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András Schiffer, re-elected parliamentary leader of the green party LMP, about the party’s electoral strategy for 2014 and its rejection to join the new political movement Together 2014 ("T14").

A week ago the Congress of the Hungarian green party LMP has adopted a series of resolutions on the party’s electoral strategy for 2014, but there is still disagreement within the party on what the resolution prescribes in practice. An interview with Benedek Jávor, who has recently resigned as a parliamentary leader of the LMP.

Qatar must be regarded as an established regional and international actor. It played a key role in supporting the Arab Spring movements and it is now hosting the UN climate summit COP18. Salman Shaikh gives an overview of Qatars ambitions and priorities.

Berlin-based Hungarian artist Artúr van Balen has travelled to Hungary to join the opposition protests in Budapest on the 23rd of October. With the help of around 15 artists and activists van Balen created the "Hungarian Orange", a 5 meter long, 3.5 meter high inflatable lemon, which they brought to the protests. But not everyone was amused by the playful object.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation will close its office in Ethopia. Under the current political and legal circumstances, the office cannot, in the foreseeable future, fulfil its mission of promoting democratisation, gender justice and sustainable development.

The interactions between natural risks in the Arab region, climate change effects, water scarcity, and lack of food self-sufficiency represent a serious challenge to policies and plans in Arab countries and cities. Over the last three years, climate-related disasters have cast their shadow on around 50 million people in the Arab region.

In an interview with Sandra Schulz from German radio station Deutschland funk René Wildangel, head of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s office in Ramallah, warns of an Israeli ground invasion in Gaza and a repetition of the "absolutely disastrous war" of 2008. Instead, an immediate cease fire and new policy options to include Gaza in regional negotiations are needed. 

It was the second visit of Hillary Clinton in Bosnia and Herzegovina without any positive outcome. Unfortunately, the situation will surely deteriorate further and chances for helping the country to become a really functioning and democratic state will grow smaller

The Czech Greens (Strana zelených, SZ) were successful in the October 2012 Senate elections, and are now once again represented in the Czech parliament following their electoral defeat in 2010. Eva van de Rakt, Office Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Prague, spoke with Czech Green Party Chairman Ondřej Liška.

What were the expectations for COP 17 in Durban in 2011 and what does it mean for COP 18? The climate summit was hosted 2011 by South Africa which is located in a region that stands to be tremendously affected by climate change. This year participants of the summit in Doha must find a solution for financing adaptation as well as making the Green Climate Fund operational.