Ukraine Crisis

In the aftermath of the Dutch EU-Ukraine Association Agreement referendum, doubts remain on why voters chose to vote as they did.What explains the result, what solutions are likely and what is the way ahead?

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?

The much anticipated Paris Climate Summit is only weeks away. Although there are many obstacles to securing a binding agreement in Paris, Green MEP Claude Turmes feels there are reasons for optimism, such as the changes taking place at the local and regional levels towards an energy transition. Now Europe has to be brave and show real leadership on technology and renewables.

The aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian military intervention and the undeclared war in eastern Ukraine.

There is no shortage of material with which to criticise American policy. But what exactly is the aim of this criticism – decoupling from America, or the renewal of the West?

Although Greens tend to agree on most issues, they don’t always think alike. Politicians from France, the UK and Germany discuss their stances and those of their national parties on the military industry, drones, Afghanistan, the legacy of Joschka Fischer, among other thorny issues…

While the spectrum of ideas defining a Green foreign policy remains wide, several overarching tenets have emerged over the past decades.

Beset by the crises occurring internally and in its immediate neighbourhood, the EU has neglected its relations with South East Asia. This is a major shortcoming, since that region is becoming the epicentre of global relations and will play an increasingly important role for international security.

While the traditional European way of peace-making was based on separating peoples, the Green European way of peace-building should be based on power-sharing and trust-building.

In the most recent conflict with Russia, the EU has tried to find a solution that avoids war. The EU considers military action only as the last resort – and that should not change in the future, even if we accept that the world won’t become an entirely peaceful place from one day to next. An interview with Rebecca Harms.