On 24 June 2024, I wrote this as my prediction about Mark Rutte’s tenure as NATO Secretary General: wheeling and dealing, even when it comes at the expense of values, norms & institutions. That was his modus operandi in Dutch politics, now on the world stage. www.newstatesman.com/internationa...

Schaamteloze zelfpromotie! In maart 2026 verschijnt mijn eerste Nederlandse boek bij Querido Facto. De Symfonie van Onvrede vertelt het verhaal van hoe mijn vader politiek van het CDA naar de PVV verschoof, en wat zijn verhaal ons kan leren over de opmars van radicaal rechts in Europa.

Morgen (vandaag al online) in het @fd.nl: samen met @simonhix.bsky.social pleiten we voor een kiesdrempel in Nederland. We vermoeden dat dit niet helemaal onopgemerkt zal blijven. 😉 📝 fd.nl/opinie/15748...

That’s a wrap! Always an honour to teach at the College of Europe in Bruges. This time a course about populism, political fragmentation & polarisation. Stellar group of students asking great questions. There was lots to debate.

Scholars & pundits have focussed a lot on the electoral demise of center left, but in doing so we paid to little attention to the electoral problems of the center right. Case-in-points here not only British conservatives or center right in France, but increasingly also the center right in Spain.

When you’re brilliant former PhD student leaves you this card as a thank you for your supervision, you know that you did something right. Thank you Konstantin @bogatyrev.bsky.social , wishing you all the best on your new adventure at the LSE Government departement. They’re so lucky to have you!

Mijn bijdrage @fd.nl over hoe Europa vaak de olifant in de kamer is in Den Haag. Uitdagingen zijn enorm, maar meeste politici doen alsof Europa niet bestaat. Met alle gevaren in de wereld, kunnen we ons deze luxe niet permitteren. Verkiezingen moeten over Europa gaan.👇 fd.nl/opinie/15603...

On route to Madrid for EPSA! Next to paper presentations, catching up with colleagues & meeting my first attendance buddy, I’m very much looking forward to the roundtable on mental health. Do join us for this important conversation. 👇 #EPSA2025

On the 26th of June 2024 I published a piece in @newstatesman.com about what Mark Rutte’s tenure might mean for NATO This is a key passage of that piece and I think it is still highly relevant. www.newstatesman.com/internationa...

Honoured that @apsrjournal.bsky.social paper Without Roots examining political effects of natural disaster hitting olive groves in Southern 🇮🇹 region of Puglia, with @simonecremaschi.bsky.social & Nicola Bariletto was featured in Eurointelligence news briefing this week: www.eurointelligence.com

Important to keep in mind for those of us following the Polish presidential elections tonight 👇 Thank you for your reporting @jakubkrupa.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

😎😎😎

Er kan veel veranderen in 1.5 jaar zullen we maar zeggen. #Omzexit

Absoluut Mathie Segers schreef altijd heel correct: NL staat met 1 been in zee neus richting VS & 1 been op EUse continent. Nu moet er eens een echt EU debat komen. Ze @euolifant.bsky.social collectief @algemeendagblad.bsky.social vandaag

So does Trump now thinks that the EU secretly runs the Wall Street Journal? Next he'll say the UN owns CNN, and accuses Brussels of managing US stock markets. Via @atrupar.com

Link: 'Nederland zet zich buitenspel zonder eurobonds' fd.nl/opinie/15484...

Twee dagen na Motie Eerdmans waarin stond dat Nederland principieel tegen gezamenlijke leningen is. Maar wat hebben we aan dogma’s als onze bondgenoten een draai hebben gemaakt & meerderheid van 🇳🇱 publieke opinie 🇺🇦 wil steun & meer 🇪🇺 samenwerking op defensie wil? Mijn stuk @fd.nl ⤵️

Zou graag willen dat iemand me kan uitleggen waarom een meerderheid vd Tweede Kamer denkt dat de nadelen van gezamenlijk lenen in 🇪🇺 groter zijn dan de voordelen van: 1) 🇪🇺 coördinatie in herbewapening + 2) investeringen in economische stabiliteit vd Eurozone + 3) diplomatiek naar achterhoede gaan.

Happy International Women’s Day. 🚺 I stand in solidarity with all women around the 🌍 fighting for their right to be treated equally. A special shout out today to all my fellow female academics in the 🇺🇸. Gender equality is not a state, it is a constant fight. 💪 In the words of Maya Angelou ⤵️

We also demonstrate that far-right support was more pronounced in communities that already lacked access to local public services Next, we focus on two similarly affected municipalities that were politically aligned with unaffected ones before the outbreak and shared key characteristics. 11/

We examine additional municipal level data and demonstrate that the outbreak produced significant economic and socio-cultural hardship. It reduced household income, increased youth emigration and created social and psychological distress likely increasing suicides 10/

We examine municipal-level vote shares in national elections and identify a 2.2-percentage-point differential vote share for far-right parties in affected municipalities 9/

Exploring economic & social roots of rise of far-right is tricky, as it is difficult to disentangle from simultaneously processes—deindustralization, demographic changes, technological change etc. We exploit geographically concentrated shock exterminating centuries-old 🫒 groves in Puglia 2/

Lots of talk about ‘left behind’ places & far-right’s rise. How do industrial decline, economic hardship, & resentment actually fuel far-right support? In new @apsrjournal.bsky.social paper exploring Xylella epidemic that devastated centuries-old 🫒 groves in 🇮🇹, we find out shorturl.at/xgeho

Finally, we asked about support for 🇺🇦 membership in the European Union. Highest in Spain (used to be Poland), lowest in Germany. In EU as a whole 55 % support 🇺🇦 membership in the 🇪🇺. But also here the trend is downward.

Third, we asked about support for more 🇪🇺 defence cooperation. Highest support in Spain, lowest support in France. In EU as a whole 78 % support more defence cooperation. But also here the trend is downward.

Second, support for accepting 🇺🇦 refugees. Highest support in Spain, lowest in Germany & Poland. In EU as a whole 64 % accept refugees. But again the trend is downward.

European leaders met with 🇺🇦, 🇪🇺 & NATO officials to discuss 🇺🇦 support & defence cooperation. This is all very welcome & needed. But for peace & defence efforts to be future-proof & credible, public support is essential. Building it won’t be easy. 🧵with @eupinions.bsky.social data

We als Europeanen zijn allemaal Oekraïniers. Hun oorlog is onze oorlog. Dit moet vanaf nu elke dag het verhaal zijn. Op 8 januari schreef ik dit in @fd.nl al voor Trump 2.0 & nu is het nog urgenter geworden. fd.nl/opinie/15391...