Democracy

The federal takeover of DC was just the beginning. National Guard troops are mobilizing to more Democratic cities while immigration raids create widespread terror. As protests become pretext for more troops, democracy continues to erode.

The Trump Administration’s new budget law is a back door to implementing major portions of the MAGA agenda. It could become one of the most destructive, anti-climate, anti-poor, and anti-working class pieces of legislation in US history and risks the country’s long-term economic stability.

At WorldPride in DC, Namibian activist Omar van Reenen shares how drag, defiance, and solidarity fuel queer resistance—and why global support must move from charity to solidarity to confront rising anti-LGBTQIA+ backlash.

On World Refugee Day, the US stands at a crossroads: once a global leader in refugee protection, it now faces rising rights violations, legal erosion, and harsh immigration policies that threaten both vulnerable communities and democratic principles. 

This Pride Month, defending democracy means defending trans rights. As anti-trans laws surge and political attacks escalate, the rollback of LGBTQIA+ freedoms is becoming a core strategy of authoritarianism both in the US and abroad.

We are excited to announce our selection of Transatlantic Media Fellows for 2025!

Despite the more difficult majorities in society and parliaments, the Greens should not spend too much time licking their wounds. Instead: open the gates and invite people everywhere to get involved in forward-looking politics.

The list of economic policy homework for the new German government is long and urgent. The possibility to form a two-party government of the Christian conservative CDU/CSU and social democratic SPD now needs to be translated into political action – in both Germany and the EU.

The Greens emerge from the election relatively stable despite losses. Formation of the political will within and outside of parties must reorganise itself. Democratic parties must remain able to compromise among themselves in order to fulfil their responsibility for the political order in Germany and beyond.

After 2024, pro-democracy actors are looking for lessons. One key takeaway: political campaigns must shift from data-driven marketing to valuing local organizers’ expertise to rebuild trust, mobilize voters, and counter illiberal threats.

From climate justice at COP29 to the future of the transatlantic relationship under a new president, our 2024 answered questions, raised new ones, and even included a visit from Luisa Neubauer and Helena Marschall. Dive into a whirlwind year!

After the elections in the United States on November 5, we reached out to our global network of Heinrich Böll Foundation offices to hear how the second Trump Administration will impact countries and progress on green issues across the world.

As American voters have become more firmly entrenched in their party affiliations, fewer and fewer states are in contention and the margins of victory are increasingly slim. This year, polls suggest that in the handful of swing states that will determine the race, the winner could be decided by a razor-thin margin. Votes for third party candidates could be enough to tip the election – most likely, in favor of Donald Trump. 

As part of an EU Democracy research project funded by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office, Sophie Pornschlegel interviewed European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, during the summer break of the European Commission. In their conversation, Vice-President Jourová reflected on five years of efforts to safeguard democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the EU, amid increasing threats against democracy and a shifting geopolitical context, not least due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. 

Despite local successes in Michigan, national discontent and disaffection has made voters there less engaged with the presidential election in November. Here's why Michigan voters' fatigue with Washington could shape America's future this fall.

Join top journalists and media experts in a crucial discussion on how to report on elections and campaigns amidst rising threats to democracy. Learn strategies to combat misinformation, enhance media diversity, and uphold the integrity of political journalism.

2019 was an extraordinary election year for the European Green Party, and it was clear from the beginning of the 2024 campaign that it would be tough to match it again this year. While the Greens lost seats overall, most of the losses were concentrated in Germany and Western Europe, while the bloc was able to pick up new seats in the South and East.

Europe went to the polls over four days, from 6 to 9 June, to choose a new European Parliament (EP), the EU’s main legislative body of the 27-member bloc. The turnout was healthy – slightly less than the highest-ever participation in 2019 – but the results could well constitute a blow for the bloc’s climate protection efforts. There are 720 seats in total, of which 361 seats are needed for a majority.

The chances of a conservative majority after the European elections are slim, but the normalisation of radical-right forces is a wake-up call for progressives.

With the European Parliament elections taking place between on 6-9 June 2024, the European Union stands at a defining moment. The 2019-2024 term witnessed the breakthrough of long-stagnant gender initiatives, but challenges loom large in advancing gender equality in the EU. This article explores the prospects for the policy directions that will shape the gender equality agenda of the next European Parliament and Commission in this context.