The creeping integration of far right parties in 🇪🇺 within the last couple of years and the crucial role of the @eppgroup.bsky.social Give it a read 👇

Before #EP2024, I predicted the far right to gain power in EU institutions "not through sweeping victory, but creeping normalisation": fiia.fi/en/publicati... Now, @beckermax.bsky.social et al. have analysed the "creeping integration of far-right parties in Europe". I wish I'd been more wrong.

Before last week, NATO's art. 4 had been activated seven times. Now it has been activated twice in less than ten days, by Poland over the drone incursions and Estonia over the air space by violation by Russian fighter jets.

Der Einfluss von Rechtsaußenparteien in der EU wächst. Ob sich die Union weiterhin auf ein proeuropäisches Lager stützen kann, hängt v.a. von der EVP ab, schreiben @beckermax.bsky.social, @johannaflach.bsky.social und @nvondarza.bsky.social @swp-europe.bsky.social. www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/...

Die schleichende Integration von Rechtsaußenparteien in Europa: Nach den Europawahlen 2024 stellen sie 26 % der Abgeordneten im EP – und sind in 1/3 der Mitgliedstaaten an Regierungen beteiligt. Das neue @swp-berlin.org Aktuell von @nvondarza.bsky.social, @johannaflach.bsky.social und mir 👇

just going to leave this here from jon stewart accepting the mark twain prize in 2022:

Reminder that Putin has never said he wants a trilateral meeting, had never said he would respect Ukrainian sovereignty, and has never said he wants to end the war. Not to be a downer, but the discussion of security guarantees is premature.

New #EU Security and Defence Partnerships with 🇨🇦 , 🇳🇴 & 🇬🇧 – same framework, different depth. @johannaflach.bsky.social & @nvondarza.bsky.social compare scope, ambitions & political signalling. And what these new agreements reveal about Europe's evolving security architecture. Give it a read 👇

Happy to see my first ever contribution to a book chapter published! If you’re interested in the fluidity of #EP Political Groups - give it a read 😌 Thanks to @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu, Michael Kaeding, @alexhoppe.bsky.social and @nvondarza.bsky.social

Elections have consequences - and with the far-right groups now about 25% of elected representatives int he European Parliament, they are bound to take a more influential role in EU law-making:

Very important read by @timbale.bsky.social on the increasing use of the term “hard right” and why we shouldn’t be using it - and certainly not because we anticipate criticism from far right actors who do not want to be labelled as what they are

The motion of censure against von der Leyen isn’t about whether her Commission survives - it will -, but what Europe she’ll lead. This motion goes to the heart of what the European Parliament has always been about: to hold the EU Commission democratically accountable. A thread 🧵

"the American realignment with Russia and against Ukraine and Europe is gathering pace—not merely in rhetoric but in reality" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Meine Analyse heute morgen bei @Tagesschau zu #EU, #Sicherheitspolitik, #Trump, #G7, #Israel, #Iran www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/v...

Der linke Flügel der SPD hat die Zeitenwende stets nur zähneknirschend mitgetragen, denn die Stärkung der konventionellen militärischen Abschreckung fordert den parteiinternen Heiligenschein von Ost- und Entspannungspolitik heraus. Je länger der Krieg andauert und umso höher die NATO-Ziele steigen,

Russland begeht Kriegsverbrechen als Routine und schießt ständig Raketen auf Zivilisten. Und immer noch fabulieren manche von „berechtigten Sicherheitsinteressen“. #SPD #Russland www.stern.de/politik/deut...

Man könnte vieles über das #Manifest der (hoffentlich) alten #SPD sagen aber, dass es die dutzendfach widerlegte Falschbehauptung wiederholt Europa seie Russland militärisch überlegen um daraus den Schluss einer „Abrüstungspolitik“ und „Politik der gemeinsamen Sicherheit“ zu ziehen ist verstörend

"Every time we go to the polls, politicians will say that every election matters and every vote counts. They will be right" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Allein dass Weimer die rechtspopulistische Cancel-Legende der "verbannten" Venus-Skulptur als Beleg eines angeblich links-feministischen Kulturkampfes zeigt, dass ihm die Kompetenz für das Amt des Kulturstaatsministers fehlt. Der Reihe nach 🧵

Wie stark kann Nawrocki Polens EU-Kurs tatsächlich beeinflussen? @nvondarza.bsky.social‬ zeigt: Auch ohne direkte Brüssel-Rolle kann der Präsident Reformprojekte blockieren – mit Wirkung bis nach Berlin.

Ich habe mit @tabouchadi.bsky.social für @volksverpetzer.de über den Forschungsstand zum Ausgrenzen rechtsextremer Parteien, ihrer Normalisierung in Politik und Medien und darüber gesprochen, was sich ändern muss, um die weitere Unterwanderung unserer Demokratie zu verhindern.

The whole of Europe looked to Berlin today in the hope that Germany would reassert itself as an anchor of stability and a pro-European powerhouse. That hope has been dashed. With consequences way beyond our borders.

