Simon Glendinning

@simonglend.bsky.social

3.1K followers 1.7K following 450 posts

Head of the European Institute and Professor of European Philosophy at LSE.

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Simon Glendinning is an English philosopher. Glendinning is Professor of European Philosophy and Head of department in the European Institute at the London School of Economics.

Source: Wikipedia

Philosophy 46%

Political science 28%

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Reposted by Simon Glendinning

Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 2d

According to Italy's former prime minister, the power games at play in today’s world require Europe to make a qualitative leap in integration. A pragmatic leap. https://bit.ly/4a7jY4Q

Draghi wants real decision-making power in Europe, not a federal Big Bang

Competitiveness is not enough. The former president of the European Central Bank’s call for ‘pragmatic federalism’ would require Europe to strengthen its decision-making process if it wants to weigh i...

www.chathamhouse.org

Reposted by Steve Peers, Simon Glendinning

Jonathan Freedland @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social · 3d

On Epstein, Mandelson and Starmer - and the argument that the PM won't make. Latest column www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

There’s one argument Starmer could make to save his skin – but he won’t dare do it | Jonathan Freedland

It’s right to focus on what the PM knew about Peter Mandelson, but many pointing the finger also knew and chose to ignore it, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

www.theguardian.com

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 4d

Mary Creagh?

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 5d

This is silly. A judgement “from the viewpoint of the planet” would seem to me way more likely to embrace wanting us (or most of us) gone as soon as possible - don’t unnecessarily extend the stay of current humanity on their account.

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 5d

‘No one can say with certainty if, or when, the bubble will burst. If it does, it will be a financial market trauma, but from the viewpoint of the planet it might be better sooner rather than later.’

Donald MacKenzie on AI’s scale.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Donald MacKenzie · AI’s Scale

AI’s scale doesn’t matter just to specialists. The rest of us are being taken on a ride along the logarithmic curve...

www.lrb.co.uk

Reposted by Simon Glendinning

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 5d

Donald MacKenzie · AI’s Scale

AI’s scale doesn’t matter just to specialists. The rest of us are being taken on a ride along the logarithmic curve...

www.lrb.co.uk

Reposted by Justin H. Kirkland, Fabián Muniesa, Iikka Korhonen , and 3 more Justin H. Kirkland, Fabián Muniesa, Iikka Korhonen, Jonathan Hopkin, Simon Glendinning, Björn Bremer

Benjamin Braun @benbraun.bsky.social · 5d

🚨 The political economy of finance summer school is back, 3rd year running! Better still: We're bringing it to London via @lse-ei.bsky.social.

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜: Finance & democracy
𝙳̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲: 4-5 June 2026
𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦: March 1. Link below.

We've got brilliant instructors as usual. Please spread the word!

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 7d

This is amazing, a wonderful adventure. Good luck, Anand.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 7d

What is your new job?? (Congratulations..)

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Stephen P. Jenkins, Sara B. Hobolt , and 6 more Richard S.J. Tol, Stephen P. Jenkins, Sara B. Hobolt, Justin H. Kirkland, Benjamin Braun, Valerie Mueller, Jonathan Hopkin, Simon Glendinning, Maria Abreu

LSE European Institute @lse-ei.bsky.social · 10d

💼 We're #HIRING!

We are seeking an Assistant Professor in International Migration specialised in forced #migration and #policy responses to the #international #displacement of people and/or #immigration, #race and #citizenship (from a #comparative perspective).

🌍️ 👉️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 10d

Not sure - I think Lyotard in the 1970s saw this already, as (from the right?) did Heidegger in the 1950s -and both before “neoliberalism” came on the scene and appeared to play an explanatory role, a role it only seemed to have, I think, out of dubious nostalgia for a classic philosophy of history.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 18d

I’m puzzled by the fact that an art exhibition today is basically indistinguishable from works in a museum. Is it: works of the clearly past and works of the nearly past?

Reposted by Simon Glendinning

Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 21d

Excellent article from Janan Ganesh. The logic - that the European right and far right will embrace a federal European state - is coherent and hard to dispute.

Essentially, nationalists are starting to realise that European states are simply too small to protect, never mind project, identity

A 🧵

"The right will want a United States of Europe" - headline from the Financial Times

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 22d

I really like thinking about Tooze’s demand that we acknowledge the historically unprecedented character of whatever is happening. I also like thinking about his idea that you don’t know what shit you’re in when you are in it. I don’t think I agree though. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

The crisis whisperer: how Adam Tooze makes sense of our bewildering age

The long read: Whether it’s the financial crash, the climate emergency or the breakdown of the international order, historian Adam Tooze has become the go-to guide to the radical new world we’ve enter...

www.theguardian.com

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 22d

And the UK not at the table because of an act of collective insanity.

