Annual Report 2024

Dear readers,
fifteen years ago, in the wake of the global financial crisis, sociologist Ulrich Beck published a small book entitled Nachrichten aus der Weltinnenpolitik (News from the World’s Domestic Politics). This might well serve as the title of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung’s 2024 Annual Report, which, yet again, demonstrates the inextricable link between our work as a green political foundation in Germany and the activities of our international offices and global units. Our work is often demanding, sometimes pushing us and our employees to our personal limits as well as to the boundaries of the environments in which we operate.

In many of the locations where we are active, the situation is precarious or even dire, and we worry about our employees and partners, be they in Kyiv, Ramallah and Gaza, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Beijing, or Yangon, to name just a few. Repression, violence, and suffering do not make us indifferent, they are always on our minds. In the face of difficult, even bleak situations, we are trying very hard to maintain personal contacts and room for political work – or perhaps even expand our scope in such challenging times. In January 2024, we partnered with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) for a two-day conference on Scenarios for Israel and Palestine that gathered various regional actors – something not to be taken for granted, yet immensely important. We are grateful that our new office in Buenos Aires has rapidly evolved into an important place to go to for journalists and civil society. In October, we welcomed Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and the Media, as our keynote speaker to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of our Turkey Office. Its story, like that of so many others, has been one of endurance and persistence.

And persist, we must. In the wake of Donald Trump’s election as US President and the end of Germany’s so-called “traffic light coalition” government, comprised of Social-Democrats, Liberals, and Greens, we, as part of the larger Green project, are facing political challenges as well as a need to reassess: Today, many people experience a fear of loss, and they are angry at “those at the top.” Faced with such a situation, how do we convince people that change does not have to entail loss? Our 2024 Leipzig Study on Authoritarianism shows that while 90% of Germans favor democracy as an idea, only 42% still believe it is well implemented – and thus new notions and styles of politics seem to be emerging.

Against this background, how may we build trust in democracy and its ability to act? How do we convince citizens that they can effectively advocate for their own legitimate concerns?

In all this, we face the dilemma that, while we must act immediately, we must also keep a long-term perspective.

How do we respond to the desire for a different democratic political style in times of heated, frenzied debate? In the future, we want to focus even more on questions such as these.

In the fall of 2024, not least due to the German snap parliamentary election, our future financial situation was yet unclear. We therefore decided to focus on risk management and how to best safeguard the good and important work we do at home and abroad. Thus, with a heavy heart and after much intense debate, also involving our Supervisory Board, we decided to abandon the plans for a new building on Berlin’s Karl-Marx-Allee. This was a painful, yet necessary decision, as it would be too risky to commit to new, additional expenses in these uncertain times. Instead we will focus on modernizing and re-structuring our existing

location on Schumannstrase. Still, we will continue to face budgetary challenges, which will require us to realign our priorities.

As we review our programs and continuously monitor the political situation and our financial framework, we greatly appreciate the loyal cooperation with the General Assembly, our Supervisory Board, our specialist boards, the board of the Green Academy, our fellows, and many others.

We are in constant communication with our staff in Germany and abroad, as we require their feedback and guidance.

We are very grateful to our employees for driving the work of the Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung with a keen sense for strategy, profound expertise, and great personal commitment, even and especially in difficult times.

Our goal is and remains to stand our ground and remain strong as we continue to advocate for ecology and justice, democracy, and human rights. With confidence and a clear vision, we stand for positive change, for community and solidarity, and a well-founded hope for a better future that we can shape together.

Best regards
Imme Scholz and Jan Philipp Albrecht