The oil price hike *ought* to be a chance for European railways In 🇩🇪 for example 99% of long distance and 80% of regional rail passenger-km are on ⚡️ railways No transport mode is better sheltered from price hikes Can the rail sector seize the opportunity? jonworth.eu/rising-fuel-...

Yes, the “people” are the problem… not the energy-wasting businesses and the politicians who protect and subsidize them, of course. This is the second major fossil fuel crisis in 5 years. If this is not a wake up call to transition to renewable energy, I don’t know what is.

Präsident Steinmeier bei #75Jahre @diplo.de: Von den vier Konstanten der deutschen Außenpolitik: - Überwindung der deutsch-deutschen Teilung, - Westbindung, - Aussöhnung nach Osten, - Europäische Integration ist eine nicht mehr vorhanden, sind zwei hinweggefegt, bleibt die 🇪🇺 Integration

In #Marseille wurde der rot-grüne #Bürgermeister #Payan gegen den #RassemblementNational wiedergewählt!

Very positive (and given the polls ahead) rather unexpected election result in #Slovenia

🎤 Im „Nachgefragt bei…“ unseres #EBDnewsletter spricht EBD-Ehrenpräsidentin Dr. @linnselle.bsky.social, Alfred-von-Oppenheim Leiterin des Europa-Zentrums der @dgap.org, mit uns über aktuellen Debatten um Erweiterung, Sicherheit & Handlungsfähigkeit der #EU #EBDnewsletter #EUSky

Do we see diplomatic overreach by COM Pres von der Leyen as Politico hinted to today in case of Iran? 👇

Isn't everyone in this so called "board of peace" just an observer anyway? Italy joins. As observer. Good luck, Meloni - this isn't chess, it's macho politics with balls of fire. Careful what you juggle. #ITinEU www.bernama.com/en/world/new...

Remarkable

Berliner Winter, Symbolbild

Is this also the case in medical training in Germany? www.belganewsagency.eu/belgian-medi...

Rita Süßmuth, die "Unbeugsame". Bis ins hohe Alter so neugierig und intellektuell auf der Höhe zu sein - ein Geschenk. Sich in gesellschaftliche Debatten einzumischen und weiter streitbar zu sein - ein Vorbild. Danke, Rita, für die Gespräche und den klaren Kompass. Mögest du in Frieden ruhen.

I don't often share my own emotions here.I mostly stick to facts&reason. But I'm actually a very emotional person. The situation in #Kyiv with freezing people in cold homes that are left without electricity,heating &water during the cold winter after deliberate Russian attacks is simply terrible⤵️

Some notes on what the new Dutch govt agreement says about peace and conflict www.kabinetsformatie2025.nl/documenten/2... Items most interesting to me personally: * pro European nuclear deterrent * establishing a Dutch DARPA with up to 10% of def budget

Let me translate this: stop whining and get your act together, Europe www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Greenland, European defence, strengthening the 🇪🇺 and arctic governance. Town hall meeting with 🇩🇰 PM Frederiksen @dgap.org @daenemark.bsky.social Very clear words on a united European response as future receipe, respecting alliances that move forward in the EU and forging new alliances worldwide

And it still is a gap that Germany is not pooling projects, together with partners (and yes, I know, 🇩🇪 is financially not dependent on the loans, while EU partners are)

Well done, @jpuglierin.bsky.social 🌟💪🇪🇺 Und was für ein nicht auszudenkendes Timing! In diesem Sinne: für mehr Hoffnung, Erfahrung und kluge Stimmen in 2026

One could call french European policy Simby - Strategic autonomy; not in my own backyard

Great allies think alike. #FreedomForBelarus

"We need to ask ourselves if we want to live in a world where democracy is recast as weakness, truth as opinion and justice as an option." Strong piece by @coe.int' SG @alain-berset.coe.int www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...

A narrative, the European Union (as a whole! not only few member states) should embark on: Sovereignty is not for trade. Translates not only into territorial sovereignty but also in sovereignty of using the means at ones disposal.

Europe should hold a competing football competition in Denmark at exactly the same time - and call it the Viking Freedom Supercup.

An in person #EuCo would indeed be an important sign of European assertiveness and unity, given the gravity of the situation. A potential launch of the Anti-Coercion instrument against the US should be deliberated and decided on the highest political level.