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 22d

Emergency meeting of EU Member States representatives 5pm today, to discuss relations with the US

Agenda of Coreper meeting, 18th January 5pm, with the sole item of EU/US relations

Reposted by Antje Wiener, Holger Hestermeyer, Simon Glendinning , and 3 more Antje Wiener, Holger Hestermeyer, Simon Glendinning, Simon Lester, Nicolai von Ondarza, Francesco Nicoli

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 22d

Emergency meeting of EU Member States representatives 5pm today, to discuss relations with the US

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 7

The US became a global power in a time when the economic-political space became planetary. However, a new global order could be constructed in that space by the global powers: one that re-configures each global power as a regional power - if they can mostly agree who gets what.

Reposted by Simon Glendinning

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · Jan 6

English cricket fans regretting the retirement of Chris Tavaré.

This was the first of 26 consecutive tests for Tavaré, including tours of India, Sri Lanka and Australia, during which tests he made two test centuries and
again achieved some notable feats of slow scoring. His 50 in five hours and fifty minutes, against Pakistan in 1982, was the second-slowest in the history of the English game."' Among his slowest innings was a score of 35 runs in six-and-a-half hours at Madras in the 1981/82 season. In 2012, Alex Massie wrote that, for Tavaré, scoring runs seemed "a disagreeable, even vulgar, distraction from the pure task of surviving".? At Perth in 1982 he made
"an eight-hour 89, 60 minutes of which were entirely scoreless", although he

Reposted by Simon Glendinning

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

Thinking a bit more on this, there is a symbolism in the fact that this warning to the US is issued at the margins of a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' to defend against Russia.

Europe in 2026, under siege from two sides.

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

Joint Statement of major EU/NATO countries on Greenland, together with Denmark:

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 3

Thank you for this essay! Identifying Marxism as *the* inseparable adversary of Nazism is, I think, a pre-requisite of understanding Nazism. OTOH, there is a long tradition of non-Marxist socialism (“beyond all class distinctions”) which resists identifying socialism only with its left variations.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

There is a passage on Europe in JS Mill’s On Liberty which could have set the tone for a distinctive and constructive British vision of Europe - but as far as I can see it was lost to the world until I attempted to resurrect it in 2021 …when it was already too late.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

Not especially true - every MS has its Europe - but especially truly awful. :(

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

“Towards integration” or “towards closer union” is an undeniably teleological conception. And there is nothing wrong with that at all. The only question is about the ideal end (the telos). What is “complete” integration? You may say: a federal state. I say: something *essentially* short of that.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

Yes! Hilarious.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

Not sure about the law example here. I think it would take too long trying to refine it to fit. Nevertheless, on the face of it any piece of EU legislation that harmonises across MSs either does or does not conflict with the existing law in any given MS. The rest follows (I think).

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

No condescension intended. Teleological development does seem implied in your description of the emerging federal formation - and that would be a questionable way of looking at developments underway. But my central point is that *any* development would be constrained by the limits I identified.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

Some national constitutional courts have challenged its absolute reach, asserting limits based on national constitutional identity or fundamental rights. But of course you are right about the steps in the process of law change. I’m not sure it makes a difference to the thought experiment though.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

A thought experiment: suppose a law that is common to all MSs - no conflict - and the ECJ asserted a demand for a change in that law. That could be a moment of consensual legal progress in some domain. But what if the MSs all opposed the proposal? Would they all have to suck it up? Idk, I hope not.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

Quite rightly the ECJ has primacy over conflicting national laws. But even there states reserve a right to oversight. And the idea that a federal state is “emerging” is far too simplistically teleological. I have mentioned structural limits to the development of that which that idea simply ignores.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 2

The EUs current state-like powers (which, to repeat, I like) are not the powers of a state though - they are delegated powers by states. Just as the open borders of Schengen are open only because they are, by states, closable. But yes: not simply intergovernmental, not at all.

Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · Jan 1

Fair summary. And: yes it is not desirable. A European Union short of a federal state is, however, very desirable. And in answer to your other question: it enhances the sovereignty that a MS keeps. And I focus on MS because they are the unit of membership: it is their union - a union of states.

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