Tobias Bunde
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tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde
@tobiasbunde.bsky.social
2.5K followers 800 following 120 posts

Director of Research & Policy at the Munich Security Conference | Professor of International Security at the Hertie School Centre for International Security in Berlin | working on German foreign policy, NATO, international order, and nuclear security .. more

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Political science 80%
Sociology 9%
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Reposted by Tobias Bunde

bjpir.bsky.social
BJPIR @bjpir.bsky.social · 12d
📝 Don't miss one of our most read #openaccess #BJPIR articles!

'Zeitenwende as a foreign policy identity crisis: Germany and the travails of adaptation after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine' by @tobiasbunde.bsky.social.

🔗 buff.ly/Bl9vSLm

@polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
Zeitenwende as a foreign policy identity crisis: Germany and the travails of adaptation after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Tobias Bunde, 2025
While Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represented a shock to countries across Europe, it was perceived as a particularly fundamental challenge in German...
buff.ly

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Joanna Bryson, Tobias Bunde , and 36 more

auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social
Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · 13d
Auschwitz was at the end of a process. We must remember that it did not start from gas chambers.

This hatred gradually developed: from ideas, words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence... to systematic and industrial murder.

Auschwitz took time.
A bird's-eye view of a former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp showing a wide dirt pathway flanked by parallel rows of barbed-wire fences. Groups of visitors walk along the path, surrounded by the remnants of brick structures and barracks, now reduced to foundations. Green grass contrasts with the somber history of the site, as the path leads toward a guard tower in the distance.

Reposted by James Cameron

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 15d
Exactly, and those who are most alarmed/angry/worried today are long-time transatlanticists, NATOniks or whatever you want to call them, not those who have always preferred European independence.

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 15d
"We must stand up for a world that needs a renewed multilateral moment. Otherwise we will by default accept a world in which our friends move on as best they can without us. America alone is not America first." John Kerry in @nytopinion.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/o...
Opinion | John Kerry: We’ll Miss Alliances When They’re Gone
www.nytimes.com

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 17d
All you need to know...
smotus.bsky.social 🦃 Seth Masket 🦃 @smotus.bsky.social · 17d
Those nations that have accepted the invitation to the Board of Peace are a *lot* less democratic than those that have rejected it.

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Bryan D. Jones, John Doyle , and 1 more

smotus.bsky.social
🦃 Seth Masket 🦃 @smotus.bsky.social · 17d
Those nations that have accepted the invitation to the Board of Peace are a *lot* less democratic than those that have rejected it.

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 19d
Oh, absolutely!

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 19d
Laughter in the audience... Some people just couldn't suppress it.

Reposted by Joris Larik

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 19d
The feeling is mutual. We don‘t recognize the United States anymore. And it breaks my heart. Greetings from Europe!
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19d
Trump: "Certain places in Europe are not even recognizable, frankly, anymore. We can argue about it but there's no argument. Friends come back from different places and say, 'I don't recognize it.' And that's not in a positive way. That's in a very negative way."

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Elizabeth Saunders, Steve Peers , and 2 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19d
Trump: "Certain places in Europe are not even recognizable, frankly, anymore. We can argue about it but there's no argument. Friends come back from different places and say, 'I don't recognize it.' And that's not in a positive way. That's in a very negative way."

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Joanna Bryson, Marc Lynch , and 80 more

davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 20d
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 20d
Dabei hängt das eine mit dem anderen untrennbar zusammen. Würde die amerikanische Demokratie noch „funktionieren“, gäbe es diesen Irrsinn nicht bzw. würde man ihm Einhalt gebieten. Es ist die Außenpolitik eines „personalist regime“.

Reposted by Reiner Leidl

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 20d
This speech should be read (or listened to) by everyone in Europe - and beyond. For Europeans, it's a must. So many great quotes, hard to pick one. Well done, @mark-carney.bsky.social.
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
Read the full transcript of Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum - National | Globalnews.ca
Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, on the 'new world order' and how middle powers like Canada can benefit by working together.
globalnews.ca

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 21d
Weltpolitikschmerz /ˈvɛltˌpɒlɪˌtiːkˌʃmɛːts/ German, from Weltpolitik ‘world politics’ +Schmerz ‘pain’: a feeling of melancholy and political world-weariness caused by witnessing unprecedented geopolitical stupidity and thinking about the unnecessary harm inflicted upon the world.

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 22d
Unfortunately, it aged rather well... #NATO

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 22d
For those who read German (abtract in English), here's a piece I wrote eight years ago on why NATO's biggest threat comes from within: www.jstor.org/stable/26679...
English Title: The Devaluation of NATO. Why the “Illiberal International” Endangers the Atlantic Alliance Abstract: For constructivists, NATO is not just another military alliance but the institutionalization of the transatlantic security community based on a collective identity of liberal democracies. The rise of illiberalism within NATO member states threatens the Alliance in the long run because it eats away at this very foundation. It is hardly conceivable that an alliance partly composed of illiberal members will exhibit the same level of trust and cooperation. Recent trends already illustrate the likely consequences of a “devaluation” of NATO. Yet, NATO itself lacks the instruments to enforce liberal norms in its member states and thus draws its life from presuppositions that it cannot itself guarantee. Keywords: NATO, collective identity, illiberalism, constructivism

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 22d
"They consult, negotiate and resolve disputes peacefully. This shared political culture is not a luxury — it is #NATO’ s greatest strategic asset. It sets us apart from those that depend on threats and tricks to keep their “friends” together."

