Democracy

Europe’s crisis is being felt at multiple levels, from the future of the Eurozone and divisions between Member States to the rise of populist forces.

Today, democracy is too often based on short-term interests. Policies are therefore designed for that purpose – pre-election budgets for example – and the long term interests of the planet are given less priority.

Polish commentator Cezary Michalski likens Germany to a nuclear power plant – providing energy to Europe when working well, but a destructive force when it fails.

The debate on what distinguishes the Green movement from the left has reignited in Sweden.

How to approach intellectual goods, information and knowledge in the 21st century?

The seemingly never ending Eurozone crisis has evolved into a start choice – does Europe take a leap forward into closer political union, or face a break-up of the single currency?

Romania’s transition from Communist-era dictatorship to western democracy has not been an easy one.

What is the similarity to the Arab Spring? A complete social uprising, which has since mobilised Quebec’s social-democratic and predominantly French speaking society, with an unemployment rate below 7%.

In this proposal, initiated by Ulrick Bech and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a group of pro-Europeans argue for a form of active citizenship to promote European democracy and resolve the political crisis that continues to grip the European project.

The Greens have to use alternative green economic concepts and share them far beyond the academic sphere, with all who are now starting to realise that our economy is completely unsustainable. And above all they have to assert their specific approach to social justice.