Political earthquake in the Czech Republic: Rejection of established parties It ist the worst result of an election winner in Czech history. Almost all established parties recorded losses and voter turnout was one of the lowest since 1989. By Eva van de Rakt
Europe on the Move “Because Europe’s not always in good working order, some demand less of it. We, on the other hand, want more Europe!” At the conference “Europe's Future – Europe’s Young Generation” young Europeans came together to discuss deficits and options of an Europe based on solidarity. By Cornelius Wüllenkemper
Constructing Political Spaces: Making Quotas Work The influence of women in positions of leadership emerged as a priority theme during the three-day peer exchange for 30 women leaders from across East and Horn of Africa hosted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation Nairobi in September. The Foundation has picked up this theme for a Virtual Conference taking place on 28th to 30th October 2013. By Katrin Seidel
Conference Report: International Summit for Community Wireless Networks 2013 The seventh annual International Summit for Community Wireless Networks took place in Berlin, Germany from October 2 – 4, 2013. By Patrick Lucey
Conference Report: 4th Japanese-German Dialogue on Security The 4th Japanese-German Dialogue tries to strengthen the new strategic NATO-Japan partnership by identifying areas of mutual Japanese – German security interests and practical cooperation. By Kai Schulze
India: Is the giant winning the battle against poverty? How successful is India in its struggle against poverty? India's national Planning Commission recently claimed that within 7 years, the number of poor in India has declined by 22 per cent. These numbers are being challenged by many experts, according whom India's economic growth has left behind many more people. By Caroline Bertram
European Climate Leadership under Siege – the 2030 Climate and Energy Debate The European Union has long proclaimed itself a leader of global climate ambition and a champion of the low carbon economy. Due to the influence of powerful interest groups, Europe might roll back its commitment to combating climate change. By Silvia Brugger
Nature, Inc.? As old methods have lost credibility, some governments, economists and international institutions like the UN Environment Programme have adopted a new approach, based on the view that nature is an “ecosystem service” provider. In doing so, they have shifted the onus of addressing environmental risk onto the private sector and market-based mechanisms. By Barbara Unmüßig
Quo vadis Armenia: North or West? Just one month after Wladimir Putin's official visit to Azerbaijan, where the chance for signing a binding trade agreement between Baku and Moscow was squandered, the Russian president welcomed his Armenian counterpart in Moscow. It's the latter who made headlines on September 3rd by surprisingly announcing that Armenia would join the Russian-led Customs Union. By Nino Lejava and Konstanty Kuzma
Interview about Syria: "The world should do something serious and do it quickly." The regime must not remain unpunished for the use of chemical weapons. If the U.S. and its allies do not act, the people themselves will feel even more isolated than before, and they will learn that there are no limits to the brutality.