Wie sich Diskurse drehen... Bei der Umstellung belächelt von Vielen ist Schleswig-Holstein heute Vorbild und Labor für digitale Unabhängigkeit (und spart pro Jahr 15 Mio € Lizenzzahlungen)

These are not "normal" trade tariffs. For the first time, US economic pressure on Europe is explicitly tied to brutal political demands: surrender territory or face economic punishment. This is a historic test for Europe. www.cnbc.com/2026/01/17/t...

How often can one mention "NATO territory" in one interview? Defence minister Pistorius: hold my 🍺 #greenland #usa www.tagesschau.de/ausland/nato...

€-Zone enlargement: After 🇧🇬 next stop 🇸🇪? In light of the geopolitical turmoil, the response in Sweden is not less, but more Europe. In 2003 56% voted against the Euro in a referendum www.fr.de/wirtschaft/t...

This will probably not particularly help the Polish right.

On the unwarrented inferiority complex of the European Union and the inability to contemplate "going it alone" without the US www.ft.com/content/1da0...

Es gibt genau eine Haushaltslinie in den letzten EU-Mehrjahresplänen #MFR, die gegenüber dem jeweiligen Vorschlag der EU-Kommission erhöht wurde. Guess which one it was... euractiv.de/news/von-der...

Super excited that my first piece has been published by IPQ. I write a brief comment on "Dare to differentiate". On the need that Germany and other EU member states from frontrunner groups in order to give more dynamic to European integration. Read for yourself 👇🏼

Relevant point to keep in mind 👇🏼. The far right (at least in central Europe) will always face strong difficulties to unite due to antagonistic views of the past. Even if they walk together on some issues, at the core they face diverging views of the past.

Europe’s failure to condemn Trump’s illegal aggression in Venezuela isn’t just wrong – it’s stupid. My piece @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What could a black swan event be in 2026? I was asked by @theparliament.bsky.social - great collection of perspectives, also with my colleague @emilarchambault.bsky.social on Canada-EU relations 👇 www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article...

Ist Grönland eigentlich Teil der 'Western Hemisphere'?

Excellent @financialtimes.com piece on Franco-German motor having some problems to adjust to the ambition of the respective other 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Finally, the EU acted - and yet struggles to acknowledge its own agency. Excessive self-criticism risks doing the work of Europe's opponents for them. Precision and proportion in public debate matter.

Für alle in Berlin, die die vermeintliche Verhandlungsschwäche von Friedrich Merz beim #EuCo bemängeln.

The EU just decided to indefinitely immobilise Russian assets. This ensures that up to €210 billion in Russian funds stay on EU soil, unless Russia fully pays reparations to Ukraine for the damage it has caused. (1/2)

Die Berliner Politikbubble neigt beizeiten zur Nabelschau und Selbstüberschätzung. Dass auch unser Kanzler davon nicht frei ist, ist bekannt. Dass sich das nun auf ein Ausspielen Europas gegen Deutschland bezieht ist ebenso gefährlich wie provinziell. www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/ihr-...

Wie war das mit "Europa als Baustelle"? 🚧🏗️👷🏼‍♀️🇪🇺

My five cents on the 🇪🇺 connectivity agenda with Eastern partnership, Southern Caucasus region. Thanks @meistefan1.bsky.social @pociumban.bsky.social for setting up this workshop!

Evening read: Woher kommt das "von-Oppenheim" in meinem neuen Jobtitel @dgap.org? 👉🏼 Carl Friedrich v. Oppenheim war einer der Wegbereiter der europäischen Einigung in 🇩🇪 in den 1950&60ern. Viele Jahre Präsident von @europaunion.bsky.social, (Mit-)Gründer @iep-berlin.bsky.social und Europahäuser.

Dutch public broadcaster NOS quits X over disinformation reut.rs/3KpybRU

Was 🇪🇺 nun tun muss 👇

Man kann sich jahrelang mit Review-Prozessen beschäftigen, oder man kann mal machen scheint sich die Leitung im #AA gedacht zu haben. Wichtig ist, was dabei herauskommt, habe ich mal gehört 😃 Europa-Expertise klug verzahnen, Länderexpertise stärken wird zentral sein www.zeit.de/politik/deut...

Economic giant*, political dwarf-struggle still going strong in German society: Germans welcoming doubling of military spending in @koerber-ip.bsky.social #BerlinPulse, whilst not wanting Germany to assume military leadership in EU. * though sadly this might also be up for debate, anyways