EU Home Affairs Ministers admit they failed in handling a hybrid attack: "Crisis communication could further be reinforced through timely coordination and should be more coherent, especially to counter malicious external actors engaged in foreign information manipulation and interference." #Ceuta

How EUrope lost the Battle of Ceuta: While "Europe is under sustained hybrid attack.., EU leaders have chosen to respond.. with partisan politics that only underlines their fragmentation and weakness and [helps] the.. far-right." by @nixonsimon.bsky.social nixons.substack.com/p/europes-de...

Speaking of 'pull factors' to Europe: Sure - how about safety, security, democracy, universal health care, work-life balance, rich culture, welfare system, abundant food, life expectancy, public transport, mild climate, great education, quality of life... Wait. They want to eliminate all those? 😱

Looks like 22 EU leaders need an urgent course on understanding and handling hybrid warfare. "United we stand, divided we fall." #StrongerTogether🇪🇺 @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu @kajakallas.bsky.social @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu @andriuskubilius.ec.europa.eu www.politico.eu/article/ceut...

Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister: "We have detected intensive Russian propaganda campaign across Europe using pictures from Ceuta to sow destabilisation." Far-right from EU (& US!) falls with open eyes for hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration, even fan the flames. #unity #solidarity

Proud to represent @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social at today’s EU Commission high-level event on democracy. It’s the last event before taking a mini sabbatical & going offline. Have a great summer; see you on the other side. From 1 September I’m available for coffees & new opportunities 😊

Inviting Big Tech to your digital autonomy / tech sovereignty event is like inviting Big Oil to your climate policy event: a waste of time. (And that is the best case scenario; it is more likely their input is outright counter-productive.) PS: Check out Big Tech funding European think-tanks :-/

Brussels diplomats are mourning dinners of the “like-minded” that used to be held at US ambassador’s residence. "The soirées were among the most useful diplomatic forums in town." Proud that AMB Gitenstein's first one (April 2022) was co-hosted by Defend Democracy! www.politico.eu/article/brus...

Many thanks @casmudde.bsky.social for joining the monthly #DemocracyDrinks of @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social ! We covered a lot of ground - from politics to populism to firewall to football - the audience would have loved to exchange for hours! Enjoy the next leg of your trip: our native country!

Similar essence taken yesterday: Waffles van in front of Arcades.

Dag @casmudde.bsky.social en @jmorijn.bsky.social, Kennen jullie elkaar al? 😊 #voetbal #democratie

Still looking pretty energetic on a Friday, despite heatwave and busy week in Brussels 😎 ✅ Moderate roundtable on tech's impact on democracy ✅ Speak on panel about journalism handling post-truth era ✅ Give a Masterclass on preparedness & resilience 📝 Defend Democracy will publish on the latter.

Slovenia re-elected the guy who sent his attack trolls after me for sharing this FT article.

EU Parliament demands EU Commission scrap Big Tech's ‘unlawful’ secrecy on data centres environmental footprint. #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺 euobserver.com/217580/meps-...

Als oud-lezer van Suske en Wiske dacht ik altijd dat de tjiftjaf een mythische of uitgestorven vogel was, zoiets als de dodo. Maar hij bestaat dus echt, en zingt prachtig! 😍

European Commission has updated its follow buttons. ✅ Mastodon and Bluesky are in; ⛔ X, Facebook, YouTube are out. (Only when you scroll all the way down, FB and YT are still there, but no longer X.) commission.europa.eu/index_en

I didn't mind this bee photobombing my picture 😍

Belgium is finally catching up and joining other EU countries in launching a resilience campaign, called "Ready. Together." English version: * stay informed * make a plan * emergency kit * right reflex * participate * take care of yourself * prepared together crisiscenter.be/en/what-can-...

New banner on EU Commission HQ! "Democracy. Protect what matters." audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/stories/M... But will the 'European Democracy Shield' do the job? I don't think so: defenddemocracy.eu/how-not-to-d... @defenddemocracy.eurosky.social

Of course the more important tech fail is that EU Ministers are still using MAGA messenger Whatsapp. Digital security and sovereignty, anyone? #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺 www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...

INVESTIGATION: Hungary colluded with Russia. EVIDENCE: Hungary’s FM acted for the Kremlin. AIM: weakening EU sanctions packages and delist sanctioned Russian oligarchs. STOP PUTIN'S TROJAN HORSE IN EU! Stop unanimity-based EU foreign policy!! #DefendDemocracy #StandWithUkraine #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺

International Press Association raises alarm over illegal recording “Hacking and disclosure of journalists’ materials strike at heart of press freedom.. How to pursue those responsible, whether operating from within EU or from third countries such as Russia.” api1.email-provider.eu/web/exh8n9iw...

This is not about which EU official or which EU media. This is about intercepting and leaking private conversations between journalists and their sources ahead of Hungary's elections — that will be crucial for EU's functioning. This is about the security of our online conversations. #ChatControl

Home sweet home after 3 days in Leuven, working with 30 experts on European, democracy-friendly tech. We stayed at the historic Irish College, built in 1611. And I managed a quick visit to Belgium’s oldest botanical garden (1738) and the Begijnhof (1232).

"Never forget that a political, economical or religious crisis is enough to cast doubt on women's rights. These rights will never be vested. You have to stay vigilant your whole life." Simone de Beauvoir, 1949 #WomensDay #IWD2026 #8M

I didn't know they still exist in the Netherlands: gentlemen's clubs. Today I addressed 25 eminent retired gentlemen on the topic of 'democracy under pressure'. In return I was offered a typical Dutch lunch 🥛🥪🍇, a box of chocolates, and the promise they would discuss opening their club to women 👵👵

Same Brussels square, this time with more people and much better weather 😎 If you’re curious about what I was doing near the European Parliament today, check out @defenddemocracy.bsky.social ’s post 🦋

Why invite Big Tech lobbyists on panels when all they do is parrot the same bullshit propaganda? 🤮 #MSC2026 #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺

… but the square in front of the Brussels EP building was deserted, because everyone is in Strasbourg for the Plenary session. Still ’democracy in action’ for me though, with several meetings on democracy, security and tech 😎 #DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU🇪🇺

Sunlight illuminating the European Parliament in Brussels this morning…