Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Warszawa

Thank you for visiting the website of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Warsaw! As a think tank for green visions and projects with 30 offices worldwide, we are part of an international network encompassing well over 100 partner projects in approximately 60 countries.
The thematically organized sections correspond with the full spectrum of our activities within four programmes:
Democracy & Human Rights, Energy & Climate, Europe & International Politics and European Agricultural Policy.
Here you can find information about events organised independently, or in cooperation with other organisations, as well as about our publications on the most relevant green topics. We encourage you to participate in our debates and conferences, and to follow us in social media.

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Recent Articles & Specials

German Rearmament: Handle with Care - Public Attitudes in Six EU Member States

Böll EU Brief

Germany is rearming. How do its European partners feel about it? A new Böll EU Brief presents what is, to our knowledge, the first public survey of its kind, with more than 9,000 people in France, Poland, Italy, Greece, Lithuania and Czechia. Two thirds support German rearmament, but backing varies by country and does not always come with trust. The top concern is the rise of extremist forces in Germany. Asked who should lead the defence of Europe, the largest group wants the EU to share that role, with no single country in charge. Germany must rearm, but also reassure.

Roderick Kefferpütz

Berlin 2026: Elections to the House of Representatives and the District Councils

Election analysis

The Berlin election has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, with the fringes gaining strength whilst the centre erodes. Surprisingly, The Left has emerged as the strongest force. The Greens have fallen short of their election target and lost key districts, but are playing a central role in the formation of the government.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian U. Bukow

2026 Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state election

Election analysis

The candidate makes all the difference; the CDU finds itself outside parliament for the first time the Greens secure their place in the state parliament and are highly likely to become a governing party. The AfD becomes the strongest force and the sole opposition party.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian U. Bukow

2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election

Election analysis

The state election reflects a deep-seated division. The far right narrowly missed securing the absolute majority it had sought, thereby triggering a political earthquake. Forming a government is likely to prove difficult.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian U. Bukow

Publications

More cooperation, tangible results

A report prepared by the Institute of Public Affairs in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation presents key findings of a new public opinion survey conducted simultaneously in Poland, Germany, and France. The study explores how citizens in the three countries perceive the significance and role of the Weimar Triangle. The findings point to clear public support for further strengthening cooperation among the three countries. At the same time, they highlight its greatest weakness: the Weimar Triangle remains relatively little known and has yet to become a visible part of citizens’ everyday experience.

Małgorzata Kopka-Piątek

How to Reform a Public Broadcaster Without Capturing It

Lithuania reformed its public broadcaster LRT with a new law. Earlier drafts of the law raised criticism but the final version improved safeguards for editorial independence. The final law is improved, though it raises a broader European question: how to make public broadcasters accountable without giving political institutions control over independent journalism.

Dorita Visalgienė, Alius Kubilius, Arūnas Burinskas

How to make Europe secure again?

Russia’s war against Ukraine and shifting US policy have reignited debate on Europe’s security. This report brings together German and Polish perspectives, offering strategic analysis and policy recommendations for the EU’s future.

Adam Balcer

More publications

Democracy & Human Rights

Hungary’s media battlefield ahead of the 2026 election

In the run-up to Hungary’s 2026 election, the battle for power is being fought not only at rallies, but also across billboards, TV studios, and Facebook feeds. After more than a decade of media capture under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, critics warn that the country’s tightly controlled media space risks turning the vote into a test not of political support, but of propaganda’s reach. Still, the question remains: what will happen afterwards

Viktória Serdült

3 Questions on the new EU LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy to Rémy Bonny

3 Questions

The European Commission’s new LGBTIQ+ Equality strategy for 2026-2030 puts equality back on the agenda – but for Rémy Bonny, Executive Director at Forbidden Colours, it comes too little, too late. As Europe faces a coordinated anti-gender movement importing authoritarian narratives into the EU, he warns that “a few nice words won’t stop that.” Joan Lanfranco asked him where the EU needs to show real political courage, how it can counter disinformation and violence, and why defending LGBTIQ+ rights has become a test of Europe’s democracy itself.

Joan Lanfranco, Rémy Bonny

EU–Hungary rule of law clashes intensify: Kremlin-inspired crackdown on media, NGOs, and opposition parties

Analysis

With less than a year to go until the next Hungarian parliamentary elections, Viktor Orbán’s Government appears to have a weak hand in its communications battles with its new political opponent, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party. To cover up the challenges it faces, the administration has turned up the heat under the independent media, NGOs, and opposition parties, playing from the same old authoritarian playbook of threatening a free civil society.

Kata Moravecz, György Folk

More about Democracy & Human Rights programme

Europe & International Politics

3 Questions on Péter Magyar’s landslide victory in Hungary to Adéla Jurečková

3 Questions

Hungary has voted, and in doing so, sent a message to democratic forces worldwide. Péter Magyar's Tisza Party won a historic supermajority, ending 16 years of Viktor Orbán's authoritarian rule. But rebuilding democracy, restoring the Rule of Law, and repairing Hungary's relationship with the EU will be a monumental task. We asked Adéla Jurečková, Director of our Prague office (covering Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary) what the result means for Hungary, Europe, and Ukraine.

Joan Lanfranco, Adéla Jurečková

Hungary Votes. Moscow Decides? - The hidden hand behind Europe’s most consequential election

Commentary

Hungarians are scheduled to vote on 12 April. Whether the election takes place as planned, whether that vote determines who actually governs, and whether its result is accepted – all three questions remain open. Russian intelligence operatives, Orbán’s own security services, and years of deliberately-embedded, institutional loyalties are already working to shape the answers.

Dániel Fehér

War Against Iran Will Not Bring Peace to the Middle East

Presidents' column

The war with Iran is exacerbating the situation in the Middle East, with no prospect of security gains. Military escalation poses significant risks to stability in the region. Europe should focus strongly on de-escalation and compliance with international law.

Imme Scholz

More about Europe & International Politics programme

Dossier

Rebalancing the Baltic Sea region

In the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the increased threat Russia poses to Europe, the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea region has grown considerably. We present a selection of articles prepared in cooperation with New Eastern Europe magazine, in which this very topic is the central theme of issue 4/2025.