Als oud-lezer van Suske en Wiske dacht ik altijd dat de tjiftjaf een mythische of uitgestorven vogel was, zoiets als de dodo. Maar hij bestaat dus echt, en zingt prachtig! 😍

The U.S. has spent billions to lose a war that enriches its oligarchs, impoverishes the citizenry, sabotages its alliances, and strengthens its enemies. Empires have risen and failed before, but to my knowledge no state has ever chosen to kill its own power. snyder.substack.com/p/on-superpo...

Tearing up a bit at this, not just for Europe but for all the people I know in Hungary who fought so hard through so much disappointment to make it happen. Heros and heroines every one. Although Magyar will do less than we hope (doesn’t everyone?) Hungary is back as a full member of Europe.

So the war was quite literally pointless. All around the world they're rationing energy, there are food shortages, people are suffering and dying, all for absolutely fucking nothing.

I continue to be flabbergasted that other (non-insane) governments aren't making similar changes. The Canadian government won't shut up about how important "digital sovereignty" is, and then it pours resources into posting everything to Twitter and Facebook.

Following hot on the heels of three political parties announcing their departure from X in Germany, another very positive development. The fastest way to stop the monetisation of harmful and illegal online content by Big Tech oligarchs is to deprive their platforms of an audience.

European Commission has updated its follow buttons. ✅ Mastodon and Bluesky are in; ⛔ X, Facebook, YouTube are out. (Only when you scroll all the way down, FB and YT are still there, but no longer X.) commission.europa.eu/index_en

For EU's tech sovereignty, "Buy European" is not enough. Will EUrope fund tech "capacity that can be captured, or infrastructure that resists capture by design"? What should be the new slogan? "Invest in values-based, steward-owned European infrastructure"? euobserver.com/214798/the-e...

New banner on EU Commission HQ! "Democracy. Protect what matters." audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/stories/M... But will the 'European Democracy Shield' do the job? I don't think so: defenddemocracy.eu/how-not-to-d... @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social

“Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said. ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’“ As an Alice - and as someone who has been warning for several of these things for years - I can totally relate.

Putin and his generals are paranoid, afraid of assassination, and hiding in bunkers giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

AI hype has now arrived at the heart of European lawmaking. "Through substantial influence over the production of regulatory knowledge, Big Tech seeks to achieve epistemic capture of the EU regulation process, showing how hype can dismantle public expertise." www.techpolicy.press/ai-hype-and-...

I didn't mind this bee photobombing my picture 😍

The Ukraine and Iran wars are both illegal, the EU should stay on the side of international law, as should all medium to small sized states — at a minimum! The law is what protects us.

NRC over 4 & 5 mei: Wanneer verdraagzaamheid overgaat in onverdraagzaamheid is niets zeggen geen optie. „Verzet begint niet met grote woorden / maar met kleine daden”. Met: „Jezelf een vraag stellen / daarmee begint verzet / en dan die vraag aan een ander stellen”. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

"AI is driving a major upheaval in politics that will alter the substance and the character of campaigns." NYT extensively quotes Defend Democracy's "Curated Reality: How AI Is Reshaping Human Agency" Here's the original: defenddemocracy.eu/ai-human-age... www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/o...

If we had pan-European media, this is what the analysis and opinion pages would be discussing, in detail, from every possible angle and country, every day. Instead we Europeans are reading the NYT and the New Yorker who will NEVER discuss this. Nor will the Economist or the FT, for that matter.

Fantastiche column over de uiterst-rechtse meuk die van ochtend tot avond de Nederlandse talkshows domineert… al jaren lang!

Exactly. Which is why the 'European Democracy Shield' is fighting yesterday's war: defenddemocracy.eu/how-not-to-d...

Deadlock over. The EU just cleared way for the €90-billion-loan for Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package. Russia’s war economy is under growing strain, while Ukraine is getting a major boost. We will provide Ukraine what it needs to hold its ground, until Putin understands his war leads nowhere.

AI is already shaping how we think. New from @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social: About the political choice that could determine whether democracy can survive the age of AI. #DefendDemocracy #EUpol #AIact defenddemocracy.eu/ai-human-age...

Belgium is finally catching up and joining other EU countries in launching a resilience campaign, called "Ready. Together." English version: * stay informed * make a plan * emergency kit * right reflex * participate * take care of yourself * prepared together crisiscenter.be/en/what-can-...

EU actions to protect Europeans from FOSSIL ENERGY CRISIS & accelerate energy transition: "The current geopolitical situation is a stark reminder that accelerating the transition to clean, secure & affordable energy is an economic & security imperative." #AccelerateEU ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Een slechte, onuitvoerbare wet die niet wordt aangenomen... de PVV die zichzelf in de voet schiet... Senatoren die principes hebben... Waarom heeft iedereen het toch over 'drama' en 'fiasco'?

🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈⚖️🇭🇺 A legal earthquake - CJEU finds Hungary to have violated EU law on multiple counts with its anti-LGBT+ legislation (as expected) but also for the first time in history, in an EU law-reshaping precedent, finds Hungary to violate Art 2 TEU in a self-standing manner.

