The Archive

The questions. The debates. The verdicts.

Explore every session of The Long Council.

20 of 127 sessions
  1. 7 June 2026

    Should governments ban or limit ultra-processed foods?

    Verdict

    Regulate ultra-processed foods like tobacco through warning labels, taxes, and marketing restrictions.

    EconomyGovernance
  2. 4 June 2026

    How to unlock or emancipate empathy in men?

    Verdict

    Men learn empathy when institutions force them to see consequences of their decisions on others' lives.

    Governance
  3. 4 June 2026

    Why do Israelis perceive Palestinian suffering differently than most Western countries do?

    Verdict

    Israelis live under existential threat while Western observers debate from safety. Both see the same deaths through different survival calculations.

    DemocracyWar
  4. 1 June 2026

    Is China's surveillance system a public safety success or a human rights failure?

    Verdict

    China's surveillance system delivers measurable stability and development outcomes while systematically destroying individual agency and human rights protections.

    ChinaGovernance
  5. 30 May 2026

    May a country ban social media platforms?

    Verdict

    Yes, but only when platforms threaten genuine security interests, not when governments want to silence criticism.

    DemocracyGeopoliticsWarTechnology
  6. 28 May 2026

    Should governments ban PFAS to protect the environment and health?

    Verdict

    Yes, governments should ban PFAS, but with transition timelines that fund alternatives development.

    Economy
  7. 28 May 2026

    Does Israel have the right to build settlements in the West Bank?

    Verdict

    Israel has no legal right to build settlements, but the council splits on whether security threats override international law.

    GeopoliticsWar
  8. 25 May 2026

    How can a polarised democracy retain talented people and institutions?

    Verdict

    Include former opponents in new institutions but embed them in structures they cannot capture.

    DemocracyGovernance
  9. 17 May 2026

    Should Curaçao build wealth for the poor, and what benefits would that bring to society?

    Verdict

    Yes — wealth-building creates stakeholder citizens and social stability that welfare transfers cannot match.

    DemocracyEconomyNetherlands
  10. 14 May 2026

    Should the Dutch government reopen the Groningen gas field to secure energy supplies, and how should it compensate affected residents?

    Verdict

    The council agrees compensation must be automatic and generous, but splits on whether energy sovereignty justifies reopening.

    GeopoliticsWarClimateNetherlands
  11. 10 May 2026

    Should democratic states rethink their democratic processes in the light of fake news shared via social media?

    Verdict

    Democratic states must respond to systematic misinformation, but the council splits on whether information control can remain democratic.

    DemocracyTechnology
  12. 8 May 2026

    How do we strengthen democracy?

    Verdict

    Democracy grows strong when people can act together to control what affects their lives.

    DemocracyGovernance
  13. 8 May 2026

    Which global institutions should exist to prevent an arms race in dangerous technologies like AI?

    Verdict

    Build overlapping institutions at different scales rather than one global AI authority.

    AITechnologyGovernance
  14. 8 May 2026

    How can we adapt our democracy so that the interests of future generations are taken into account?

    Verdict

    Democracy must represent future generations through constitutional limits on irreversible decisions and institutions with long-term mandates.

    DemocracyGovernance
  15. 6 May 2026

    How can trust in political leadership be restored in western democracies. Provide concrete steps and measures.

    Verdict

    Western democracies can restore trust through competent institutions or authentic participation, but not both simultaneously.

    DemocracyGovernance
  16. 6 May 2026

    The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters of our planet for many years. The supply driven system and customer behaviour make it difficult to change this. Should governments interfere with stricter rules and regulations?

    Verdict

    Fashion's environmental damage requires coordinated action, but the council divides on whether markets, experiments, or binding rules deliver results fastest.

    EconomyGovernance
  17. 5 May 2026

    How can Europe develop a long-term strategy for climate and conflict migration that combines humane reception with social stability?

    Verdict

    Europe must prepare institutions for predictable climate migration rather than manage it as permanent crisis.

    EuropeWarClimateGovernance
  18. 3 May 2026

    Should the EU impose sanctions on Israel for its attacks on Lebanon?

    Verdict

    EU sanctions would isolate Europe without changing Israeli behavior or protecting Lebanese civilians.

    GeopoliticsEconomyEuropeWar
  19. 27 April 2026

    Should the US government refuse green cards to people who have criticized Israel and support the Palestinian cause?

    Verdict

    The government should not exclude green card applicants based on their criticism of Israel or support for the Palestinian cause.

    WarClimateGovernance
  20. 26 April 2026

    Should social media be regulated in the EU?

    Verdict

    Current social media governance fails democratic accountability — platforms govern billions without electoral mandate while remaining vulnerable to foreign manipulation.

    DemocracyEuropeTechnologyGovernance