While the European Parliament elections near, politics in Poland is at such a crux that the later parliamentary polls there will have wide reverberations.

The Berlin political scene met with Timothy Snyder, one of the leading American historians and public intellectuals. It was an occasion to talk about his latest book, “Road to Unfreedom” and its possible implications for political practice. The event was co-organised by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and Das Progressive Zentrum.

The British Council, Das Progressive Zentrum and Policy Network are interested in hearing and promoting your ideas for fostering cultural exchange between the United Kingdom, Germany and Europe.

Together with its Bulgarian, Slovak and Polish partners, Das Progressive Zentrum kicks-off with a new project focused on mobilising voters for the May 2019 European elections. The objective of this initiative is also to hear the voices of young European citizens: what European Union do they wish for in the future?

We are looking for six young European thinkers, professionals and activists to join a workshop in Bratislava on 29-30 November 2018 to draft recommendations for the renewal of the European Union.

Join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training and work with former US Vice President Al Gore and renowned climate scientists and communicators to learn about what’s happening to our planet and how you can use social media, powerful storytelling, and personal outreach to inspire audiences to take action. Registration closes on May 22, 2018.

Keynote held at the European Media Seminar in Berlin, 28 April 2018

The ebook examines internal developments within the Visegrad Group and sketches scenarios for its engagement at the European level. Distinguished scholars and renowned political figures from the region contributed to this publication, presented jointly by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Das Progressive Zentrum.

The ebook examines internal developments within the Visegrad Group and sketches scenarios for its engagement at the European level. Distinguished scholars and renowned political figures from the region contributed to this publication, presented jointly by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Das Progressive Zentrum.

One year after the first #EuropeanTownHall Meeting in Warsaw, the second bilateral Polish-German exchange was launched on 12 February 2018. Representatives of academia, civil society, and culture from Germany and Poland met to discuss the rise of populism in Europe as well as possible democratic innovations to address this phenomenon. An open debate with Manuel Sarrazin was concluded with an input by Paul Mason, offering a broader, global perspective.

On November 11, the renowned ‘A Soul for Europe’ conference took place at the premises of Radialsystem in Berlin. After an introductory panel various topics were discussed in parallel workshops sessions an at the European Marketplace, following three thematic tracks: Cities and Urban Change, Europe From the Bottom-Up and Arts & Politics – A Good Match? This year, Das Progressive Zentrum had the pleasure of co-hosting this extraordinary event.

The Visegrad Four has aroused the minds and hearts of political spectators and actors alike lately: From a rather innocent and inconspicuous platform for informal regional cooperation, the V4 has evolved into a perceived antithesis of the European political mainstream in recent years. Yet, is this a mere snapshot of the current state of the V4 or a lasting development? What does the future hold for the V4? And, more importantly, how can progressive forces actively shape this future? Responses of our experts at the second international roundtable on ‘Future Scenarios for the Visegrad Group’ were mixed. Yet, on one aspect there was broad agreement: It is about high time to reinvent progressive politics – both spatially and thematically.

Has the Visegrad Group turned into a unified alliance of enemies to EU integration and refugees? Not according to the experts at our roundtable. Some of them even fear a potential implosion of the group.

In his campaign Donald Trump promised economic policy that will return the power to “the people”. Meanwhile, his agenda includes massive tax cuts, support for economic nationalism on trade favouring exports over imports, financial deregulation and cuts to federal spending on public health care, housing, education, environmental protection. Nevertheless, populist arguments proved to be convincing to certain parts of American society. Could this scenario repeat in Europe? To tackle this question, Das Progressive Zentrum invited five American experts and political consultants to share their thoughts on the recent rise of populism in the U.S. and its possible development in Europe.

Exactly one year after launching DIALOGUE ON EUROPE, a further bilateral half-day #TownHallMeeting was organized – this time in Warsaw. On December 7 th , representatives of academia, civil society and culture from Germany and Poland followed our invitation to discuss possible future scenarios for Europe. Open discussions fed directly into a live conversation about the challenges of European integration and Polish-German relations with Michael Roth, German Minister of State for Europe.

Currently, the future of the European Union is at stake due to many disintegrative developments: the Brexit-referendum, migration challenge, rising right-wing populism or the persisting economic crisis. Challenges ahead of us are too profound and seminal to be addressed by high-ranking politicians attending closed-door summits only. Sustainable solutions can best be achieved with the support of a strong and well-connected European civil society.

Recent change of government in Poland mobilised many people, the spectrum of civil engagement is however polarised: from defenders of liberal values and adherents of conservative agenda to followers of nationalist resentments.

The development of Poland since the EU accession in 2004 was often seen as a pioneering example for the recent history of the European integration, sending an important political signal for a common European future. In particular, Germany and Poland strove in numerous bilateral initiatives not only to develop closer political cooperation, but also to intensify their cultural exchange.

In summarizing the results of last year’s parliamentary elections in Poland I briefly mentioned that “the rule of Catholic conservatives might stand in opposition to respecting the rights of women “. It took less than a year for this prophecy to come true. Thousands of women in Poland are joining Black Protests to demonstrate against the newest radical anti-abortion law proposal.