Nicolai von Ondarza

Gerrit Kurtz @gerritkurtz.bsky.social · 3h

The MFA of #Ethiopia formally accuses #Eritrea of "further escalation" along the border in recent days.

How long can these threats continue without either side taking pre-emptive action?

Ed Arnold @edrusi.bsky.social · 3h

Latest for @rusi.bsky.social

If the PM has failed to start his own national conversation on defence in 18 months, why would his (potential) successor? Time is running out!

www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

The UK Whole of Society Defence and the Reality of Modern War

The national conversation must address society’s preparations to defend itself, reimagining the citizen solider of the 21st century, and every sector’s role in this effort.

www.rusi.org

Victor Jack @victorjack.bsky.social · 3h

The U.S. wants to reshuffle commanders of several top NATO command centers, ceding control of 2 while taking over 1.

It’s part of a push by Trump to make Europeans shoulder more responsibility as doubts swirl over U.S. commitment to NATO.

w/@paulmcleary.bsky.social pro.politico.eu/news/212776

POLITICO Pro

pro.politico.eu

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 3h

Pretty horrific account about an Irish (and thus also EU) citizen being held by ICE since September last year, despite having a legal work and residence permit in the US and being married to an US citizen.

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 4h

"He said he has been locked in the same large, cold and damp room for 4½ months with more than 70 men. He said detainees are constantly hungry because meals served at tables in the centre of the room offer only child-sized portions." www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

‘Absolute hell’: Irishman with valid US work permit held by Ice since September

Seamus Culleton has been in a detention facility in Texas for nearly five months despite having no criminal record

www.irishtimes.com

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 4h

Noteworthy phrasing here from @kajakallas.bsky.social who has called the booing of JD Vance at the Winter Olympics an expression of 'European pride':

Olympics crowd showed ‘European pride’ by booing JD Vance, EU top diplomat says

“Our public also has a pride, a European pride,” foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told an interviewer.

www.politico.eu

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 4h

Though of course, looking since 2022, France is still ahead in the 'churning through Prime Ministers' metric, even if Starmer is forced to resign this year.

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 4h

Also, never mind Meloni, Ursula von der Leyen would be up to her 5th UK Prime Minister to negotiate EU-UK relations with (but we are of course getting ahead of ourselves).

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 4h

Already read Italian journalists joking that in comparison to Meloni (started in October 2022, almost in parallel to Truss) that Meloni might soon meet her 4th UK Prime Minister while in office.

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 4h

Meanwhile at the EU Commission in Brussels:

"Wait, they lost another Prime Minister?"

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 4h

Meanwhile at the EU Commission in Brussels:

"Wait, they lost another Prime Minister?"

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 4h

"He said he has been locked in the same large, cold and damp room for 4½ months with more than 70 men. He said detainees are constantly hungry because meals served at tables in the centre of the room offer only child-sized portions." www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

‘Absolute hell’: Irishman with valid US work permit held by Ice since September

Seamus Culleton has been in a detention facility in Texas for nearly five months despite having no criminal record

www.irishtimes.com

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 4h

Another signal towards the 'first slowly, then suddenly' theory of Prime Minister's demise:

Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 5h

Am told Eluned Morgan, First Minister of Wales, is going to follow Anas Sarwar in calling for the PM to stand down;

Also that there will be "Scottish MP ministerial resignations" afterwards

Ministers saying it's the end game...

Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 5h

Am told Eluned Morgan, First Minister of Wales, is going to follow Anas Sarwar in calling for the PM to stand down;

Also that there will be "Scottish MP ministerial resignations" afterwards

Ministers saying it's the end game...

Eugene Vinitsky 🍒 @eugenevinitsky.bsky.social · 5h

Let us make a refinement of this claim. The claim is “do not use AI to obscure the level of effort that went into your writing.” That’s where the dishonesty lives, not in the use of the tool

Eugene Vinitsky 🍒 @eugenevinitsky.bsky.social · 20h

Think that it's dishonest to not tell someone when your writing is AI written, the same position I hold on ghost writing

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 5h

Very unlikely, given his and Labour's polling. Much more likely is an interim Prime Minister, until a new Labour leader is chosen and would then be appointed as Prime Minister by the king on the basis of the majority in the House of Commons, like Johnson (2019) or Truss and Sunak (2022).

