@evbsb.bsky.social
Reposted
Well I appreciate that it’s a consequence of our choice to leave the EU, but seriously, shouldn’t countries (EU included) be able to work out a way to get people in and out of their country without making them stand in four hour queues? Presumably yet another cost of anti-immigration paranoia.
July 21, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Well I appreciate that it’s a consequence of our choice to leave the EU, but seriously, shouldn’t countries (EU included) be able to work out a way to get people in and out of their country without making them stand in four hour queues? Presumably yet another cost of anti-immigration paranoia.
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I, for one, am glad that bluesky uses the World Cup as an opportunity to relitigate every county’s colonial history. Truly what soccer is all about.
July 6, 2026 at 9:05 AM
I, for one, am glad that bluesky uses the World Cup as an opportunity to relitigate every county’s colonial history. Truly what soccer is all about.
Reposted
Indeed EEA is no easy option
Also, EEA membership requires agreement of the participating EFTA states - and Norway has never been keen on UK joining
To apply to join, it is expected that you have joined EFTA
And in the EEA, EFTA states have to speak with one voice
ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
Also, EEA membership requires agreement of the participating EFTA states - and Norway has never been keen on UK joining
To apply to join, it is expected that you have joined EFTA
And in the EEA, EFTA states have to speak with one voice
ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
No EEA-sy options - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland argues that the Lib Dems' call for the UK to join the EU single market may not survive contact with political reality.
ukandeu.ac.uk
July 3, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Indeed EEA is no easy option
Also, EEA membership requires agreement of the participating EFTA states - and Norway has never been keen on UK joining
To apply to join, it is expected that you have joined EFTA
And in the EEA, EFTA states have to speak with one voice
ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
Also, EEA membership requires agreement of the participating EFTA states - and Norway has never been keen on UK joining
To apply to join, it is expected that you have joined EFTA
And in the EEA, EFTA states have to speak with one voice
ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
Reposted
I don’t really know how to express my view on this any more clearly than I already have. If the UK’s idea of applying to join the European Union is “we’ll sign up to the Treaty as long as everyone understands that we don’t mean it and have no intention of following through with it” then 🚫
July 1, 2026 at 12:54 PM
I don’t really know how to express my view on this any more clearly than I already have. If the UK’s idea of applying to join the European Union is “we’ll sign up to the Treaty as long as everyone understands that we don’t mean it and have no intention of following through with it” then 🚫
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EU officials: an application to rejoin wouldn't be rejected (so Juncker wrong to say that), but we'd take our time giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
June 21, 2026 at 11:17 AM
EU officials: an application to rejoin wouldn't be rejected (so Juncker wrong to say that), but we'd take our time giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
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An owned continent: When Trump ordered them to, Northern European leaders jumped to raise their military spending to an absurd 5% of GDP (far more than 🇺🇸spends).
Then they come to Brussels and freak out over a proposed 🇪🇺budget increase from 1.1% to 1.26%.
Loyalty to America over loyalty to Europe.
Then they come to Brussels and freak out over a proposed 🇪🇺budget increase from 1.1% to 1.26%.
Loyalty to America over loyalty to Europe.
Northern leaders want to cut an EU budget already on a shoestring
EU national leaders keep saying they want a union that “does more.” Then they show up in Brussels asking it to spend less.
open.substack.com
June 20, 2026 at 8:54 AM
An owned continent: When Trump ordered them to, Northern European leaders jumped to raise their military spending to an absurd 5% of GDP (far more than 🇺🇸spends).
Then they come to Brussels and freak out over a proposed 🇪🇺budget increase from 1.1% to 1.26%.
Loyalty to America over loyalty to Europe.
Then they come to Brussels and freak out over a proposed 🇪🇺budget increase from 1.1% to 1.26%.
Loyalty to America over loyalty to Europe.
Reposted
My view is that if at the time of application the UK still wants opt-outs or derogations at that fundamental a level it is simply mistaken in its belief that it is ready to join.
June 18, 2026 at 7:35 PM
My view is that if at the time of application the UK still wants opt-outs or derogations at that fundamental a level it is simply mistaken in its belief that it is ready to join.
Reposted
That is an EEA-Plus like vision, where the real trade-off would be the UK avoiding a referendum on rejoin in exchange for not getting decision-making power in the EU.
