The Loop

Hard right, far right, or just wrong? Why terminology matters Linguistic precision matters, but the term 'hard right' isn’t the real threat to clarity. Federico Taddei argues that the real problem lies in how journalists and scholars misuse or oversimplify the…

✍️ In response to @timbale.bsky.social's recent article for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social on stopping the use of the term #HardRight ➡️, Federico Taddei argues that the term isn't the problem but how journalists misuse the categories political science has worked hard to define.
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🌊 How Romania’s illiberals weaponise homophobia to fuel hetero-nationalism Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has surged in Romania, especially since the 2024 presidential elections. Avery Gozu argues that illiberal candidates' weaponisation of homophobia runs deeper than surface-level i...

Check out Avery Gozu's contribution for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social, a timely piece steaming from the Gendering Illiberalism course. Here Avery tackles masculinity, hetero-nationalism, and the controversial Romanian elections: theloop.ecpr.eu/how-romanias... @petoandrea.bsky.social

How populist messaging becomes contagious Political parties are increasingly adopting populist appeals, not necessarily because of ideological realignments, but out of a desire to mimic the successful strategies of their competitors. Vlad…

🗣️ Parties are increasingly adopting populist appeals, often out of a desire to mimic the successful strategies of their competitors. 
🦠 @vladsurdea.bsky.social reveals how anti-elite messaging is spreading like a virus across Europe and reshaping #PoliticalDiscourse.
👉 buff.ly/DCSTHQA

☢️ The legacy of Kazakhstan's nuclear past The people of Kazakhstan are still grappling with the toxic legacy of twentieth-century Soviet nuclear tests. Marzhan Nurzhan examines nuclear identity and decoloniality in Kazakhstan's atomic past,…

☢️ #NuclearPoliticsParadox No.16
🧪 The people of #Kazakhstan are still grappling with the toxic legacy of 20th century Soviet #NuclearTests.
🖼️ Marzhan Nurzhan examines nuclear identity & #Decoloniality in Kazakhstan's atomic past, through the medium of visual art.
👉 buff.ly/LfkqfOE

🆕 @prxjournal.bsky.social is >NEW< to BlueSky!

🔓 Give this great #OpenAccess #PoliSky journal a follow

🦋 The Science of Democracy and the limits of an uncompromisingly pluralist approach Democracy is in trouble, and so is democracy research. In response, the Science of Democracy 2.0 lays out an ambitious agenda. While applauding this endeavour, Jonas Wolff explores a fundamental…

🦋 #ScienceofDemocracy No.113
#DemocracyResearch is in trouble. The Science of Democracy 2.0 responds with an ambitious agenda. Jonas Wolff explores a fundamental tension: can a radically pluralist approach to democracy research really be a tool to defend democracy?
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Will 2025 be a breakthrough year for Europe in emerging tech? As part of its ambitious innovation strategy, the EU is focusing on developments in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum tech, and advanced connectivity. Roland Benedikter argues that stro...

🤖 As part of its ambitious innovation strategy, the #EU is focusing on developments in #AI and #QuantumTech.
💻 Roland Benedikter argues that stronger transregional collaboration, along with a holistic vision, will help make inclusive progress in the fields of emerging technologies.
👉 bit.ly/46Hy2Cl

#GenderingIlliberalism

🧭 Can the EU overcome Hungary’s veto on Ukrainian membership? Hungary’s blocking behaviour risks derailing Ukraine’s fragile pro-European momentum. If not addressed, it could fuel Euroscepticism, embolden authoritarian spoilers, and hollow out the EU’s…

🧭 #EUEnlargementDilemmas No.24
🫸 #Hungary’s blocking behaviour risks derailing #Ukraine’s pro-European momentum and fuelling #Euroscepticism.
🔎 @tyynekarjalainen.bsky.social explores what options are on the table to restore credibility to the accession process.
👉 buff.ly/jdsYoqj

🌊 How Romania’s illiberals weaponise homophobia to fuel hetero-nationalism Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has surged in Romania, especially since the 2024 presidential elections. Avery Gozu argues that illiberal candidates' weaponisation of homophobia runs deeper than surface-level…

🌊 #IlliberalWave No.41
📈 #AntiLGBTQ+ sentiment has recently surged in #Romania.
🗣️ Avery Gozu argues that illiberal candidates' weaponisation of homophobia runs deeper than just insults – it is embedded in a socio-cultural web of hetero-nationalism and #HegemonicMasculinity.
👉 buff.ly/7FB9BFd

The reality show republic: the Trump-Musk ego war The once steady alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now become a bitter feud. It has transformed what should be serious political discourse into a social media spectacle that perfectly enc...

