Sophie in't Veld

They have the monopoly on informing their voters. For decades they told people that Europe sucks. It is, so they say, "Remote, boring, complicated, expensive". Total rubbish, but not even pro-European parties have the guts to challenge the frame. Europe can be a superpower, if we dare to change

It is not just the "psychology" but the "ideology of weakness": national governments do not WANT a strong EU. They happily sacrifice the wellbeing and security of Europeans (incl Ukrainians) for their pipe-dream of national greatness.

Pathetic. For seventeen years national governments have been blocking the European anti-discrimination directive. It tells you all you need to know about their commitment (none) to common European values (the ones they expect immigrants to embrace)

A.k.a. the EU GAST Act (Grovel-and-Surrender-to-Trump )

EU Commissioner @magnusbrunner.bsky.social in The Times of Malta: “…acknowledged criticism of Libya’s coastguard over alleged human rights abuses but admitted that Europe “doesn’t have an alternative”. Wrong. There are countless alternatives, just not one that fits his ultra-right political agenda

The firewall was always only tribal, not substantial. The centre-right wanted to keep rival parties out, but not their views.

Opinie | Wanneer beseffen we dat het ‘Westen’ niet meer bestaat? Door het 'vredesplan' van de autocratische VS en Rusland staat Zelensky met zijn rug tegen de muur. Of er een voor Oekraïne aanvaardbare oplossing komt hangt mede af van Europa.

Door het 'vredesplan' van de autocratische VS en Rusland staat Zelensky met zijn rug tegen de muur, schrijft oud-diplomaat Robert Serry. Of er een voor Oekraïne aanvaardbare oplossing komt hangt mede af van Europa.

Instead of passing on the hot potato to the court, the @europarl.europa.eu should use its political powers to hold @ec.europa.eu to account. Lawsuits last many years, so in practice it will just bury the issue.

Let's see if the @ec.europa.eu will enforce this ruling if member states refuse to implement it. The Commission refused to intervene when Romania ignored the Coman ruling on a very similar case, claiming it was a national matter.

Big news: the European Court of Justice rules that all member states are obliged to recognise a same-sex marriage lawfully concluded in another member state.

Language matters @politico.eu. They are not US "demands", it is "blackmail". The @ec.europa.eu has no mandate to negotiate away EU legislation, nor the right to soften enforcement. The Commission has to protect European citizens, not US broligarchs.

This 👇 . Ukraine betrayed by the West for the second time. #BudapestMemorandum #Trump-PutinDirtyDeal #1994 #2025

Federalist Realpolitiker, nationalist dreamers In 2026 it will be exactly 250 years since British colonies in America declared independence from Great Britain.

The self-proclaimed “realists” are defending the status quo, even if that made Europe a spectator while others decide its future. Realpolitik is: a federal Europe that speaks with a single, mighty voice. My blog: sophieintveld.substack.com/p/federalist...

It may be worse. With Trump’s mood swings and mercantile calculations we may lose our dignity as well as US support.

Fmr President of Estonia @ilvestoomas.bsky.social explaining in his key note speech why, after having retired from politics, he decided to become active again and join @volteuropa.org: “I had the feeling that unless we do something, Europe just may fail”.

So Europe will foot the bill, Trump gets the proceeds, and Putin can invade again any time? It is high time Europe steps in and takes responsibility, instead of being submissive to the US. European political leaders cannot fail this test.

Europe remains silent, complicit even, as Trump is going after the International Criminal Court. So what about the rule of law now? @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu?

Wonder why the EU, with 455 million citizens, can be sidelined by Trump&Putin: blame those who for decades rejected a strong EU speaking with a single voice in geopolitical matters. Their “sovereignty” reduced Europe to being a spectator instead of an actor.

Volstrekt juist! Daarom mag NL niet akkoord gaan met de schandalige “Digitale Omnibus” die de rode loper nog verder uitrolt voor Amerikaanse Techbros. De mooie beloftes dat die Omnibus de Europese tech sector gaat helpen zijn vals.

EU bends to US pressure again by changing AI Act As Macron gave a speech in Berlin calling for European digital sovereignty, in Brussels von der Leyen yesterday proposed weakening the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act in response to US demands.

We're told by 🇪🇺President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu's @eppgroup.bsky.social & @reneweurope.bsky.social that the #AIact is an unacceptable burden on businesses.

So then why did these same lawmakers design and vote for this law *just last year*? What changed since then? 🤔

We know what changed.

I rather meant something like: tell Trump he can put his tariffs where the sun don’t shine, and then eliminate all the national barriers within the Single Market, which cost us infinitely more than Trump’s taxes. Europe to rise up to its real size.

So if even the most ardent MAGA personalities now dare to say No to Trump, maybe Europe could show some backbone too?

Better proposal: an EU budget of 5% GDP. The Frugals jubilated about 5% for NATO, they should be equally determined to bolster the EU. The increase can be covered by the €500 billion gains from the completion of the Single Market (calculation of IMF).

But @eppgroup.bsky.social @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu #ManfredWeber will shield their party friends, not the rule of law

How sloppy: 🇬🇷 secret service EYP cannot locate the 2020 documents ordering the surveillance of journalist @nasoskoukakis.bsky.social (also targeted with spyware). Just as sloppy as an "accidentally" destroyed CD ROM with evidence of contacts between a murdered journalist, the EYP chief & PM's nephew

New migration policy guaranteed (meant?) to fail: keeping people in limbo for twenty years is the absolutely best way to make sure they cannot integrate and become part of society. It will also fail to appease the insatiable far-right.

Europees Parlement stemt in met minder maatschappelijk verantwoord en duurzaam ondernemen Donderdag bereikte het Europees Parlement na een lange politieke strijd een compromisakkoord over de ‘antiwegkijkwet’ CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) en de Europese rapportage...

Grote bedrijven hebben een grote rol in de strijd voor klimaat en tegen kinderarbeid.

Wat doen de Europese conservatieven, (incl. CDA en BBB)? Diezelfde grote bedrijven een vrijbrief geven om te cashen over de rug van kinderen en klimaat.

Europa verdient beter.

www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

YouTube video by European Parliamentary Forum "Beyond the Chaos" Episode 6 - The Right to Decide

🎧What is the impact of Trump on reproductive rights worldwide?

In the final episode of our #podcast, @sophieintveld.bsky.social talks with Neil Datta about how #Trump 2.0 is threatens #SRHR globally and whether #Europe could lead the fight for the right to decide.

🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lv4...

EPProject25

The EU Far-Right Tracker: Exposing when the EPP sides with the Far Right | The Good Lobby Despite repeated reassurances from Commission the EPP continues to rely on the far right to pass legislation or secure political wins.

If today’s vote on Omnibus I passes with EPP+ECR+Patriots support, it establishes the operational majority for the rest of von der Leyen's term

This will have major economic and societal consequences at the time these groups chose Trump over the EU

thegoodlobby.eu/the-eu-far-r...