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Böll EU Newsletter 3/2025
The EU’s role in a shifting global order

The global order is shifting. Old certainties are crumbling, and the structures that once upheld stability are being tested, eroded, or dismantled. In this moment of flux, the question is: who will hold the line?

The European Union, long seen as a regulatory power, is now emerging as something more: a potential stabiliser in an age of uncertainty. This shift is most visible in foreign policy, security, and defence. The ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 package, the White Paper on European Defence, and Germany’s increased defence spending all signal this transformation. In our latest webinar on EU security and defence – featuring experts from Washington DC, Warsaw, and Berlin – we dissected these developments and their implications.

The EU is also expanding its international engagement. Next week, it will hold its first-ever summit with Central Asian leaders, following the first bilateral EU-South Africa summit in seven years, which took place just two weeks ago. Earlier this year, the European Commission visited India, convening the India-EU Trade and Technology Council and advancing discussions on a free trade agreement. It was also the first time the full College of Commissioners visited a third country together. In this context, I invite you to explore our new EU-India dossier, which compiles our work in this field.

As part of the EU’s global engagement, we are closely following key elections worldwide with our new podcast series, hosted by Joan Lanfranco. These democratic moments shape the broader geopolitical landscape in which the EU operates. Our series, which already covers elections in Kosovo and Germany, unpacks their impact, potential consequences for the EU, and broader political trends. We are also following developments in Turkey, after days of demonstrations triggered by the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Read our 3 Questions to Dawid Bartelt, director of our Istanbul office.

Another critical front where the EU’s leadership is being tested is the digital realm. The EU has taken the lead in setting global standards, from GDPR to the AI Act – often to the frustration of the United States. On 1 April, our Washington DC office will host a webinar on the growing digital divide between the EU and the US, examining what the rise of the US tech right means for the future of transatlantic relations.

To understand how EU digital regulations impact daily life and why they are relevant, you can listen to a recent podcast featuring Zora Siebert, our Head of Programme for EU Democracy and Digital Policy. Additionally, as the EU looks into the sustainability of the digital sector, I encourage you to read our new article, “Towards Planet-Proof Computing”, which outlines ten key elements that should guide EU data centre sustainability policies, ensuring digital infrastructure is part of the climate solution, not the problem.

Finally, in this era of digital disruption and disinformation, we are proud to have joined the Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) coalition, a network of over 50 leading climate and anti-disinformation organisations working to safeguard public debate.

As the EU navigates an era of geopolitical shifts, digital challenges, and global uncertainty, we are committed to fostering informed debate and shaping sustainable solutions. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Warm regards,

Highlights

3 Questions on the political crisis in Turkey to Dawid Bartelt

The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has sent shockwaves through Turkey’s political landscape. Civil society has been protesting every day, amidst a media crackdown that attempts to contain the unrest. What does this mean for Turkey's democracy and the rule of law, and for EU-Turkey relations? We asked 3 Questions to Dawid Bartelt, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Istanbul office.

 

Web dossier | EU-India relations

As the world’s two largest democracies, the EU and India share a commitment to protecting and promoting human rights, a rules-based global order, effective multilateralism, sustainable development and open trade. The EU and India reinforced strategic ties during a landmark visit of the whole College of Commissioners to New Delhi, in February 2025. Our web dossier focuses on EU-India relations, also featuring content from our New Delhi regional office.

 

Webinar recording | Europe at a crossroads: security, defence, and the Polish EU Council Presidency

Security is right at the heart of the Polish EU Council Presidency’s programme. In light of the geopolitical context, the challenges are tremendous. The EU’s defence industrial base needs to be strengthened, and a joint approach on military procurement as well as a sustainable financing solution must be developed. This online discussion analysed the current state of play, explore key areas of contention and discuss potential paths forward, as well as take stock of the Polish EU Council Presidency’s efforts. With Sophia Besch, Łukasz Maślanka, Nicole Koenig and Roderick Kefferpütz. 

 

EU’s Clean Industrial Deal: what next for Europe’s energy transition?

The European Commission has unveiled its new strategy to make EU industries more competitive with cheap energy. Does this mean the block will go full speed ahead in terms of building more wind farms and solar power plants? Jörg Mühlenhoff looks into what the details of the Clean Industrial Deal mean for Europe’s energy transition.