New banner on EU Commission HQ! "Democracy. Protect what matters." audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/stories/M... But will the 'European Democracy Shield' do the job? I don't think so: defenddemocracy.eu/how-not-to-d... @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social

Migratiebeleid wordt nog uitsluitend gedreven door electorale overwegingen en een dolgedraaid publiek debat. Het gaat geen enkel resultaat opleveren, behalve voor extreem rechts en mensensmokkelaars. Een effectief en humaan beleid is prima mogelijk, als we terugkeren naar nuchterheid en feiten.

Key theme of the global gathering of progressives: Defend democracy. @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social

Trump is reported close to a "deal" with himself under which US taxpayers would pay him $10 billion. I served in multiple communist and authoritarian dictatorships, but I never witnessed corruption on this scale or this blatant.

Voor mijn Nederlandse lezers: Defend Democracy zoekt een Algemeen Directeur! Ben je een start-upper, civic entrepreneur, zakelijk leider of ander ondernemend type en wil je helpen bouwen aan weerbaarheid en/of digitale autonomie? Solliciteer dan voor 1 mei en word mijn opvolger.

Great job opening at Defend Democracy! Looking forward to our new phase and to my short sabbatical. I'm open for coffees & new opportunities! 😊

Very happy with my strategy of not putting all my eggs in a single basket: While #Bluesky - and #Eurosky! - were down, #Mastodon was up and running 😊 #tech #resilience #EUpol

EU leaders be like: 🥂💃🕺🥳 #EUCO #EUpol www.politico.eu/article/defe...

Notifications for deleted shouldn't remain in any OS notification database, and we've asked Apple to address this. In the meantime, you can prevent any preview text from your Signal messages from appearing in your notifications. Signal Settings > Notifications > Show “No Name or Content”

Contrary to rumours, international law is alive and kicking. “The fact that certain laws are being violated does not, of course, mean those laws no longer exist.” #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺 euobserver.com/211170/contr...

Anti-Orban concert in Hungary with the audience chanting “Russians, go home”

💥🇭🇺🗳️First results of the Hungarian parliamentary elections are in: with 14.72% counted, the opposition leads with mandates nearing a two-thirds majority. Everything points to Viktor Orbán’s defeat and Péter Magyar becoming Hungary’s next prime minister.

BREAKING: You checked the weather this morning. And you just told a surveillance company where you sleep. Meet #Webloc, used by ICE, cops & foreign govs to track 500m+ phones. No warrant required. Our @citizenlab.ca investigation + how to protect yourself 🧵/1 citizenlab.ca/research/ana...

We are seven months away from the most consequential midterm election in US history. Meanwhile, we are fighting a war. These are the structural conditions for a coup attempt in which a president tries to nullify elections and take permanent power as a dictator. snyder.substack.com/p/the-next-c...

Looking forward to #DefendDemocracy 's new phase! And also to my sabbatical, starting this summer 😊

Of course the more important tech fail is that EU Ministers are still using MAGA messenger Whatsapp. Digital security and sovereignty, anyone? #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺 www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...

INVESTIGATION: Hungary colluded with Russia. EVIDENCE: Hungary’s FM acted for the Kremlin. AIM: weakening EU sanctions packages and delist sanctioned Russian oligarchs. STOP PUTIN'S TROJAN HORSE IN EU! Stop unanimity-based EU foreign policy!! #DefendDemocracy #StandWithUkraine #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺

En het parlement biedt uiteindelijk nooit tegenwicht. Want kabinet zegt dat ze het heel zorgvuldig gaan doen met de beste regels. Als parlement kun je dan of zeggen "nietus, dat doen jullie helemaal niet", of je kunt meedoen: alles voor de veiligheid! Zie ook mijn stuk berthub.eu/articles/pos...

Trump’s ‘gut’ let him down in Iran — and we’re all paying the price of his failed diplomacy. by former U.S. ambassador to NATO @ivodaalder.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/iran...

How autocrat Orbán wages counter-hegemony from inside the liberal order's own architecture: Converting EU funds, veto rights, and single-market access into resources for a pan-European far-right bloc. Even if he loses Hungary's elections, Orbán's ecosystem is designed to last. #DefendDemocracy

“Wanneer weet je dat de periode die je beschrijft de geschiedenis zal veranderen?” VVD steunde FvD om ‘antifa’ aan te merken als terroristische organisatie. Na extreem-rechtse rellen negeerde VVD dringend advies van NCTV om te zeggen dat het rechts-extremistisch was. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

I stand with @szabolcspanyi.bsky.social, a trusted, leading investigative journalist who is serving his country and democracy. He received the Quality Journalism Award and the Transparency-Soma Award four times each; and he was twice shortlisted for the European Press Prize. #PressFreedom #Hungary

Who would’ve guessed back in 1989 that we’d end up needing another regime change - and once again have to push the Russians out? 🤔 #Hungary #elections

This 👇 Every reporter should be using their connections to commission officials to ask questions: What’s being done to protect us all? Can the EU use Signal with us now and ditch WhatsApp? What investigations is the Commission doing? What responses are available when the culprit is known?

A private phone call between an EU official and a journalist talking about Hungary and Ukraine was intercepted and published online. An internal security review “found no evidence that any devices, networks or systems have been compromised.” #DefendDemocracy #EUpol www.politico.eu/article/poli...