Documenting Erosion: The Greens' Fight for the Rule of Law in Hungary Three former Green MEPs recount their efforts to stop the erosion of liberal democracy in Hungary.

Special rapporteurs on Hungary's rule of law look back on years of pushing EU institutions to act. Dive into their experience in protecting democracy, the legacy of their work, and how Orbán has contributed to shaping Europe’s far right and its approach to the Union, on our wesbite:

International Law, Dead and Reborn in Gaza? Israel’s war has laid bare the limitations of international law, but efforts to document its crimes keep alive the possibility of justice

Israel’s war on Gaza has laid bare the limitations of the rules-based world order when the powers supposed to uphold it turn a blind eye or actively support its violations. And yet, international law remains an important tool of protest, condemnation, and memory.

Interview with Jérôme Heurtaux:

Unite and Conquer: Can Tisza Bring Down the Orbán System? Hungary’s longest-serving prime minister will stop at nothing to cling on to power, but Tisza has a chance of putting an end to Fidesz’s rule.

After a 16-year hold on power, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has finally been voted out in a landslide victory for the opposition Tisza party. Which dynamics drove this political shift?

Read this pre-election analysis from Hungarian political scientist Dániel Oross on our website:

Viktor Orbán’s Battery Troubles Ahead of Hungary’s crucial parliamentary election, an environmental scandal has become a major headache for Fidesz – and an opportunity for the opposition.

Ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary election, a major scandal involving systemic pollution at a Samsung battery plant near Budapest has raised questions for the ruling Fidesz party. In response, the government has escalated the rhetoric of an already polarised election campaign.

Full article:

Slovenia’s Choice Has High Stakes for Europe Can prime minister Robert Golob escape the incumbent curse, or will Slovenia swing further to the right?

Despite having a population of just two million, the outcome of Slovenia’s parliamentary election is likely to have ripple effects well beyond its borders. As he faces a formidable challenge, can prime minister Robert Golob break Slovenia’s incumbent curse?

Full article:

Can the Citizens’ Energy Package Deliver for People and Communities? The package presents an opportunity to make Europe’s energy transition more inclusive and democratic, but whether it can meet its potential is uncertain.

The EU’s Citizens’ Energy Package is out, promising to multiply community energy tenfold by 2030. But without enforcement, will it empower citizens or just greenwash the status quo? Full analysis👇

Can Europe Wake Up the Sleeper Train? Night rail travel remains riddled with problems, but efforts are underway to make it more reliable and accessible.

Night rail travel remains riddled with problems: a messy booking system, old carriages, and last-minute cancellations. Can Europe address these issues and make night trains reliable and accessible? Read the full article👇

Can Greens Move Past Their Pioneer Syndrome? Political ecology must strive to build broader alliances, regain public trust, and become a governing force for systemic change.

After 20 years as Green mayor of a former mining town, Jean-François Caron argues political ecology must move beyond its pioneer culture and become a force of bridge builders with a governing mindset.📖 Read the full interview👇

More Than Just Polanski: The Green Surge in England and Wales Can the Greens maintain their momentum and reshape the UK’s political landscape?

🆕The UK Green Party has just won Gorton and Denton, with Hannah Spencer elected new MP for the area. The surge is a result of decades of grassroots work, coupled with Zack Polanski’s successful campaign. Can this momentum reshape UK politics? Read more👇

Green vs Green: Fault Lines Within Europe’s Energy Transition With shifting political priorities at the European level, could energy conflicts contribute to a fairer transition rather than slowing it down?

As the energy transition accelerates, fault lines are emerging within the environmental movement itself. Could these internal conflicts contribute to a fairer transition rather than slow it down?

Call for Pitches: Demographic Futures The next print edition of the Green European Journal will look at Europe’s new demographic reality. We are open to essays, photo essays, interviews, graphic journalism, and more.

📢 Send us your pitches!
Our next print edition will explore Europe’s new demographic reality.

We are looking for...
✍️ Essays and interviews
📷 Photo essays
🖌️ Comics and graphic journalism
📖 Fiction and creative nonfiction

⏰ Deadline: 24 March 2026
Learn more👇

In Defence of the EU’s Trade Initiatives Europe needs to form more partnerships to strengthen its autonomy and resist commercial coercion.

The EU’s trade deal with Mercosur has found renewed urgency due to tensions with the US. Critics worry about environmental impact and threats to farming, but the EU needs partners to boost its independence and resist economic pressure.

📢 We’re hiring! As Communications and Outreach Intern, you will support the creation and delivery of our journal’s digital communications by drafting social media content, preparing newsletters, and producing outreach materials. Apply by 27 February 2026👇
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/call-for-com...