A bad deal if you ask me, even discarding the question whether the EU would want to entertain it.
A bad deal if you ask me, even discarding the question whether the EU would want to entertain it.
June 9, 2026 at 9:28 AM
That is an EEA-Plus like vision, where the real trade-off would be the UK avoiding a referendum on rejoin in exchange for not getting decision-making power in the EU.
A bad deal if you ask me, even discarding the question whether the EU would want to entertain it.
A bad deal if you ask me, even discarding the question whether the EU would want to entertain it.
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The 'feeling European' part might be very intangible, but I agree with you all, it's key. It's how the debate needs to be framed, rather than simply 'it's good for business'. It can't turn into another 'I want my money back' situation.
April 18, 2026 at 8:35 AM
The 'feeling European' part might be very intangible, but I agree with you all, it's key. It's how the debate needs to be framed, rather than simply 'it's good for business'. It can't turn into another 'I want my money back' situation.
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1/ This Yanis Varoufakis screed made me so angry the only way I can salvage my day is to go through it line by line as catharsis.
You are welcome to come on the journey toward my aneurism with me.
An angry h/t to @sianushka.bsky.social for bringing this into my life.
unherd.com/2026/04/why-...
You are welcome to come on the journey toward my aneurism with me.
An angry h/t to @sianushka.bsky.social for bringing this into my life.
unherd.com/2026/04/why-...
Why I went to Moscow
unherd.com
April 8, 2026 at 9:23 AM
1/ This Yanis Varoufakis screed made me so angry the only way I can salvage my day is to go through it line by line as catharsis.
You are welcome to come on the journey toward my aneurism with me.
An angry h/t to @sianushka.bsky.social for bringing this into my life.
unherd.com/2026/04/why-...
You are welcome to come on the journey toward my aneurism with me.
An angry h/t to @sianushka.bsky.social for bringing this into my life.
unherd.com/2026/04/why-...
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They’re telling me a great empire will be destroyed if I attack Persia. Even the oracles who don’t like me very much, very nasty, they all said to me, “Sir, it’s one of the great empires, and it’ll be destroyed. And all because you attacked Persia.” That’s what they’re telling me.
March 17, 2026 at 2:16 AM
They’re telling me a great empire will be destroyed if I attack Persia. Even the oracles who don’t like me very much, very nasty, they all said to me, “Sir, it’s one of the great empires, and it’ll be destroyed. And all because you attacked Persia.” That’s what they’re telling me.
We need him to run the EU.
is there a law against mark carney becoming British PM
not to lib out but if anybody in labour made a speech that demonstrated even 70% of the understanding of what’s happening and, importantly, the willingness to explain what’s happening as that mark carney one, they should obvs just coronate them leader now and save everybody the faff
January 21, 2026 at 6:37 AM
We need him to run the EU.
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This is spot on. X is not primarily a social media platform anymore. It's a power space for America's neo-royalty, and other governments are afraid of Trump's anger if they leave.
That's why "our government communications now happen on a deepfake porn site", and nobody does anything.
That's why "our government communications now happen on a deepfake porn site", and nobody does anything.
X Is a Power Problem, Not a Platform Problem
my analysis of current events
connectedplaces.online/reports/a-po...
my analysis of current events
connectedplaces.online/reports/a-po...
January 10, 2026 at 4:05 PM
This is spot on. X is not primarily a social media platform anymore. It's a power space for America's neo-royalty, and other governments are afraid of Trump's anger if they leave.
That's why "our government communications now happen on a deepfake porn site", and nobody does anything.
That's why "our government communications now happen on a deepfake porn site", and nobody does anything.
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Perhaps the greatest irony of Putin's strategy of disrupting the rules-based global order to restore Russian greatness is that his successors are likely to discover that the disappearance of those rules leaves Russia more exposed to the opportunistic ambitions of stronger powers
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Perhaps the greatest irony of Putin's strategy of disrupting the rules-based global order to restore Russian greatness is that his successors are likely to discover that the disappearance of those rules leaves Russia more exposed to the opportunistic ambitions of stronger powers
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You’re literally doing it now.
But can anyone tell me what this bit means? “For too long, those fluent in the good grammar of civility have deployed decorum to mask agendas of cruelty.”
