Topic: Do We Trust Democracy?

As Interior Minister, I deal with matters relating to the state of democracy in the Netherlands on a daily basis...

Soft power works when a country or a bloc of countries “gets others to want what it wants”...

As European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, I travelled to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Over 200,000 people lost their lives and a large part of Haiti’s vital infrastructure was destroyed along with homes and businesses.

The European election of 2019 is said to be a watershed moment that will ask voters to choose between more or less Europe, between inclusion and diversity or exclusion and nationalism, and between soc..

The impact of immigration and the recent refugee crisis have together contributed to the rise of far-right parties in Europe, which in turn poses a serious threat to the health of democracy on the continent.