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NL The social democratic perspective on the growing protest movement in Serbia
Photo: FMT The FMS, in collaboration with International Foundation GroenLinks, has started a series on the Serbian anti-corruption protests. During this series, we highlight different sides of the protests, and this time we cover the social democratic perspective. Last Saturday, 15 March, the largest (student) protests in Serbia to date took place, with more than 300,000 people in attendance. [...]
Green ambitions in the textile industry: who wins, who loses?
Photo: Textile factory in Malaysia - Free Malaysia Today Is the fire of second-hand clothes at the textile market in Ghana on 30 January the wake-up call the garment industry needs? While the flames show the impact of uncontrolled textile waste, the European garment industry remains one of the biggest polluters. After food, housing and mobility, European textile consumption has [...]
Ukraine and the redefinition of sovereignty
Source: FMT In the week of 14 March 2022, a few weeks after Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Time Magazine published an issue entitled The Return of History. This was a clear reference to Francis Fukuyama's famous work The End of History and the Last Man, in which he argued that liberal democracy after the fall of the [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Viktor Orbán's lucrative business: In conversation with Tineke Strik on the rule of law in Hungary
Photo: Viktor Orbán speaks at a rally in Budapest - FMT Hungary has been in the news for years for the erosion of the rule of law taking place under the rule of Viktor Orbán. As recently as December 2023, for example, Orbán's government passed the 'National Sovereignty Law', which allows individuals and organisations receiving funding from abroad [...]
FMS receives Georgian opposition leader: 'This is a crucial moment'
"This is a crucial moment for Georgia" The FMS received Georgian opposition leader Anna Dolidze this week and spoke to her at the Lower House. Anna is the party leader of "For the People" and part of the "Strong Georgia" coalition. Every day Georgians take to the streets for fair elections, human rights and an EU future. Support from the Netherlands [...]
Cut back on democratisation? Don't do it!
Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp in debate, Lower House (Source) The Schoof cabinet has big intentions in the field of defence and aid to Ukraine - billions in investments should bring the Netherlands up to the level of the NATO two per cent standard. This was voted on at the Foreign Ministry's budget hearing last week. On [...]
