Over the weekend EU leaders have been meeting in Brussels, but they’re still divided over what to handle the economic recovery of post-corona Europe. Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, has so far steered this country through the pandemic. Germany’s infection rates are far lower, for example, than the United States. But the question remains, if she … weiterlesen

Why is it in Germany’s interest to prevent a European collapse? This was the question Emmanuel Laurentin from France Culture asked us on Tuesday. Together with Claire Demesmay, director of the DGAP’s France programme, Jean Quatremer, journalist and EU specialist, Hélène Miard-Delacroix, professor of German contemporary history at the Sorbonne, we debated about the answer. … weiterlesen

Whether it’s false cures or conspiracy theories, disinformation is going viral – so much so, that the United Nations says we’re fighting two enemies: the scourge of COVID-19 and an “infodemic.” Who’s behind the spread of fake news about coronavirus and who can stop it? Can social media be compelled to take responsibility? And how … weiterlesen

A year ago Carlo Calenda ran in European parliamentary elections in Italy under the slogan “We are Europeans”, a rallying cry to defend his country’s place in the EU at a time of rising nationalism.But nowadays many Italians I’ve spoken to see themselves as a laboratory for corona. Germany is just watching them and trying … weiterlesen

Germany just had one of its most devastating mass shootings in years in Hanau. After this hateful, racist crime, my thoughts are with the victims and the wounded, their families and friends. We are confronted with virulent right-wing radicals that have and still are trivialized by parts of the state authorities and underestimated by some … weiterlesen

Der Bundesinnenminister möchte die europäische Asylpolitik reformieren. Entscheidungen über Asylanträge sollen bereits an den EU-Außengrenzen getroffen werden. Der Vorschlag der Bundesregierung wird ohne weitere Verschärfungen allerdings kaum Aussicht auf Erfolg haben. Er bürdet die Last vor allem den Staaten an den Außengrenzen auf. Die starken Länder in der EU müssen vorangehen und es müssen sich … weiterlesen

”So many lies and fake news were out there during the Brexit campaign. We probably should have engaged more as European citizens in the referendum campaign. We were all told to stay outside, but sometimes, I regret that I have followed that call not to come to the UK during the referendum. We all should … weiterlesen

What is the state of multilateralism and democracy in the current world order? How can we tackle urging global issues such as climate change, digitalization and security together in the world community? These and other fundamental questions were discussed at the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s conference. I emphasized how important it is that Europe and Germany … weiterlesen

Now is the best time to ride on the “green wave” and finally promote progressive climate policies at European level! I talked about this in a live debate with Jon Bartley, leader of the Green Party, at RSA in London.   weiterlesen

In my interview with TV5Monde on the 3rd of February 2019, I describe, among other things, how the yellow-vest protests in France are perceived in Germany. These protests illustrate the fact that Macron did not adequately address social inequalities in France with his policies. It is important that ecological and social policies go hand in … weiterlesen