Democracy

In the pandemic year 2021, Germany has voted. It is already clear that what is needed is a new political culture of enablement and participation. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung President Dr. Ellen Ueberschär comments on the results of the German federal elections.

This short sentence is all you need to understand why the German government committed an error of judgment concerning Afghanistan. An error of judgment that kills people every day – and democracy throughout the world as well, by the way.

On September 8, 2020, the fourth and last Internet debate took place as part of the project "Ost / East: Polish-German debates about the East". This time the focus of the discussion was on the influence of Russia and China in the region, their cooperation and competition and its impact on the relations of the European Union with the region.  

In the context of the Covid-19 crisis, the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union faces major challenges. Considering that the conditions and circumstances will constantly change, and that the EU will face increasing uncertainty and unpredictability, we need to reflect on how it should respond to vital challenges in the long term.

The Minsk agreements, though currently not effective and workable, remain at present the only option for the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict. It is obvious that Ukraine and Russia have different interpretations of the provisions, and these controversies are unlikely to disappear.

In the EU there is no long-term vision or strategy for these kinds of regimes like Belarus. Germany and Poland could cooperate on trying to make the European policies in Belarus more heard for the ordinary people, especially for younger people.

In the policy towards the East, there is a need to strengthen Polish-German cooperation, to develop a strategic approach to Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region, as well as to find a European counterweight to the Russian Federation.  

Polish farmers should not be afraid of the Green Deal, nor of the pro-ecological solutions being planned for the EU’s agricultural policy, because they are an opportunity for them, not a threat, argues Janusz Wojciechowski, EU Commissioner for Agriculture during a Citizens' Dialogue. He believes that the epidemic has shown highly intensive agriculture to be more susceptible to crises. The online meeting with the public was held on April 30.

The crisis associated with the Covid19 pandemic has a gender, and clearly shows social inequalities of all kinds. It particularly affects women, as well as disadvantaged and variously marginalised groups. There are also attempts to exploit the pandemic for short-term political goals directly targeting women's rights.