Veiligheid in Europa: kan de kloof tussen Noord en Zuid worden overbrugd? Kan een gedeelde progressieve visie de meningsverschillen over defensie oplossen in een Europa waar het noorden de dreiging van Rusland acuut voelt, terwijl het zuiden die dreiging als ver weg…

Can Europe bridge its North-South divide on defence? Latvian MEP Mārtiņš Staķis and Spanish theorist Carlos Pérez explore how progressives can move beyond the “realist iron cage” and find common ground on security.
🆕Now also available in Dutch - experience the full interview in your language👇

The Hospitals Curing Both People and Planet The healthcare sector is under increasing pressure from the impact of climate change, yet it also contributes heavily to global warming. Two Catalan hospitals are trying to change things.

The healthcare sector is caught in a climate paradox: it is under increasing pressure from the impact of climate change on people’s health, yet it emitted nearly twice as much CO2 as aviation in 2020. Two Catalan hospitals are trying to change things.

Democratising Energy: Why Gender Matters If energy communities are meant to reshape not only how energy is produced but who holds power, the question of gender can no longer be treated as secondary.

Energy communities are key to speeding up Europe’s shift to renewables. Yet women and FLINTA remain underrepresented in the conversation. As these projects should reshape not only how energy is produced, but also who holds power, the question of gender cannot be left out.

How Critics Are Using Blackouts to Undermine the Energy Transition Though they have been fertile ground for disinformation, power outages can also open discussions about our energy infrastructure.

💡When blackouts hit Europe last year, critics incorrectly blamed renewables, using outages to attack the energy transition.

This piece from @greeneujournal.bsky.social explores how and why blackouts are being weaponised in Europe’s energy debate.

www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/left-in-the-...

Baltic Pioneers: Redefining European Security There is much more to resilience than hard power, writes Arūnas Burinskas.

📖Featured in Unbound: The Battle Over Freedom, the Summer 2025 print edition of the Green European Journal. 🆕Now also available in French, Italian, and Dutch - experience the full interview in your language: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/baltic-pione...

The Baltics face a defining moment:
keep buying military hardware while social problems fester, or embrace comprehensive security that weaves together defence, social justice & sustainability.

Experts now propose “comprehensive security”: resilient welfare systems, active citizenship, and an economy serving everyone, not just the privileged few.
Examples already exist: Estonia's Defense League & Latvia's National Guard turn citizens into active defence participants.

Adding to these concerns, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered massive Baltic defence spending.
But the real threat isn’t Russian tanks. It’s social division, and struggling communities being convinced that their governments have abandoned them.

The rapid opening to free-market capitalism looked miraculous: cities gleamed with new towers, successful EU and NATO integration, and digital innovations.
But while capitals thrived, rural areas hollowed out. Factories shut, hospitals lost funding, youth fled abroad.

30 years ago, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania broke free from Soviet control and became post-communist success stories.
Today, beneath the facade of modernisation, they suffer some of Europe's highest inequality levels. 🧵

Adding to these concerns, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered massive Baltic defence spending.
But the real threat isn’t Russian tanks. It’s social division, and struggling communities being convinced that their governments have abandoned them.

The rapid opening to free-market capitalism looked miraculous: cities gleamed with new towers, successful EU and NATO integration, and digital innovations.
But while capitals thrived, rural areas hollowed out. Factories shut, hospitals lost funding, youth fled abroad.

The Anti-Orbán Pride: An Election Prelude Ahead of next year’s parliamentary vote, Budapest’s largest-ever pro-LGBTQ+ march offers a glimpse into the uncertainty of Hungary’s polarised politics.

🏳️‍🌈Hungary has intensified its crackdown on Pride. Prosecutors charged Budapest’s opposition mayor Gergely Karácsony for organising last June’s Pride despite a police ban. The ban aimed to divide society and weaken opponents, but it failed. Will Fidesz’s miscalculation affect the next election?

The Tipping Point of Bulgaria’s Democracy? Rebuilding mutual trust between society and state institutions in Bulgaria is only possible through durable democratic practices.

The mass protests that forced Bulgaria's prime minister to step down are a positive step towards active participation, but rebuilding mutual trust between society and state institutions is only possible through durable democratic practices.

Values and Pragmatism: Europe’s Place in a Shifting World In the face of geopolitical tensions, can the European project stay true to its ideals? An interview with Sergey Lagodinsky.

📖Featured in Unbound: The Battle Over Freedom, the Summer 2025 print edition of the Green European Journal. 🆕Now also available in French, Italian, and Dutch - experience the full interview in your language: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/values-and-p...

Finally, Europe’s global role depends on balancing values with pragmatism. We must engage with partners worldwide without compromising democratic foundations. Dependence on authoritarian regimes weakens the EU’s autonomy and credibility. Freedom means responsibility, not restriction.

His second warning: the far right’s erosion of democratic norms cannot become the new status quo. Common values remain embedded in EU treaties, but they must be defended through dialogue, enforcement, and reform. Rising illiberalism from within is as dangerous as threats from outside.