Henrique Laitenberger

Half of me wants Germany to win because I'm German. Half of me wants Germany to win because, as a point of principle, I object to the idea of a national team winning two trophies in a row.

La Mano Española de Dios 2.0 #ESPGER

Titann-Kathrin Berger #GERESP

While it did usher in a liberal democracy eventually, the aims of the Portuguese armed forces movement were decidedly socialist (though the pluralist wing ultimately prevailed over the authoritarian one). The new constitution even declared socialism as the aim of the state. So your point stands!

For the first time in ages, I have ample time to post and I intend to use that window of opportunity unwisely by jumping on this bandwagon.

Go ahead, make your day.

Trump is working on regime change in Europe — fact, not conspiracy theory On 27 May, an official document, The Need for Civilizational Allies in Europe, calling for regime change in European countries was published, written by a senior adviser for the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the US State Department, writes Caroline de Gruyter.

Trump is working on regime change in Europe — fact, not conspiracy theory

Why the EU Literally Cannot Afford A Weakened Climate Target The effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident: every year, new temperature records are being registered and extreme weather events are becoming part of the everyday reality of Europ...

Commission will present its proposal for an EU intermediary climate target for 2040.
Technology Industries of Finland is supporting a 90 % emissions reduction target. Union can offer global leadership to protect the planet – all while bolstering its own competitiveness, says @toenlaiten.bsky.social

Also, before The Internet™ comes after me, I also want to stress that my discomfort with the meal deal definitely came entirely from overexposure. After a brief hiatus, I happily resumed moderate consumption.

(In my defence, I should also mention here that I did not have a proper kitchen at my catered halls of residence.)

This lovely thread reminds me of my plan to wholly rely on the Tesco Meal Deal (priced at £2.50 back in the magical days of 2011) for lunch to save money in my first year of uni.

I had to abandon that plan after two months due to the actual nausea I developed at the mere sight of a Tesco sandwich.

Brussels to propose ‘pragmatic’ 90 percent climate target for 2040 In an interview with POLITICO, EU climate chief Teresa Ribera warns against watering down the goal too much.

The EU's 2040 climate target will be 90% but softened with flexibilities, with international carbon credits being one of the options discussed, Teresa Ribera told me — while warning against “a big watering down of our 2040 domestic action" through such flexibilities.

www.politico.eu/article/euro...

I'm firmly of the view that a ban is the best option: even leaving aside that TikTok is owned and controlled by a hostile authoritarian power, the nature of the platform is such that it fragments the public and rewards misinformation - it's not something that can easily be turned to progresive ends

One really must feel for Harry Kane. Never in his lifetime have Tottenham Hotspur won a major trophy - and then suddenly win a European cup two years after he leaves.

This is why the best bellwether for the return of seriousness in UK politics will be the open acknowledgement that Brexit was a mistake - simply because it will be the final confirmation that British politicians dare to be honest with the public again and not fear being electorally punished for it.

Prematurely loosening COVID restrictions, Trussonomics, backtracking on net zero, no tax rises but better public services, and now this migration policy - at its heart, it always comes back to the "We've had enough of experts" mentality enshrined across the UK political spectrum after 24 June 2016.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Brexit made the principle that feeling trumps fact policy orthodoxy in Westminster, far beyond the question of UK-EU relations. Once politicians knew they could get away with ignoring difficult tradeoffs and sell comforting fairytales, the game was up.

Tweet von Marius Mestermann: Mir egal wie der neue #Papst heißt, der ZDF-Reporter am Vatikan heißt A. Postel 😭

♥️

The MPs who opposed Merz today and thereby sowed more instability in Germany and Europe were not making a valid personal stand against an individual. They were acting supremely selfishly and irresponsibly, with potential consequences for liberal democracy we will all end up suffering from.

If a dozen German MPs decide to ignore the parliamentary majority constellations, the rise of the AfD, the erosion of the transatlantic relationship, a coalition agreement, and an SPD grassroots vote because of their personal dislike of Friedrich Merz, the problem is not Friedrich Merz.

You are not making the point you think you are making. You are effectively saying that a handful of MPs put personal grudges ahead of the country's and indeed Europe's stability. If that is not the height of irresponsibility, nothing is. This is not on Merz.

This is why the course towards political irrelevance will be so hard for the Tories to reverse - it would require them to almost fully disown the agenda they have pursued for almost a decade, while relying on a leadership who bullied out all those who could credibly embody such change.

The pillars of the Tory brand used to be fiscal responsibility, respect for institutions, and open trade. That distinguished the party from UKIP in the Cameron era.

After Brexit, Boris, and Truss, these pillars have collapsed - and with them, the Tories' arguments against voting for Nigel Farage.

Two posts to summarise the UK political moment from @stephenkb.bsky.social

Aren't we already there? I mean, isn't that what WhatsApp voice notes are all about?

Can't believe no one has told Trump about CBAM yet

It is mindboggling that there are still people in positions of authority who earnestly deny that American democracy is under existential threat. Trump very clearly sees himself as an absolutist ruler whose will is the law and stands above all else. The sooner we accept that, the better.

I'm also fairly convinced that the number of players trying their luck at a Panenka has increased in accordance with this. I blame Zidane's 2006 final penalty for making a generation of players believe that this was what they should aspire to.

It has long been a mystery to me how a player may think it a great idea to play a Panenka penalty at a crucial moment in a knockout game. The risk is just so much greater than the reward. If Saka had just blasted it in the middle of the goal, this tie would be over. #RMAARS

To the extent that Trump / Vance have a strategic vision for the US-UK relationship, it is not to strengthen the UK. The vision is to weaken Europe by severing UK from the continent. Trump-Vance true "special relationship" is with Russia. Russia desperately fears UK-EU unity 2/x

The UK is a prime example of this: the Tories' radicalisation truly began when their leaders started to be elected by the membership. The rise of Corbyn is likewise symptomatic of this. Briefly, it often leads to parties turning inwards and more dogmatic, as they need to satisfy "true believers".