- What happens after the European elections?
- EU Monitoring: Current socio-political developments in Europe
- Europe elects a new parliament
- "Now it's my turn! - European Elections 2024" - Event for the first European elections from the age of 16
- Stronger together: democracy and gender equality in Europe
- Threat to democracy and human rights: the anti-gender movement in Europe
What happens after the European elections?
After the European elections, the new Parliament is constituted. The elected MEPs usually choose a political group, which, among other things, sets the political lines of the European Parliament and negotiates the Parliament's common political positions. They also have a say in the leadership of the Parliament, the committee chairs and committee members.The new Parliament elects a President during the first plenary session, where all MEPs unite. In a further session, the Parliament votes on the new President of the European Commission. Later, it examines and confirms the entire college of Commissioners.
The special edition of the EU-Monitoring on Europe after the elections compiles current socio-political information on the results of the 2024 European elections and the resulting events. In addition to election results, their classification and institutional processes, it also presents the demands of individual civil society organisations.
Please note that the special edition of the EU-Monitoring is only published in German.
Stronger together: democracy and gender equality in Europe
What's gender equality got to do with democracy? Why is an intersectional understanding of gender equality more democratic? And what's happening in the European Union to foster gender equality and democracy?
The Dossier engages with these questions in depth: The topic is introduced by Julia Lux (Observatory). In his statement, Robert Biedroń (Chair of the FEMM-Committee in the European Parliament) recapitulates the EU parliamentary equality policy efforts during the legislative period 2019–2024. Belinda Dear (ILGA-Europe) and Julie Pascoët (ENAR) highlight in the interview where reform is needed from an intersectional perspective on equality. Gabriele Abels (University of Tübingen, Germany) discusses the Commission initiative Union of Equality. To top it off, theses on the relationship between democracy and gender equality by Julia Lux (Observatory) provide food for thought.
Threat to democracy and human rights: the anti-gender movement in Europe
Movements mobilising against gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights have gained strength across Europe in recent years. The strengthening also brings to light an increasingly transnationally organised and financed independent anti-gender movement that attacks the rights of women* and LGBTIQ* persons.
It also puts democracy, human rights and the rule of law at risk. This is evident locally, regionally or nationally, and Europe-wide, where alliances are organised transnationally to undermine the European Union's foundations and reverse already existing consensus.
The Newsletter 2/2021 introduces the emergence, main lines of argumentation, and actors of the transnational anti-gender movement in Europe. To do so, the Newsletter looks at the specific case of the Istanbul Convention combatting gender-based violence. Furthermore, it provides insights into three focal topics: transnational financing structures of the anti-gender movement, increasing anti-trans attacks and corresponding counterstrategies, as well as gender-based cyber violence.
In 2023, the Observatory looked at the anti-gender movement in Europe again. Dossier 1/2023 deals with the right to abortion in Europe. Banning abortions is also intended to undermine human rights and gender equality with implications for an open and democratic society.
EU Monitoring: Current socio-political developments in Europe
In our EU-Monitoring, we provide a regular overview of the activities of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the European civil society organisations in social policy.If you would like to receive the EU-Monitoring by e-mail, please write us stating your name and organisation: beobachtungsstelle (a) iss-ffm.de
Please note that the EU-Monitoring is only published in German.
Europe elects a new parliament
The focus issue of the EU-Monitoring provides detailed background information on the 2024 European elections. It also looks at the role of the Parliament in gender equality and presents selected election plans of the European parties as well as the election demands of various European civil society organisations.The special edition of the EU-Monitoring for the European Elections compiles current, socio-political information concerning the upcoming elections. Besides events, manifestos form civil society organisations and current projections, the monitoring provides information about new directives and projects from EU-institutions.
Please note that both issues are only published in German."Now it's my turn! - European Elections 2024" - Event for the first European elections from the age of 16
On 18 April 2024, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) organized the event Now it's my turn! - European Elections 2024 in Berlin on the occasion of the European elections and the first elections from the age of 16 in Germany with on-stage talks for young first-time voters.The responsible Federal Minister Lisa Paus and representatives of the federal states and EU institutions participated on stage. They talked about the future of Europe and the participation of young people. The event was also live-streamed.
Before the stage talks, there was an opportunity for young people to find out more about the European elections and other European issues. The Observatory organized the Marketplace "Europe". The Observatory was also represented with its stand on gender equality in Europe. In addition to the infographic, this topic is examined in more detail in the Dossier Stronger together: Democracy and gender equality in Europe.