@annegretbendiek.bsky.social, Ronja Kempin and I have written down, that the current securitisation of the external action of 🇪🇺 and new financing instruments must not obscure the need for structural changes to the #CFSP and #CSDP🧵

#Trump hat durch die Annäherung an #Russland ohne Not das internationale Umfeld des Krieges und das Gleichgewicht zwischen den Parteien radikal verändert. Für #Putin rückt so der erträumte Diktatfrieden näher. Meine neue Analyse zum Thema Verhandlungen: www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/...

Interesting addition: SPD wants to enshrine in the coalition agreement a clause rejecting any cooperation with the far-right (ECR, PfE, ESN) in the European Parliament. Looks like a nod to Manfred Weber to me.

Good phone calls with defence ministers of 🇬🇧 and 🇨🇦. Told them our €150bn loans programme SAFE is open to EU & non-EU collaboration. It invites friends to build deeper defence industry partnerships of mutual benefit with us.

But her emails

Der Bundesrat will, dass die Polizei bundesweit Palantir als Software einsetzt. Das Unternehmen gehört dem rechten Milliardär und Strippenzieher Peter Thiel. Diesem Feind der Demokratie Geld und Daten in den Rachen zu werfen, ist unverantwortlich. Ein Kommentar. netzpolitik.org/2025/palanti...

‘Good intentions, as recently declared by Kaja Kallas & David Lammy, are not enough… it is time for both the EU and the UK to step up’ 🇬🇧🇪🇺 A special UK-EU security relationship is now vital write @beckermax.bsky.social @nvondarza.bsky.social & Johanna Flach👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/resetting-uk...

The American security apparatus is least limited by law at the border, and so this is where the attack on fundamental freedoms begins. Non-US citizens whose livelihood depends on access to the US should be cautious. Everyone else should be furious. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/w...

The EU Commission just unveiled its ReArm Europe Plan, including a new loan-based instrument "Security Action for Europe" (SAFE) of €150 billion. Interestingly, with SAFE, the Commission seems to try and combine two pandemic-era EU instruments into one: SURE and RRF. Quick thread:

Many thanks to @ukandeu.bsky.social for the opportunity to write up @johannaflach.bsky.social , @nvondarza.bsky.social and my case for deeper 🇪🇺🇬🇧 cooperation in #CSDP on the day that #Lammy and #Kallas also take steps forward here - now, finding compromises is key

@annegretbendiek.bsky.social, Ronja Kempin und ich haben aufgeschrieben, dass die gegenwärtige Versicherheitlichung des auswärtigen Handelns der 🇪🇺 und neue Finanzierungsinstrumente nicht über die Notwendigkeit struktureller Umbauten der #GASP und #GSVP hinwegtäuschen darf 🧵

The Heritage Foundation is now planning to destroy the EU - with the help of Polish and Hungarian partners vsquare.org/heritage-fou...

Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year. The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider we will be forced to look for other suppliers.

Let's be clear. Buying American weapons is a real risk to European security at this point due to political interference. Actually, it's an issue to anyone in the world relying on top US military equipment. Cc @jakluge.de

Ein Umgang mit Migration könnte auch sein: Wir wissen, dass Migration nur eine Projektionsfläche ist... eine Ursache für das Erstarken rechter Kräfte sind Mängel bei wahrgenommener Daseinsfürsorge. Da setzt die Investitionsprogramm aber genau an u bekämpft damit die Ursachen, nicht die Symptome.

NEW: The actions of Trump and Vance in recent weeks highlight something under-appreciated. The American right is now ideologically closer to countries like Russia, Turkey and in some senses China, than to the rest of the west (even the conservative west). My column: www.ft.com/content/3046...

@drfranksauer.bsky.social ist bei Maybrit #Illner was aufgefallen. #Putin wird das nicht gefallen!

EU is ready to create a "coalition of the willing" to ensure "one country" cannot block support for #Ukraine - EC Vice-President @kajakallas.bsky.social at the Special European Council Summit in Brussels

1/ In 🇩🇪 and elsewhere the discussion on whether or not the F35 should be cancelled or not starts to gain traction. Can we afford to cancel it? Can we replace it? Complicated, and the discussion would be more credible if not led by commercial rivals of Lockheed-Martin. www.welt.de/politik/deut...

@danielfiott.bsky.social asks the right questions about #VDL's '800bn' proposal. No matter how useful the proposed 150 bn loans will be for many MS the important question is: what are the selection criteria for defence projects (governance?) + how can we prevent even more fragmentation of 🇪🇺 defence?

Trump says to Chief Justice John Roberts: „Thank you again. I won’t forget“. This is for the ruling in the immunity case, in which SCOTUS effectively made any president they approve of a king.

FT Exclusive: The US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces. www.ft.com/content/c58f...

Full von der Leyen spelling Out in some more detail her plan to ReArm Europe. A few things stand out to me:

Von der Leyen has just announced the Commission's "Rearm Europe" plan. The most important parts target national fiscal space: The Commission will activate the national escape clauses in the fiscal rules and put a new loans-based instrument on the table. Here is what it means:

The Commission is now officially proposing to use national escape clauses in the EU fiscal rules to boost national defense spending. But this move comes with real risks and little planning certainty. As @lucasguttenberg.bsky.social and I have argued, the EU won’t be able to avoid a real reform.

Curb your enthusiasm #VDL