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 5h

This has the echo of early Juune 2022, when Boris Johnson was forced to resign despite a big majority in the House of Commons, as his party was no longer willing to follow him. Though of course it remains speculative how close Starmer is to resigning, hard to not see power quickly ebbing away.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 5h

Scottish Labour leader to call for Starmer to step down ft.trib.al/ng2CP3a

Scottish Labour leader to call for Starmer to step down

Anas Sarwar’s intervention deepens crisis facing UK prime minister

ft.trib.al

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 5h

Scottish Labour leader to call for Starmer to step down ft.trib.al/ng2CP3a

Scottish Labour leader to call for Starmer to step down

Anas Sarwar’s intervention deepens crisis facing UK prime minister

ft.trib.al

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 6h

Trump is widely seen as hugely unpopular in Europe. However, if you compare him to national leaders, Trump is actually more popular than Starmer in the UK and Macron in France. Not a direct comparison, of course, but a side result of the unpopularity of Macron and Starmer.

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 6h

For comparion, last year's February leaders retreat was on defence, with no immediate outcome. However, a lot of the follow-up decisions e.g. on SAFE, excemptions for national defence spending, EDIP etc stemmed from it and it was therefore consequential, just not in a directly visible way.

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 6h

This week's informal European Council will be a weird one. It is build up in the EU press as decisive, yet as a leader's retreat there won't be conclusions, let alone actual decisions.

Its real value will be in setting the course for future decisions, only visible in hindsight.

Euractiv @euractiv.com · 6h

🟢 Why Europe’s leaders won’t rescue the economy this week
🟢 Wannabe EU officials face daunting 3% success rate in new exam
🟢 What’s in the latest package of Russia sanctions
These stories and more in Monday’s Rapporteur: 🔗https://eurac.tv/9YnY

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 6h

Thank you for the comparison. Are there any studies available on how much drain V2G has on the car's battery? That might make a difference on whether it is worth it for EV owners.

Euractiv @euractiv.com · 6h

🟢 Why Europe’s leaders won’t rescue the economy this week
🟢 Wannabe EU officials face daunting 3% success rate in new exam
🟢 What’s in the latest package of Russia sanctions
These stories and more in Monday’s Rapporteur: 🔗https://eurac.tv/9YnY

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 9h

Writing in English is not the problem (for more pan-European debates, it is often the solution), only reading in English is.

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 9h

And when is coming to other European countries?

Paweł Tokarski @tokarski.bsky.social · 9h

When we talk about European payment sovereignty, names like Digital Euro or WERO dominate the headlines.

But the real heavyweight champion isn’t a project in development—it’s already here, it’s MADE IN POLAND, and it’s crushing records.

It is BLIK
www.blik.com/en

www.ft.com/content/fcc2...

European alternatives to Visa and Mastercard ‘urgently’ needed, says banking chief

US payment processing companies account for about two-thirds of card transactions in Eurozone

www.ft.com

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 10h

This is a rather unhelpful framing coming from (I assume) national diplomats. It suggests that the problem with EU competitiveness lies with the Commission, where as all EU regulation are passed by Council & Parliament.

If anything, it is usually the national capitals who are putting on brakes.

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 11h

EU countries are piling pressure on the European Commission to get serious about turning around the bloc’s sluggish economy, amid fears it could be left at the mercy of other big players like the U.S. and China.

Brussels Playbook has more 👇

Time to grow up

Presented by European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion By GABRIEL GAVIN PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur |…

www.politico.eu

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 11h

EU countries are piling pressure on the European Commission to get serious about turning around the bloc’s sluggish economy, amid fears it could be left at the mercy of other big players like the U.S. and China.

Brussels Playbook has more 👇

Time to grow up

Presented by European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion By GABRIEL GAVIN PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur |…

www.politico.eu

Luke McGee @lukemcgee.bsky.social · 11h

Missed this yesterday. Massive boost for Ukraine’s arms industry, who have been pushing for export controls to be lifted. Creates even more opportunity to develop new equipment, innovate and fund the defensive effort. Great news.

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 1d

Make that Europeans resigning over Epstein files (e.g. also Miroslav Lajčák in Slovakia)

Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 1d

on we go

Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 1d

on we go

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 1d

Fallout from Mandelson/Epstein in the UK.

As with May, the last line of the defence for Starmer is his chief of staff. So treat this as a stepping stone, with Starmer's Premiership likely fatally wounded.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Morgan McSweeney resigns as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff

Longtime aide departs after seemingly botched No 10 effort to shore up PM’s position against supposed plotters * UK politics live – latest updates Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and longtime aide, has resigned after a bitter row about supposed plots to bring down the PM. McSweeney masterminded Starmer’s path to Downing Street less than five years after Jeremy Corbyn’s devastating defeat in the 2019 election. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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