January 2, 2026 at 5:36 PM
You’re literally doing it now.
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If the Europeans wanted to sell Ukraine out they would have not agreed to fund it last week. Instead they opted to keep Ukraine in play through another incremental step to Eurobonds.
December 22, 2025 at 10:40 AM
If the Europeans wanted to sell Ukraine out they would have not agreed to fund it last week. Instead they opted to keep Ukraine in play through another incremental step to Eurobonds.
Reposted
How to end up with a good thing in a dumb way
December 20, 2025 at 10:33 AM
How to end up with a good thing in a dumb way
Reposted
The EU never gets praise even when it acts. There is so much constant EU negging that commentators struggle to praise when it delivers. The EU did what it needed to do. Take the win.
Last night was a big step for Ukraine and the European project.
First, the EU got the money for Ukraine 1/
Last night was a big step for Ukraine and the European project.
First, the EU got the money for Ukraine 1/
December 19, 2025 at 1:25 PM
The EU never gets praise even when it acts. There is so much constant EU negging that commentators struggle to praise when it delivers. The EU did what it needed to do. Take the win.
Last night was a big step for Ukraine and the European project.
First, the EU got the money for Ukraine 1/
Last night was a big step for Ukraine and the European project.
First, the EU got the money for Ukraine 1/
Reposted
The decision also introduces a precedent for flexibility in deciding on this kind of EU funding, namely the possibility of opting out for a few countries that don’t share the scheme’s objectives. This precedent is likely to be very useful in future EU decision-making. A strategic win. (4/5)
December 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
The decision also introduces a precedent for flexibility in deciding on this kind of EU funding, namely the possibility of opting out for a few countries that don’t share the scheme’s objectives. This precedent is likely to be very useful in future EU decision-making. A strategic win. (4/5)
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A few quick thoughts about this morning's decision. Don't believe the spin from various Russians & others: it's a big deal. The EU has now unambiguously demonstrated that it is able and willing to provide the external financial support Ukraine needs, for as long and as much as it takes. (1/N)
December 19, 2025 at 10:31 AM
A few quick thoughts about this morning's decision. Don't believe the spin from various Russians & others: it's a big deal. The EU has now unambiguously demonstrated that it is able and willing to provide the external financial support Ukraine needs, for as long and as much as it takes. (1/N)
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In some ways this is a useful reminder that a lot of the talk of European security guarantees to Ukraine have the whole thing backwards. For more than three years Ukraine has been guaranteeing European security by fighting and degrading the Russian armed forces.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How long Britain could really fight for if war broke out tomorrow
In the event of a war, one expert suggests the British Army could be incapable of fighting effectively on land within weeks, once committed - though 'much depends on the form of the conflict'.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM
In some ways this is a useful reminder that a lot of the talk of European security guarantees to Ukraine have the whole thing backwards. For more than three years Ukraine has been guaranteeing European security by fighting and degrading the Russian armed forces.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Personally, I don’t think that’s possible without the eurozone countries agreeing to issue Eurobonds & they become comfortable with running trade deficits.
July 28, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Personally, I don’t think that’s possible without the eurozone countries agreeing to issue Eurobonds & they become comfortable with running trade deficits.
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🚨BREAKING: The last journalists working for AFP in Gaza have said they can no longer work for the news agency.
They are out of energy and they are starving to death.
I have never seen a statement from a news organisation like it.
🧵
They are out of energy and they are starving to death.
I have never seen a statement from a news organisation like it.
🧵
July 21, 2025 at 8:55 PM
🚨BREAKING: The last journalists working for AFP in Gaza have said they can no longer work for the news agency.
They are out of energy and they are starving to death.
I have never seen a statement from a news organisation like it.
🧵
They are out of energy and they are starving to death.
I have never seen a statement from a news organisation like it.
🧵
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lmao America is so hopelessly corrupt
NEW by @lmatsakis.bsky.social: Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company led by the sons of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is betting that Trump’s tariff bills will be struck down in court. The company is buying the rights to potential tariff refunds. www.wired.com/story/cantor...
Trump's Commerce Secretary Loves Tariffs. His Former Investment Bank Is Taking Bets Against Them
A subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, which is run by the sons of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is letting clients essentially bet that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be struck down in cou...
www.wired.com
July 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
lmao America is so hopelessly corrupt