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From November 1-9, GMF hosted a group of eight journalists from seven European countries to observe and cover the 2006 congressional elections first-hand. The participants, who came from both national and regional papers and news agencies in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Turkey, first traveled to Washington, DC to explore the national political context of this year's congressional races, and gain some  deeper insights in the American political process. In Washington, they spent their first evening hearing about key races and issues from John Harris and Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post, and on the next day had an opportunity to see that the political divide in DC still allows for bipartisan cooperation in joint meetings with Republican and Democratic strategists and lobbyists.

The group then traveled on to Arizona, a state in which this year's congressional races were deeply shaped by the debate about immigration policy and border security. Just days after President Bush signed legislation calling for a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, the journalists were able to discuss this issue with both candidates for Arizona's 8th congressional district, Randy Graf (R) and Gabrielle Giffords (D), as well as with Hispanic activists in Tucson. Participants spent their second day in Arizona right at the border, in Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico, guided by freelance border reporter Michael Marizco. In Nogales, the fence has been a reality for almost a decade. Part of the group then crossed over to the Mexican side and had the opportunity to interview migrants, some of whom had just been brought back to Mexico after a failed attempt to get into the United States. The day at the border showcased the human and often very emotional side of the immigration policy debate, and the complexity of the challenges that lie ahead for policymakers. 

From Arizona, the group flew to Connecticut to focus on the Senate race between Senator Lieberman, running as an Independent, and Ned Lamont, who had beat him in the Democratic primary. That race showcased the intense debates within the Democratic party about U.S. foreign policy and the right course in Iraq and the group of journalists were able to attend campaign events of both candidates.

After visiting a polling station in Connecticut in the morning of election day, the journalists watched the election results come in at a Capitol Hill and received a first analysis of the results at Washington think tanks on the next day before returning to their respective countries. Overall, the trip showcased the diversity and complexity of American regions and politics, and enabled several European newspapers to cover the elections from the ground.

Click on the participant's name to view their articles:
Luc Bronner (French)
Alexandra Fusoi (Romanian)
Jana Heintze (German)
Evita Neefs (Belgian/Flemish)
Ingmar Neveus (Swedish)
Jean-Christophe Ploquin (French)
Melis Senerdem (Turkish)
Lukasz Warzecha (Polish)

Click on the links to view:
Participants List