Democracy

A Green assessment of the DiEM25.

With bans on social media and recent arrests of journalists, press freedom seems to be under more pressure than ever in Turkey. The recent case of Frederike Geerdnik illustrates the precarious situation of those working in the media.

The recent elections in Poland show some startling trends. A narrowing of the political landscape has all but eliminated progressive voices from the Left, and the principles of solidarity and social justice, which once defined political struggle in Poland, seem to have been discarded in favour of strict individualism.

The state of the French Greens, Europe Écologie Les Verts, is in disarray, and the paradoxical gap between a shrinking Green electorate and ecologically conscious citizens and movements grows. However, the grass is always greener on the other side, especially in the case of Italy, where Green prospects in comparison are bleak. A book review of “Manifeste des écologistes atterrés”.

Green parties come in different shapes and sizes. They have different attitudes, as well as differing positions, and they might end up in a wide range of political coalitions when given the opportunity to participate in government. Per Gahrton’s recent book, even if not entirely comprehensive, provides a great overview of this colourful political movement, and helps newcomers understand why Greens can stand united even in the worst of times.

Thanks to the brave whistleblowers of our time, transparency, government accountability and our right to privacy are just some of the issues in the big internet dispute we are able to discuss in the freedom versus surveillance debate.

The European Union today is witnessing an ideological battle over its economy and politics. A cycle of austerity, fuelled by short-sightedness and irrationality, is creating a major setback for European integration and driving disillusioned citizens to turn away from the European project in even greater numbers. While dissenting voices and visions are silenced, this amounts to an attack on democracy and solidarity. An interview with Mar Garcia Sanz and Ska Keller.

In what kind of world does the political artist work? Sociologist Saskia Sassen spoke at the first Life Hack of the art project Hacking Habitat. Her theme for the evening: invisibility. This concept was explored in connection to a range of ideas including expulsion, complexity and violence in the global economy.

Instead of bringing regional officials to Brussels, the EU needs to bring Brussels to the regions. Local and regional bodies need to debate EU issues at home. Heather Grabbe and Stefan Lehne propose a solution to narrow the distance between the EU and the individual.

The idea of a European Community, based on a promise of shared peace and prosperity, was dealt a strong blow this summer, in a way that we couldn’t have expected even months before.