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 22d
"NATO is not merely a military grouping; it is a community of liberal democracies that has endured precisely because its members trust — and do not threaten — one another." @nytimesoped.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
Opinion | Trump’s Greenland Threats Will Boomerang on America
www.nytimes.com

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 22d
Ischinger: "Assuming that Europe would quietly accept a takeover of #Greenland by the United States and then move on would be a mistake. [...] Threats against it cut to the heart of the idea of Europe, of sovereignty, international law and trust." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
Opinion | Trump’s Greenland Threats Will Boomerang on America
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Joris Larik

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · 23d
Don't underestimate how serious the #Greenland issue is for Europeans. Manfred Weber, President of the EPP, has now said the European Parliament would not vote on the EU–U.S. trade deal and hinted at the EU’s “bazooka”: the Anti-Coercion Instrument. www.politico.eu/article/eu-u...
EU-US trade deal ‘on hold’ after new Trump tariffs
The pact, designed to avoid hefty tariffs on European exports, cannot be passed in light of Washington’s threats against Greenland, lawmakers say.
www.politico.eu

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Elizabeth Saunders

janevoter2018.bsky.social
Jane Voter @janevoter2018.bsky.social · 24d
‘Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who co-authored the Venezuela measure & signaled a raft of new war-powers legislation, acknowledged…Wednesday that prospects were dim that a veto-proof number of GOP senators would join Democrats’ efforts.
But “we might on Greenland,” Kaine added.’
#LeaveGreenlandAlone
‘Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard’: Republicans amp up their resistance to Trump’s Greenland push
GOP lawmakers are stepping up their warnings and engaging in diplomacy as the president's threats escalate.
www.politico.com

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Greg Linden, Nicolai von Ondarza

jjjcameron.bsky.social
James Cameron @jjjcameron.bsky.social · 24d
Former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller highlights the risk of nuclear proliferation in Europe if the US destroys its extended deterrent guarantee over Greenland.

A senior former US policymaker considering a post-American Europe.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
“Everything that the United States is doing to raise doubts about its support for the Nato alliance will raise doubts about its willingness to extend a nuclear deterrent guarantee to Nato Europe. That creates the potential for future proliferation of nuclear weapons,” adds Gottemoeller. “The events [in Venezuela] are, no doubt, a short, sharp shock, and a big boost in the wake up call. It will further require the Europeans to figure out how they are going to lead now, and that that is going to be a challenge,” Gottemoeller adds. “Because if you don't have the first among equals, the primus inter pares, of the United States, who is going to lead in Europe?”

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Elizabeth Saunders

jaylyall.bsky.social
Jason "Red5" Lyall @jaylyall.bsky.social · 26d
Imagine the view from Beijing and Moscow right now
bcfinucane.bsky.social Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 26d
For those catching up this Wednesday:

--White House is trying to sabotage efforts in Congress to block further military action in Venezuela.

--White House might well launch another illegal attack on Iran imminently.

--White House continues to threaten a NATO ally with territorial annexation.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · Jan 8
My sense is that most Europeans still underestimate how serious Trump is about "owning" Greenland, but that most Americans underestimate the likely reaction from Europe, too. This might become a make-or-break moment for #NATO, and US supporters of the Alliance should speak up now - loud and clear.

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · Jan 8
Lots of reasons for #Weltpolitikschmerz after reading this interview, but let's focus on Greenland for a second. If you still don't believe Trump is serious - please read it. For Trump, the grass is clearly greener in #Greenland.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’
www.nytimes.com

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · Jan 6
#Weltpolitikschmerz

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Lisa W. Fazio , and 31 more

walterolson.bsky.social
Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · Jan 6
Five years ago.
Front pages of American newspapers after Jan. 6, 2021, with headlines like "Capitol Chaos," "Assault on Democracy," "Pro-Trump mob storms Capitol."

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · Jan 4
Erinnerte mich gerade an unser Gespräch zur #Zeitenwende im Sommer 2022. Muss mal nachhören, ob wie gut/schlecht das gealtert ist... wrint.de/2022/07/13/w...
WR1384 Zeitenwende – WRINT: Wer redet ist nicht tot
Drei Tage nachdem im Februar 2022 Russland seinen Überfall auf die Ukraine ausgeweitet hatte, hat Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz seine "Zeitenwende"-Rede gehalten. Da kann man doch mal drüber reden, dachte...
wrint.de

tobiasbunde.bsky.social
Tobias Bunde @tobiasbunde.bsky.social · Dec 29
Deadline approaching 🚨We’re excited to host two Stanton #NuclearSecurity Fellows at @hertiesecurity.bsky.social in 2026–2027. Apply by Jan 1. Details: www.hertie-school.org/en/internati...
Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program
The purpose of the Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program is to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders on nuclear security issues by supporting interdisciplinary researc...
www.hertie-school.org

Reposted by Tobias Bunde, Ben Tonra

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · Dec 24
You want to set a sign that US companies, too, have to abide by our laws if they operate here? Follow @hateaid.org - they fight for rights in the digital space and have just been sanctioned by Trump.