Future of Europe

The Greens were in the spotlight ahead of the German federal election. What were the key issues shaping public debate and where does the party stand?

Shahin Vallée and Franziska Brantner debate European democracy, transnational politics, and the meaning of sovereignty.

As the movement that politicised the relationship between society and nature in the West, green politics is at the forefront of not just democracy’s defence, but its reinvention.

Short-term fixes in times of crisis are no longer enough if the Eurozone is the key to an ever closer union.

Are the charges of being undemocratic that are consistently levelled at the European Union justified?

Bruno Latour emphasises the need for a politics of the living moving from this European-invented space to the tangible space that he calls “dwelling place”.

Prospects of EU reform are slim and austerity and Fortress Europe are set to continue. What does this mean for progressive strategies around Europe?

Sociologist Karolina Wigura calls for a move from the pervasive politics of fear which has seen the rise of the far-right to a politics with a positive vision based on hope.

As a way of doing politics, populism is here to stay. Its opponents must offer real alternatives and keep political debate grounded upon the choices at hand.

With Europe in a moment of profound change, politics as normal will no longer suffice. Political forces must adapt to offer a vision for Europe that moves with its citizens.