to several studies in collaboration with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and its partners on the reconstruction of Ukraine. These [...]

Visiting Germany: 'For the SPD, this is a disappointing result'

Campaign sign in Kleve with current Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) On 23 February, the German parliamentary elections took place. As expected, the CDU/CSU emerged victorious, while the far-right AfD finished second. The SPD came third, a hard blow for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party. "The worst result since the [...]

Peace & Defence (II): "No we-see-each-other-well-in-the-trenches policy"

Fellow MPs Luc Stultiens (GL-PvdA, left) and Jimme Nordkamp (GL-PvdA, right) in conversation, source: John Beckmann/Orange Pictures In this series, 'Peace & Defence', the FMS talks to experts about what a progressive narrative on defence entails and what trade-offs should be made in it. We do this by engaging with various organisations that [...]

How do we bridge polarisation in the Netherlands? 

Demonstration against racism and discrimination in Amsterdam (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobtompics/33529564285/) In recent years, the Netherlands has witnessed a disturbing increase in polarisation, especially around issues of immigration, national identity and Islam. This phenomenon, fuelled by populist rhetoric and a growing sense of "us versus them", poses a significant challenge to the fabric of the [...]

Political prisoner in Russia: 'Ibrahim was beaten for hours'

Alleged spies and terrorists are increasingly punished in Russia. Torture is used to force unwilling suspects to confess. Ibrahim Orudzhev studied for translator English and French at the University of Belgorod not far from the border with Ukraine. During a stay in his hometown of Moscow, he was detained by police. He allegedly [...]

Peace & Defence (I): 'Our view of security is too narrow'

Photo: A US and Iraqi soldier shaking hands - National Archives Catalog Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, defence has again been at the top of the Dutch and European agenda. In Dutch politics, there is great consensus on the issue, for example on topics such as supporting Ukraine and increasing the defence budget [...]

Russian gas was and is a threat to our security

Photo: Construction work on the Nord Stream pipeline - FMT Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, made headlines in recent weeks with bizarre statements about Ukraine and a visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Ukraine decided not to renew a contract allowing Russian gas to be transported across their territory to Europe, he accused [...]