 

Podcasts

*NEW* Böll·Europe Podcast series on elections in 2025

2024 was a super election year, with more than half the world’s population going to the polls, including elections to the European Parliament, and the US Presidential election. At the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU office in Brussels, we love democracy, and we love even more free elections. That’s why in 2025 we are launching this new Böll·Europe Podcast series focusing on national and federal elections taking place in Europe and around the world. Hosted by Joan Lanfranco, Head of Communications and Outreach at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union, it will analyse the spill over of these elections for the EU, and we will discuss electoral trends that have an impact across borders. We will unpack this with the insight of my dear colleagues around the world, who will share their post-electoral perspectives from the ground. Subscribe now to get notifications about new episodes, and share it with your friends and colleagues!

EP01 on Kosovo parliamentary elections with Granit Gashi, Programme Assistant & Kosovo Contact Point, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Belgrade office on Podigee | Spotify | Apple | YouTube

EP02 on Germany federal election
with Dr. Dietrich Herrmann, Head of Government, Administration and Political Parties Division, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin on Podigee | Spotify | Apple | YouTube
 

Digital Autonomy: How EU Regulations Affect You

The “Data for All: A Quest for Digital Autonomy” is a podcast meant to bring people closer to the topic of municipal data sovereignty. It is hosted by Max Nettlau, our colleague at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Schleswig-Holstein office. Their first episode features Zora Siebert, Head of Programme for EU Democracy and Digital Policy at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union, and breaks down how key EU regulation like the Digital Services Act (DSA) impacts online autonomy, digital rights, and everyday interactions with AI and online platforms.

 

Tech & Planet

Towards planet-proof computing: ten key elements EU data centre sustainability policy should take onboard 

Are ‘highly energy-efficient and sustainable’ data centres by 2030 realistic? Jessica Commins and Kristina Irion argue that despite efficiency measures, unchecked sector growth threatens sustainability. This post presents ten elements that will be key in the development of the iteration of the EU data centre sustainability policy. By Jessica Commins and Kristina Irion for the European Law Blog.

Read more
 

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union joins the Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) Coalition 

CAAD is a global coalition of over 50 leading climate and anti-disinformation organisations demanding robust, coordinated and proactive strategies to deal with the scale of the threat of climate misinformation and disinformation. CAAD is dedicated to combatting climate mis/disinformation, uniting policy, research, and accountability initiatives to stimulate a meaningful global dialogue on effective climate solutions. We are steadfast in our commitment to breaking down one of the most significant obstacles to tackling climate change: the spread of deceptive and false narratives that undermine constructive discussions about our environment.

Read more
 

Tuesday 1.04.2025, 15:00 CEST
Disrupted Alliance What the rise of the US tech right means for the future of the Transatlantic relationship

This online event will explore the origins of the US tech right and forecast what the policy changes and global influence will mean for the future of digital policy and transatlantic cooperation. We will begin with background on the major players and their motivations and then look to the future for tech, democracy, trade, and the transatlantic relationship.

More info
 

Energy Transition Blog

Germany’s new government can’t just walk away from climate protection

Since 2019, Germany’s Climate Protection Act has had aimed to reduce Germany’s carbon emissions to zero by 2045. The incoming new government has to adhere to this law. Will it, though? Paul Hockenos reports.

 
Photo credits:
Laura Moreno, Joan Lanfranco & Dawid Bartelt, All rights reserved
kirill_makarov | Shutterstock, All rights reserved
MDV Edwards | Shutterstock, All rights reserved
Miha Creative | Shutterstock, All rights reserved
Laura Moreno, All rights reserved
Heinrich Böll Foundation, Washington, DC/Carl Roberts, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
MDV Edwards | Shutterstock, All rights reserved

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is a German political foundation affiliated with the German Green Party (Alliance 90/The Greens). Its primary task is political education and advocacy in Germany and abroad. Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, non-violence and justice. In our work, we place particular emphasis on gender democracy, equal rights for minorities and the political and social participation of migrants.

Our namesake, the writer and Nobel Prize laureate Heinrich Böll, personifies the fundamental principles we stand for: defence of freedom and human dignity, civic courage, open debate and the acknowledgement of art and culture as independent spheres of thought and action. As a think tank for green visions and ideas, we are part of an international network with 34 offices worldwide and with partner projects in more than 60 countries.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union represents the foundation vis-à-vis European and international institutions, associations, non-governmental organisations and media based in Brussels. The office is a main point of contact for individuals, groups and organisations from around the world interested in EU politics and policies. The future of the European project and the role of the European Union in the world are at the centre of our activities and efforts.

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