Democracy

Viewed with suspicion, TTIP hangs over us like a dark cloud. Deemed as a threat to social rights, welfare, the environment and constitutional sovereignty, a civil society resistance movement continues to gain traction. In light of a recent leak by Greenpeace Netherlands further exposing these threats, it is time now to reassess the state of play.

Populist and radical movements are on the rise in Europe while grassroots and democratic movements also gather strength. In this interview the Green European Journal asks Gaël Brustier to reflect on the reasons behind and triggers for these developments

What is the real choice UK voters are being called upon to make on June 23rd?

With the new government in place, everything is seemingly returning back to normal. Or is it? Two weeks after the Slovakian general elections, which stirred great European interest, Robert Fico forms his third government and is preparing to rule for another four more years…

The Dutch referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement is a matter of days away. Despite the best efforts of campaigners, the electorate has remained largely apathetic. Now we ask: why is a referendum being organised on a topic which apparently does not interest voters; and further to this, what will its outcome mean for Europe?

German state elections held on 13th March produced significant levels of support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), but where does the German party system stand overall after the elections?

There are now just a few months to go until Brits vote on whether to stay in or leave the EU, yet all the signs are that the hard facts of the debate are not becoming clear enough to the public.

Greens have always defended that Europe is the right political space to provide answers for the many challenges we face and that it needs a democratic renewal. DiEM25 takes a step, albeit timidly, towards a green Europe and a green and shared prosperity that respects the planet.

If we were constrained to choose between justice and democracy, surely we would opt for justice every time.

The events of the last couple of weeks in Poland are no peripheral abomination, and certainly no exception. They are a part of a global trend of liberal democratic models becoming weaker and weaker, a trend which can also be found in the heart of Europe.