Political Participation

How one area of Brussels is opening up city government with participatory democracy and driving forward the green transition.

Brexit was a wakeup call that something about the EU’s relationship to its citizens needs to change. Forcing more integration would push people away – instead, giving citizens a say and a stake in the EU’s future through regional citizen assemblies may be a path towards a truly representative and interactive EU.

The question of the future of European integration became especially important after the “Leave” vote in the referendum on UK membership in the European Union. Do we need just better common institutions – or do we need a new vision, as Dutch author Dick Pels, suggests?

Maciej Kuziemski interviews Jan Zielonka, who says that what’s required is a form of European integration able to meet the needs of societies put under pressure by current geopolitical tensions and the digital revolution.

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

The recent accession of the right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS) to power has seen the judiciary and legal systems in Poland struck by swift and far-reaching reforms, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. With the phrase “constitutional crisis” being increasingly heard, it is time to examine what is happening to the legal system in Poland.

After the social and economic transformation in 1989 Polish cities fell into chaos and decline. Many of them suffered from closures of industrial facilities, and crime was on the rise. After the EU accession in 2004, authorities decided to take use of the stream of money coming from the Union. The problem was that it came with a cost…

The Spanish citizenry has organised the so-called “convergence list of candidates” for the local elections in May 2015. These lists have integrated political parties, civil society and independent citizens aiming to regenerate the local policy from a political, social, economic and ecological point of view. What are the common points of such lists?

Bashir Ahmad Fatehi has been busy with cultural and educational projects since completing post-graduate work in political science. Here he gives his impressions of the political scene in post-Taliban Afghanistan, the challenges which lie ahead and the important role of young politicians in the prospects for a stable and vibrant future.

The rise of the radical Podemos party in Spain raises some serious questions for the Greens and all progressive parties and movements. We should look deeply at the party’s platform, leadership and policies and draw lessons from its rise – rather than resorting to pointless name-calling.