Democracy

Women and Revolution: The Protests in 1969 After Entering the Period of "Normalization" in Czechoslovakia

The Prague Spring ended with the Soviet Invasion in August 1968, when many had lost their faith that the regime can change, and the political representation has any degree of independency to Moscow. During the first day of occupation, 58 civilians had died as a result of shooting, explosions, or various accidental deaths. Many citizens who were abroad at that time chose to not come back. Yet there was a resistance to the events.
RELATED VIDEO (in Czech only): Ženy a revoluce (2019)

Political developments

Political developments »

Europe

The situation in Hungary is unchanged

analysis

Political Capital’s analysis of the relationship between the European People’s Party (EPP) and Fidesz, Fidesz’s suspension, and its consequences in Hungary.

By Attila Juhász

Staring into the Brexit void

Blog

The question keeps returning: What's next with Brexit? If the UK would like to opt for an Art. 50 extension, it will first have to ask the European Council where all 27 Member States would have to agree unanimously. The British Government undertook and takes a long walk from fantasy to reality...

By Electing Miloš Zeman, the Czech Republic Turns East

Analysis

The post of Czech President will now be held for the next five years by Miloš Zeman. The incumbent, who is famous for a political style that is so jovial as to be vulgar and for his pro-Russian, harshly anti-immigration position, defeated the moderate, unequivocally pro-Western academic Jiří Drahoš in the second round of voting by a relatively close margin (152 000 votes).

By Petr Honzejk
Europe »

Focus on Hungary

Focus on Hungary

The Heinrich Böll Foundation has been compiling a dossier containing articles on the situation in Hungary since the right-wing government came to power in April 2010. The dossier is understood as forum for critical voices from Hungary. Their contributions reflect the socio-political changes in Hungary referring to current trends as well as long-term developments. (Teaser-Foto: Gabriella Csoszo)

Zsófia Deák, Editor of the dossier (zsofia.deak@cz.boell.org)

Gender Democracy

Ticking off the Czech Republic’s UN Commitment as Completed: Reflecting on the First Czech National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

In January 2017, the Czech Republic introduced its first National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security (NAP 1325), adopting it as the 64th country in the world, as the 18th EU Member State and as the first country in Central Europe to do so. Notwithstanding its status as a country unaffected by direct conflict, the Czech Republic is obliged to pursue a gender, peace and security (GPS) agenda through its foreign policy, just as other EU member state signatories to UNSCR 1325 are expected to do so.

By Blanka Šimůnková, Míla O'Sullivan

Forced Sterilization: The Hidden Human Rights Abuse

As the second decade of this new millennium pushes toward its completion, it may come as a surprise to readers to learn that the sterilization of women without their consent remains a persistent problem for public health systems worldwide. Recent efforts in Europe to address these abuses have revealed how public health administrators and justice systems have yet to learn the lessons of these abuses.

By Gwendolyn Albert

Quotas matter for full equal political and economic participation

Equality for all human beings is a core principal and Leitmotif of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1949 and manifested in many national constitutions. Due to the lack of equal political participation of women quotas were implemented over the last years – by developed and developing countries in order to improve women’s political participation. Empirical evidence shows that it is a powerful and successful tool.

By Barbara Unmüßig
Gender Democracy »

Publications

Governing Ecologically

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In voter surveys, the German Greens regularly come out as the party deemed to have by far the greatest competency in this area and in energy policy as well. This study by Arne Jungjohann tries to answer if this image is justified, as it looks at the subnational level of the federal states.

Political integration of Hungarian students, 2019

pdf

After a four-year absence, the Active Youth (Aktív Fiatalok) Research Group has returned with a new survey about the political attitudes of higher education students in Hungary. The significance of this year’s findings relies on the fact that the political views of the majority of students sampled in this most recent survey – including some born as recently as 2000 – were formed during consecutive terms of prime minister Viktor Orbán and his government, considered by many political scientists and commentators to be a hybrid regime.

Phantom Menace. The Politics and Policies of Migration in Central Europe

pdf

Despite the presence of migration in the discourse of politicians, media and the general public in recent years, there is a persistent lack of facts about the life situations and motivations of newcomers to Europe. With this book the the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Institute for Public Affairs aim to contribute to a fact-based debate on the politics and policies of migration in Central Europe. 

Democracy

In many countries around the world people are protesting against injustice, abuse of power, dire living conditions, and they are campaigning for higher standards. In the process new forms of citizens’ participation in political and administrative processes are evolving. We support all attempts to achieve greater democratisation and participation.

The City is for All

Katalin Rodics

Attila Mong