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NL Press freedom and resilience: how do we keep democracy strong in the digital age?
This article is a collaboration between Foundation Max van der Stoel (Martha Elias) and International Foundation Groenlinks (Yesmin Ayadhi). According to the latest RSF index, global press freedom is at a low point in the past 25 years. Even in countries that score relatively high, such as the Netherlands which ranks second, the question is how much [...]
Vita Kovalenko: From Maidan to the Dordrecht City Council
Kido Koenig (l) and Vita Kovalenko (r) with her book “Truth Under Fire” In 2007, Vita Kovalenko came to the Netherlands, but it was not until 2014 that her social engagement with Ukraine really took shape. The spark struck during the Maidan protests in Kyiv, which she followed via livestreams from her workplace in the Netherlands. “It [...]
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 [...]
Retrospective Political Café: Local goes International
How does your vote in local elections affect foreign countries? According to the speakers at our political café ‘Local goes international’, local politics plays a very big role. Because international solidarity does not only arise in The Hague, Brussels or at the UN, but precisely also locally - in the city, on the streets and in the municipal council. Activism and local democracy [...]
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 […]
In conversation about Disinformation in Election Time
This article was posted as part of our work in the Dutch Democracy Coalition. This project was created with support from Democracy & Media Foundation. Last Monday, 27 October, the Dutch Democracy Coalition (NDC) engaged with students and interested parties at VU University Amsterdam on disinformation, deception and the role of [...]
Europe's future in the hands of the Western Balkans
Source: Shutterstock It was not to be missed, the NATO summit in The Hague last week. With security on high alert in The Hague, tensions in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, there was plenty to discuss around the forums. Besides the 5% NATO standard, it was reiterated that Russia is the biggest threat to NATO countries. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]