Last September I was one of the fortunate participants in the FYEG seminar “Arts, Crafts and Politics” in Helsinki. The program was aimed at young creative people that want to get their voice heard for a fairer and greener society. Focusing on the skills of how to create a successful campaign, but with a twist…
Category: FYEG/EU
No compromise on human rights
Nobody within the Greens exactly thinks that a “Jamaica” coalition would be a dream team. Everyone knows how far the left-most parts of the Greens are from the often openly racist rhetoric of the Bavarian CSU. But in my opinion forming a coalition with FDP and CDU/CSU would be much worse than just a slightly…
We have to make it work
“How is that supposed to work?” was Joschka Fischer’s comment on a future Jamaica coalition, 12 years ago. Back then and for him, there was no compromise in sight between the political positions of the Christian Democratic / Christian Social Union, the Liberal party and the Greens. How come this coalition should be an acceptable…
How it is to run for parliament in one of the most conservative parts of Germany
I was born in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, near the Alps in the South of Germany. It is here, surrounded by stunning nature amidst the beautiful Alpine scenery, where Conservatives gained about two thirds of votes in past elections and in the first election of the European Parliament a right-wing party obtained 30% of votes. Running…
British Elections: A week later
British politics is not easy for a continental European to understand. The differences between continental Europe and Great Britain are easy to spot as soon as you land in the UK. For starters, the border is actually a thing, with passport checks making you remember that it’s a privilege to live in a borderless continent….
British Elections: Manchester
Manchester, 7th of June 2017 Walk around the center of Manchester, just a few hours before the polling stations open, and you won’t even think there’s a national election happening. No one is delivering leaflets on the streets, and you won’t see any “For the Many” or “Strong and Stable” messaging anywhere. The reason is…
British Elections: The Current Political Landscape
As I travel to England to follow next Thursday’s UK election more closely, there’s little certainty about what is going to happen. Since the day the Tories called this snap election, the Labour Party’s support has been growing in one of the most impressive comebacks in recent history. While at the beginning the Conservatives also…
To abstain or not to abstain?
This question is accompanying me since the first day of my Tour de France. I heard it in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, Marseille and Rennes, in the back of a bus, in the supermarket as well as on demonstrations, my interviews with politicians and late at night in leftist bars. In the beginning, it was…
Meet Nils: On the Trail in France for the Presidential Elections
I’m Nils, a young European German Francophile. After living a year in France for Erasmus and an Internship, learning the language, being active at Les Jeunes Écologistes (French Young Greens) and making new French friends, I still have a problem: I don’t understand “The French”! How can a country with such a revolutionary potential, such…
The Shortcomings of Campaigning
Last weekend I spoke to a girl handing out flyers for GroenLinks (GreenLeft) in the city of Utrecht. She told me with genuine astonishment that there were people coming to the square, which was packed with campaigners, to get a sense of what the different parties stand for. To me it didn’t seem such a…