Dossier

Our 23rd Foreign Policy Conference focused on the security challenges in Eastern Europe. What can be done to improve the security of the "twilight zone" between NATO and Russia? What are the regional and global implications of the war in Eastern Europe?

An independent press and a diverse media landscape form the backbone of a liberal democracy. However, especially in Europe and in the EU, these cornerstones of democratic order are increasingly coming under pressure.

The Anne Klein Women's Award 2023 goes to the Syrian lawyer and women's and human rights activist Joumana Seif, who has spent the past decade in forced exile in Berlin.

The media systems in Europe are facing challenges from multiple directions. The European Democracy Conference 2022 therefore focused on the question of how we can specifically and decisively counteract the advancing deterioration of free reporting. 

The war in Ukraine poses a geopolitical dilemma for Asian states. ASEAN is reacting with caution, as many Southeast Asian countries maintain close economic and military relations with Russia, an important arms supplier, while Ukraine exports raw materials to Asia. At the same time, the conflict in Taiwan is fuelling fears of a Chinese invasion. Japan and South Korea strongly condemn the Russian attack, while India takes a neutral stance. In Myanmar, the democracy movement is showing solidarity with Ukraine, while the military government is supporting Russia. The dossier sheds light on the complex geopolitical entanglements of Asia, Europe, Russia and Ukraine.

Systemic exclusion, various kinds of violence, and discrimination are still being imposed on LGBTIQ+ people to deal with, individually and on a daily basis. Criminalization and stigma have further hindered access to basic human rights and needs, as many countries continue to foster a culture of social homophobia and transphobia. The COVID-19 crisis did not make things any better and LGBTIQ+ people were vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus and the fallout it created.

The online dossier of our Brussels office features videos, podcasts and articles related to the publication "Making the great turnaround work - Economic policy for a green and just transition".

Feminist perspectives on sustainability ahead of the Earth Overshoot Day 2022. This is a series of interviews with feminist change-makers committed to fighting for people and the planet.

Every year since 2009, the European Democracy Conference has brought together European voices from academia, politics and the public to discuss a key European policy issue.