Trump. Musk. One stage. No script. Democracy’s the casualty.

Read my piece in @ecprtheloop.bsky.social

👉 theloop.ecpr.eu/the-reality-...

#EgoWars #Trump #Musk #AcademicSky

BRICS and the rewriting of global health diplomacy in a post-US era As the US retreats from global health leadership, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan examines how BRICS is stepping up as a key player. With the Pandemic Agreement still under negotiation. This gives BRICS…

🌍 As the US retreats from global health leadership, @lakshmyrkrish.bsky.social examines how #BRICS is stepping up as a key player. With the #PandemicAgreement still under negotiation, BRICS countries have the chance to promote a more equitable approach to global health diplomacy.
👉 buff.ly/oR9u4i7

🏛️ Relational design reimagines democracy beyond digital interfaces. Read more from the Burnes Center's and
@northeasternu.bsky.social 's Sofia Bosch Gomez on
how designers can address citizen disillusionment by prioritizing equity ⚖️, legitimacy ✅ & collective care ⬇️ @ecprtheloop.bsky.social

The reality show republic: the Trump-Musk ego war The once steady alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now become a bitter feud. It has transformed what should be serious political discourse into a social media spectacle that perfectly…

🤺 The once steady alliance between Trump and Musk has now become a bitter feud.
📺 @kagegirl.bsky.social argues that #AmericanDemocracy is crumbling into a grotesque theatre where the world's most powerful men treat governance like a reality show. #USpolitics
👉 buff.ly/AvqKwkz

‪Trump's tariff war against the world Donald Trump's trade tariffs to fund his 'Big Beautiful Bill' are intended to forge business deals that serve only his own interests. But Albrecht Rothacher warns that for ordinary Americans, the…

💰 Trump's tariffs to fund his #BigBeautifulBill are intended to forge business deals that serve his own interests.
📈 Albrecht Rothacher warns that the #tariffs will cause price hikes on essentials & the resulting inflationary surge could damage Trump's prospects in the midterms.
buff.ly/QM54Qad

I am so happy and proud. Students of our joint course with @alinadr.bsky.social @civica.bsky.social @ceudeminst.bsky.social @weareceu.bsky.social are publishing at @ecpr.bsky.social @ecprtheloop.bsky.social Thanks for the editors there. #academiamatters

🌈 The impact of ‘anti-gender’ politics and queer, feminist resilience in Poland Adrianna Zabrzewska and Roberto Kulpa show that, despite populism's hostile political climate, limited funding, and tensions within the community, the pursuit of a liveable and joyful life for…

🌈 #GenderingDemocracy No.28
Adrianna Zabrzewska & Roberto Kulpa show that, despite populism's hostile political climate, the pursuit of a joyful life 🙌 for #LGBTIQ+ individuals & cishet women in #Poland is an unfolding project of resilience and resistance.
@ecprgender.bsky.social
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💡 Erica Dorn & Sofía Bosch Gómez argue disillusionment with democratic systems offers designers an opportunity.
⚙️ Relational design reimagines governance: prioritising equity, legitimacy, and collective care in participatory, inclusive, and systemic interventions
👇 buff.ly/jS41s9b

🌊 #IlliberalWave No.40
What role do sexism, racism, and climate denial play in the regime of Hungarian Prime Minister #ViktorOrbán?
🐽 Hanna Zelma Horányi describes how Orbán is legitimising his power through ‘petro-masculinity’
#GenderingIlliberalism
👇 buff.ly/YHz4tGB

🚨 New piece for @ecpr.bsky.social's @ecprtheloop.bsky.social — @maxheermann.bsky.social & I map trips of world leaders using @josefkorbelschool.bsky.social's COLT of over 78K+ foreign trips by heads of state and gov from 1990-2023.
Reference: bsky.app/profile/jose...

