_In the Progressive Forum

Society and Civil Activism in Belarus

20. October 2008. Nastia Matusevich paints a bleak picture of civil activism in Belarus. Due to the predominant state propaganda and to characteristics of national mentality shaped by a highly successful effort of post-war "Sovietization" , only a small minority of the population is prepared to openly protest the drastic shortcomings in the field of economics, politics and society. more

Helmut Schmidt at 90 - A great European statesman

13. September 2008. William E. Paterson looks back on Helmut Schmidt's career and discovers the most competent Chancellor in postwar history and one of the greatest European statesmen. His extraordinary command of economic and defence policy made Schmidt a rarity among continental Social Democrats and worthy of being an honorary Brit. more

Europe: Be Careful What You Wish For

9. September 2008. Simon Green cautions that the widespread European enthusiasm for Barack Obama might sour rather quickly if elected president. In particular, Senator Obama's foreign political focus on raising troop levels in Afghanistan and increasing calls for economic protectionism in the U.S. could well lead to a rude awakening across the continent. more

Goodbye Musharraf

27. August 2008. Ole Frahm evaluates the consequences of Pervez Musharraf's exit from power on the geopolitics of Asia. India, China, and the U.S. all have partly colliding interests in the country, which due its location, size and strategic importance is the key to power politics on the entire continent. more

South Ossetia - What on earth were they thinking?

14. August 2008. Ole Frahm takes a look at the War in the Caucasus and assesses its consequences and fallout for Germany and Europe: questions about the relations with Russia and the Caucasus, the stance on separatist minorities and domestic energy supply will all have to be asked and answered anew. more

_Events

Office Warming at Das Progressive Zentrum

On Tuesday, May 27th,  Das Progressive Zentrum celebrated the opening of its new office in Invalidenstraße 34, Berlin. About 50 guests from the fields of politics, science, culture and media attended and - fueled by wine, beer and snacks - debated and discussed until the wee hours. more