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Politics Doesn’t Take a Summer Break: Our August Highlights

Welcome to our August 2026 edition. While many of us may be taking a summer break, today’s political challenges certainly are not – nor do they stop at national borders. Increasingly, neither does the search for solutions. This issue looks at how cooperation can strengthen security, democracy, and resilience.

We begin along the Danube, where regional cooperation is taking on a growing role in addressing shared security challenges – from cross-border crime to social resilience. In our recommended reading, Roderich Kiesewetter’s new book takes a critical look at Germany’s security policy, asking whether the country is ready to take greater responsibility for its own security and future.

Democracy and technology are also in focus. Guatemala’s 2023 elections highlight both the power and limits of social media in defending democracy, while our “Who is…?” section introduces Joyce Pañares of the Philippine Press Institute and her work to strengthen independent journalism in an age of disinformation and AI.

Across the Atlantic, the newly established American-German State Legislators Council is bringing cooperation to the regional level. In our video interview, South Carolina State Senator Jeff Zell explains why strong transatlantic ties can also be built state by state.

Finally, our gallery takes us to Banz Monastery, where HSS colleagues from around the world spent five days exchanging ideas and perspectives on authoritarian challenges, technology, development cooperation, and the future of our work.

We hope you enjoy this edition – and perhaps come away with a few new ideas about what cooperation can achieve when challenges refuse to respect borders.

POLITICAL ANALYSIS

Can Regional Cooperation Make Europe Safer? Security in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region 
The Danube doesn’t care about borders - and neither do many of the challenges facing the countries along it. From cross-border crime to threats to social resilience, authorities are finding new ways to work together. But what happens when security becomes a shared responsibility?

RECOMMENDED READING

"WAS WOLLEN WIR? WAS KÖNNEN WIR?"
By Roderich Kiesewetter, MP
 
Germany stands at a turning point: Are we ready to take responsibility for peace, freedom, and self-determination - and to face the consequences - politically, diplomatically, and militarily? Roderich Kiesewetter, one of the most prominent security experts in the Bundestag, calls for a fundamental reorientation of our security policy. He analyzes failures, identifies convenient narratives, and explains why and which reforms are necessary now. Amid technological change, global crises, and a Bundeswehr that is barely prepared for defense, Kiesewetter sketches two contrasting visions of the future: Will we become a capable actor or will we leave our future in the hands of foreign powers?

POLITICAL ANALYSIS

A Digital Lifeline:
The Case of Guatemalans’ Democratic Defense

Can social media help save democracy when democratic institutions are under pressure? Guatemala’s 2023 elections offer a fascinating case: digital platforms helped citizens mobilise against authoritarian pressure - but also exposed a crucial weakness. Without stronger institutions, can digital resistance really protect democracy?

AUDIO

The first days of the new administration in Great Britain 
 
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has taken office with promises of political change, while facing significant economic and fiscal constraints. What are his priorities – and how much room does he really have to reshape British politics?

SHORT ARTICLE

What the Social Market Economy Can Achieve Worldwide - International Summer School in Bavaria

Can an economic model travel across borders? In Bavaria, 23 young decision-makers from 18 countries explored what the Social Market Economy can offer their own societies - and how economic freedom, social responsibility and sustainable development can go hand in hand.

Read what the next generation of decision-makers thinks

FROM OUR GALLERY

HSS Around the World:
Five Days of Exchange and Debate

A Week of Exchange, Debate and New Perspectives

What happens when colleagues from projects around the world come together in one place? Our Global Staff Conference at Banz Monastery brought together experiences from across countries and regions for five days of discussion, reflection and exchange.

From authoritarian challenges and global alliances to democracy and technology and the future of development cooperation, we explored some of the key questions shaping our work today. Workshops and breakout sessions turned these discussions into practical ideas for our projects, while a political fireside evening offered space to look at the links between foreign, development and security policy.

But a retreat is about more than presentations and workshops. It was also about meeting colleagues face-to-face, sharing experiences, challenging each other’s perspectives – and finding new ideas together.

Here are some impressions from a week of intensive exchange, lively discussions and, of course, a little time to enjoy Banz Monastery.

VIDEO

Transatlantic Ties, State by State
Why do strong transatlantic ties start at the state level?

The newly established American-German State Legislators Council (AGSLC) is bringing U.S. and German state legislators together to strengthen cooperation across the Atlantic.

In this interview, South Carolina State Senator Jeff Zell, one of the initiative’s founders, shares why regional-level cooperation matters, what inspired the council, and what the AGSLC hopes to achieve for the future of U.S.-German relations.

Watch the full interview and discover how state leaders are building new bridges between Germany and the United States.

BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

HSS Ukraine
🇺🇦🇩🇪 Ukraine & Germany strengthen ties 🤝 for lasting partnerships

HSS Morocco
🇲🇦🇩🇪 Morocco & Germany build bridges 🤝 for lasting cooperation

HSS Central Asia
💧 Central Asian officials 🇰🇿🇰🇬🇹🇯🇺🇿 tackled water cooperation 🌍🤝

WHO IS...?

Joyce Pañares?

How can journalism remain independent and trusted in an age of disinformation and AI? In the Philippines, the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) has been strengthening professional and community journalism for more than six decades.

As PPI’s Training Director, Joyce Pañares helps journalists, students and educators navigate challenges ranging from fact-checking and digital security to AI. Her work reflects PPI’s broader mission: supporting strong local media that gives communities a voice and holds those in power to account.
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Phone: +49 (0)89/1258-0
E-Mail: globalperspectives@hss.de
Editorial Office: Henning Senger & Sibel Öztürk-Baştanoğlu
 
The articles in this newsletter reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.