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Pepijn Bergsen

@pbergsen.bsky.social

Europe macro stuff

1,511 Followers  |  296 Following  |  79 Posts  |  Joined: 20.09.2023
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Posts by Pepijn Bergsen (@pbergsen.bsky.social)

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"Just set up a Zoom call without Viktor on it and get this done" Orbรกn makes Ukraine hostage to his desperate re-election bid

๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: Tim G. Jones, @pbergsen.bsky.social, Bill Farren-Price and @simontaylor71.bsky.social discuss ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด energy dispute, Pรฉter Magyarโ€™s increasing poll advantage, fears of election delay, Viktor Orbรกnโ€™s miscalculations around โ€œPeak Trumpโ€, and the EUโ€™s wilful inertia.

bit.ly/46ywz0f

01.03.2026 22:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Nou mogen we van die dictators in Brussel zelfs niet meer ons eten roeren met onze eigen koptelefoons!

23.02.2026 18:46 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Now that everyone is paying attention to Hungary thanks to Orbรกnโ€™s threats to EU Ukraine policy, an obviously cynical campaign ploy, itโ€™s another good moment to remind everyone weโ€™ve been talking about the election and scenarios such as these for the last two months. This is our latest episode:

23.02.2026 11:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Finally some juicy stuff to talk about this week: a sex tape scandal and speculating how the election could be stolen, and some drama for the nerds in our discussion on the Hungarian central bank

15.02.2026 19:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Likewise, I really enjoyed the conversation. Thanks so much for having me on, @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim!

09.02.2026 15:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€œTrump hasn't been the boon to Orbรกn that many expectedโ€ Zselyke Csaky on the foreign-policy impact of Hungary's election

Enjoyed discussing the European implications of the Hungarian election with @zecsaky.bsky.social and her explaining to me why in several cases I don't quite get it
twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/trump-hasn...

09.02.2026 10:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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๐Ÿ”ŠNew Podcast out! โ€œTrump hasn't been the boon to Orbรกn that many expectedโ€

@zecsaky.bsky.social from @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social on the European impact of Hungary's election on the Twenty-Four Two podcast with @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones.

twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/trump-hasn...

08.02.2026 09:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: โ€œPeople are waiting for change, so there is a huge expectationโ€

Hungarian 'red baron' Gรกbor Bojรกr explains why liberals should use Pรฉter Magyar's to topple Viktor Orbรกn on the Twenty-Four Two Podcast. with @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones.

twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/people-are...

03.02.2026 14:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

That's fair, would've been good to discuss political interference more broadly anyway because it doesn't just happen in Hungary

27.01.2026 10:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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"The central bank take over of MAGA dreams" A Hungarian playbook for taming the Federal Reserve

Given Trumpโ€™s heavy handed attempts to control the Fed, we thought it would be a good time to do a podcast on how the Hungarian government went about taking control of its central bank a decade ago with a former deputy governor who was at the MNB at the time open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

26.01.2026 11:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Biggest lie of the day must be him claiming to "actually like Emmanuel Macron"

21.01.2026 14:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿ”Š242.news podcast: โ€œPรฉter Magyar is a much more dangerous opponent for the government than any other former challengerโ€.

2026 Hungary election special co-hosted by @pbergsen.bsky.social with pollster Dรกniel Rรณna on how Viktor Orbรกn can still win:

open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

18.01.2026 09:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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"The point is how Orbรกn can react to a possible defeat" Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbรกn's political odyssey

In our second podcast ahead of the Hungarian election we spoke about Orbรกn's political and ideological journey with his biographer Stefano Bottoni
twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/the-point-...

12.01.2026 13:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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"The point is how Orbรกn can react to a possible defeat" Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbรกn's political odyssey

๐Ÿ”Š242.news podcast: "The point is how Orbรกn can react to a possible defeat".

2026 Hungary election special co-hosted by @pbergsen.bsky.social with Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbรกn's political odyssey.

Listen and subscribe (free) to www.242.news at: twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/the-point-...

11.01.2026 10:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: โ€œHungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American leftโ€ New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: โ€œHungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American leftโ€.

The new weekly 'Twenty-Four Two' 2026 Hungary election special series opens with @kimlanelaw.bsky.social.

Listen and subscribe (free) to www.242.news at: twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/podcast-hu...

04.01.2026 10:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: โ€œHungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American leftโ€ New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

In the first episode of a podcast series ahead of the Hungarian election in April, my colleague Tim Jones has @kimlanelaw.bsky.social on to discuss how Orbรกn spread his ideas to the rest of Europe and the US. Iโ€™m rather biased but thought this was very insightful. open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

07.01.2026 10:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿ”ŠPodcast: โ€œHungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American leftโ€ New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

Tim Jones has a new podcast series spotlighting Hungary as part of the spread of autocratic threats to democracy around the world. New episodes will drop every Sunday from now thru the HU election. I'm delighted to be the first guest to kick off the series! substack.com/home/post/p-...

04.01.2026 17:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 27    ๐Ÿ” 16    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Uhm excuse you, weโ€™re not interested in being shackled to that economic corpse, thank you very much.

03.12.2025 10:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 11    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

So my point is really that a discussion over a few tientjes of eigen risico is not enough of a discussion on redistribution

31.10.2025 10:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Itโ€™s not really the communication that Iโ€™m talking about though, itโ€™s that the underlying discussion is so limited in its different options. That finds its expression really clearly for me in the very small differences in policy proposals for the eigen risico (ignoring unrealistic Wilders stuff)

31.10.2025 10:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

My point is not that they talk about big issues in this roundabout way but that they do that through small beer bickering instead of a real differentiation.

31.10.2025 10:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

That's fair, probably too strong in that and the shift from some of them on that issue is actually relevant and interesting. Don't think that changes my main point though (which is that I find the bickering over de eigen risico very very very annoying)

31.10.2025 09:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Dutch choose optimism over anti-immigrant populism Rob Jetten fends off Geert Wilders

Hereโ€™s one of those takes I disagree with. This wasnโ€™t a contest between Jetten and Wilders economist.com/europe/2025/...

31.10.2025 09:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€œWe now go live to Venray for a key race alert!โ€

31.10.2025 09:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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False choice "Victory" for the Dutch centre is welcome but Pyrrhic

I found the campaign in the Netherlands very frustrating and was even more annoyed by all the hot takes suggesting the result marked a defeat for the populists, so I tried to write my anger away open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

31.10.2025 09:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

De Commissie houdt dit al een tijdje in de gaten (publiceren maandelijks een onleesbaar rapport waarin textiel inderdaad naar voren komt als een sector waarin import vanuit China sterk toeneemt terwijl prijzen dalen). Ze hebben ook al gezegd dat ze maatregelen nemen zodra er genoeg bewijs is.

03.09.2025 10:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Complete coincidence that the European Commission decided to demonstrate the benefits of the tariff ceiling they negotiated with the US with a comparison with a country with a 10% tariff. It could refer to either Brazil or the United Kingdom, wonder which one they were thinking of.

21.08.2025 12:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The German people have spoken: they want their Schwarze Null and crumbling infrastructure back

13.08.2025 07:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Going to try to get "racist makelaar party JA21" into our style guide

30.07.2025 13:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

A classic bit of EuroCope to suggest the Europeans caving to Trump was due to strategic errors. In reality, they're unwilling to suffer the economic pain required to do so. The French should know this after they folded instantly when Trump threatened to tariff wine earlier this year.

30.07.2025 13:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0