Democracy

All over the world, people stand against injustice, misuse of power and bad living conditions, and lead campaigns for improvements. During these activities, new forms of citizen participation in political and administrative affairs are being created and improved. We support all efforts for better democracy and participation.

Discriminatory Czech abortion law should change - interview with A.S.A.P. collective

Interview

Although abortion is legal in the Czech Republic, it is not accessible to everyone. Half of Czech hospitals would not provide the procedure to citizens of other EU Member States, according to a new survey. People living with disabilities or low incomes also face obstacles, says Rafał Szwajkowski of the A.S.A.P. (Abortion Support Alliance Prague) collective.

By Kateřina Boťová

Third-party voters could tip the election against Harris

Analysis

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.

By Hannah Winnick

“Democracy cannot 'do the magic' and protect itself”

Interview

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.

By Sophie Pornschlegel and Věra Jourová

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Some of Slovakia’s newly elected MEPs on election night

EP election results in Slovakia: Disinformation does not always come out on top

Commentary

For the Hlas party, whose candidates won big in elections to the national legislature and the presidency in Slovakia, harsh anti-EU rhetoric and disinformation was a new tactic in the elections to the EP – the wrong one, as it turned out.

By Barbara Zmušková

Památník holokaustu Romů a Sintů v Čechách

The Lety memorial also represents the ongoing fight for the dignity of today’s Roma

Commentary

With a major contribution from foreign sources and partly from the Czech Government, a memorial has been built on the site of a former concentration camp in Lety after the industrial pig farm previously located there was removed. In addition, forcibly sterilized Romani women should finally be receiving compensation. What do these milestones mean for Czech Romani society, and what reflections do they encourage?

By Renata Berkyová

Submission, Resistance, and Emancipation? Two decades of the EU’s eastern periphery.

At the turn of the millennium, the eastern enlargement of the European Union was understood as part of the liberal “end of history.” In the mid-2020s, it has long been evident that history has ended neither in Central and Eastern Europe nor in the EU. Today, we can reflect on the 20-year membership of Central European nations in the EU with respect to their former ambitions.

By Daniel Šitera

Publications

Reproductive justice and access to abortion in the Czech Republic

Report on the accessibility of abortion in the Czech Republic, conducted by the Abortion Support Alliance Prague with the support of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague.

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Reality is always a bit further afield then the latest news

Böll.Facts

Heinrich Böll, a renowned German author, achieved bestselling status with his poignant works. In 1972, he made history by becoming the first German writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature after World War II. His novels and stories, still widely studied in schools today, have earned him a place among the literary classics. However, the personal experiences and motivations that shaped Böll's writing remain lesser known. This concise introduction aims to shed light on the life and driving forces behind one of Germany's most influential post-war voices.

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The 'Eurosceptic Internationale' at the Gates of Brussels?

Study

Political Capital Institute’s latest study, in cooperation with the Heinrich-Böll Foundation, aimed to give a snapshot of the state of populist radical parties and their cooperation and the Hungarian government’s role in it, before the campaign starts for the 2024 European Parliamentary elections.

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