🦋 What counts as democracy? A critical reflection on The Science of Democracy 2.0 The Science of Democracy 2.0 offers a bold, innovative rethinking of democracy by embracing diversity and challenging Western-centric models. Hong Do acknowledges its ambition, but argues it risks…

🦋 #ScienceOfDemocracy No.112
💭 A new phase in this series offers a rethinking of democracy by challenging Western-centric models. @hongdp.bsky.social acknowledges its ambition, but argues it risks celebrating democratic traditions without fully addressing embedded inequalities.
👉 buff.ly/jNhbas4

☢️ Drone technology and the future of nuclear weapons Esra Serim argues that rapid advances in artificial intelligence-enabled drone technology significantly enhance nuclear weapon delivery, precision targeting, and deterrence capabilities. However, the…

☢️ #NuclearPoliticsParadox No.15
🎯 Esra Serim argues that rapid advances in #AI-enabled #drone technology significantly enhance #NuclearWeapon delivery and deterrence capabilities.
🌍 However, to ensure global stability, we must create robust international frameworks.
buff.ly/3267VWB

(2) Remember the rapid early trips of "Außenkanzler" Friedrich Merz? In a blog post for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social, @meraymaddah.bsky.social and I explore a rich new dataset on diplomatic travels to analyse where state leaders go for their inaugural foreign visits.
bsky.app/profile/ecpr...

See my latest blog post for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social

Based on fieldwork and interviews with activists, I argue that the isolation of LGBTQ+ activists not only undermines solidarity, but also weakens democracy and plays into the hands of repression.

Read the full post here:

🧭 Europe’s geopolitical test: enlargement in a post-American moment Milada Anna Vachudova argues that defending liberal democracy is essential to Europe's geopolitical power. EU enlargement and military investment must fill the security and values vacuum left by the U...

🧭 #EUEnlargementDilemmas No.23
⚡ Milada Vachudova argues that defending liberal democracy is essential to Europe's #GeopoliticalPower. EU enlargement & #MilitaryInvestment must fill the security & values vacuum left by the United States in 2025.
👉 bit.ly/3TPmoO7

🏳️‍🌈 In Turkey, gender and sexual minorities are increasingly targeted by the state.
🪧 But minorities are also isolated by opposition groups that purport to champion democratic values.
⛓️ @ilkerkalin.bsky.social argues this weakens democracy, and reinforces repression
👇 bit.ly/44RNXeE

World leaders use their first foreign trips to signal political priorities World leaders' first foreign trips reveal more than diplomatic protocol. They are carefully crafted political stories. Meray Maddah and Max Heermann analyse inaugural diplomatic journeys to uncover st...

🌐 World leaders' first foreign trips reveal more than diplomatic protocol - they are carefully crafted political stories.
✈️ @meraymaddah.bsky.social and @maxheermann.bsky.social analyse inaugural diplomatic journeys to uncover stability and change in global networks
👇 bit.ly/4lY2FHQ

The 'reverse Brussels effect': how criticism of EU regulations has been weaponised against liberal values For years, the European Union has played the role of global regulator, setting standards and norms that often apply beyond its borders. Scholars have called this phenomenon the 'Brussels effect'.…

🌐 For years, the #EU has played the role of global regulator, setting standards that often apply beyond its borders, dubbed the '#BrusselsEffect' by scholars. However, Mateusz Łabuz argues, these norm-setting activities now risk demonising the EU and undermining its values.
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Presidential elections in Poland: has the populism vaccine failed? Poland's presidential election resulted in surprise defeat for centrist Civic Coalition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski. Renata Mieńkowska-Norkiene describes how Donald Tusk's governing coalition misjudge...

🗳️ #Poland's presidential election resulted in surprise defeat for centrist Civic Coalition candidate Rafał #Trzaskowski.
🗣️ Renata Mieńkowska-Norkiene describes how the right-wing Karol #Nawrocki managed to convince the electorate that he is a 'man of the people'.
👉 bit.ly/40Zogrf

AI and public spaces: rebuilding trust in a digital age Artificial intelligence is transforming our cities, but at what cost? As public spaces become increasingly digitised, we risk losing the human connections that bind us. Elif Davutoğlu explores how AI ...

🏙️ #AI is transforming our cities, but at what cost? As public spaces become more digitised, we risk losing the #HumanConnections that bind us 👫.
📱 Elif Davutoğlu explores how AI is reshaping public life and suggests how we can preserve our shared spaces.
👉 bit.ly/4m5qRbz