Imitation and Revolt. What the Visegrád Group is and what it could become. Commentary Cooperation among the countries of the Visegrád Group is directly dependent on the current political situation in each country. In recent years, the alliance has attracted attention for its criticisms of Southern European countries and its anti-immigration rhetoric. While the more liberal of the Visegrád countries tend to blindly imitate the West, the nationalists dream of a conservative Central Europe. By Klára Votavová
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
"They should have tried harder": Czechia cannot find an answer to populism Analysis Czech populists are on a roll, partly due to the antisocial policies of the country's right-wing government. While liberals put the blame on disinformation, the left continues to languish or to flirt with fascist ideas. And migrant-phobia has long become mainstream. By Petra Dvořáková
Karel Schwarzenberg was a human rights activist, politician and European Karel Schwarzenberg (1937-2023) died on 11 November 2023. We remember him as a passionate European with whom the Heinrich Böll Foundation has always been closely associated. We will miss his foresight, his judgment and his humor.
The Czech Presidency of the EU Council: Europe as a task Analysis On 1 July 2022, the Czech Republic took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months. Our office Directors in Brussels and Prague, Eva van de Rakt and Adéla Jurečková, analyse the priorities of and challenges facing the Czech EU Council Presidency. By Eva van de Rakt and Adéla Jurečková
Appeasement does not stop aggressors Commentary Russia’s aggression threatens not just those states it sees as its enemies. It also threatens our life in peace, the guarantee of civic and human rights, freedom and democracy. None of these can be taken for granted, as Russia’s war is being waged against the very principles that lie at the heart of our community, writes Czechia's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský.
How to break Czechia's dependence on Russian gas Analysis What longer-term, environmentally sustainable measures can the Czech Republic introduce to break its dependence on Russian gas while ensuring that no one is left behind? By Jiří Koželouh and Karel Polanecký
New Czech Government: First Stumbling Blocks after a Hopeful Start Background Hopes were high for a progressive turnaround after the populist previous government of Andrej Babiš. What is the balance sheet of the first steps of the new Czech government? By Adéla Jurečková
Shadow Report Women and Czech Society – Beijing +25 The year 2020 marks 25 years since the 4th UN World Conference on Women in Beijing. This conference was a turning point: The Beijing Platform for Action, which defined twelve critical areas for the status of women and recommended steps to improve them.
Nest of Czech Feminism - 30 years of Gender Studies Summary The non-profit organization Gender Studies is celebrating an incredible 30 years of existence and reflects on what has changed in Czech society from a gender perspective. By Pavla Frýdlová and Kateřina Jonášová