John Michaelis
@johnmichaelis.bsky.social
Doctoral Researcher at the European University Institute.
Interested in party competition, social identities, and climate politics in Europe and beyond.
www.johnmichaelis.com
Interested in party competition, social identities, and climate politics in Europe and beyond.
www.johnmichaelis.com
A fun two days in Berlin at the @diplo.de 🇩🇪 for the #SpinelliForum 🇪🇺
Took part in discussions on Europe’s energy transition and its bottlenecks — not my main field but a great opportunity to collaborate with interesting and engaged people that care about tackling big challenges our societies face
Took part in discussions on Europe’s energy transition and its bottlenecks — not my main field but a great opportunity to collaborate with interesting and engaged people that care about tackling big challenges our societies face
October 31, 2025 at 5:39 PM
A fun two days in Berlin at the @diplo.de 🇩🇪 for the #SpinelliForum 🇪🇺
Took part in discussions on Europe’s energy transition and its bottlenecks — not my main field but a great opportunity to collaborate with interesting and engaged people that care about tackling big challenges our societies face
Took part in discussions on Europe’s energy transition and its bottlenecks — not my main field but a great opportunity to collaborate with interesting and engaged people that care about tackling big challenges our societies face
Funny piece about the @eui-eu.bsky.social. While the Hogwarts comparison feels apt sometimes, it gets a bit weird.
Not sure EUI’s remote location justifies the Los Alamos analogy. And beware the Florentine temptations! Might be too distracting for us to produce relevant work…
Not sure EUI’s remote location justifies the Los Alamos analogy. And beware the Florentine temptations! Might be too distracting for us to produce relevant work…
Patrizia Nanz is trying to make the European University Institute relevant
Europe’s Hogwarts has a new Dumbledore
Patrizia Nanz is trying to make the European University Institute relevant
econ.st
August 8, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Funny piece about the @eui-eu.bsky.social. While the Hogwarts comparison feels apt sometimes, it gets a bit weird.
Not sure EUI’s remote location justifies the Los Alamos analogy. And beware the Florentine temptations! Might be too distracting for us to produce relevant work…
Not sure EUI’s remote location justifies the Los Alamos analogy. And beware the Florentine temptations! Might be too distracting for us to produce relevant work…
Reposted by John Michaelis
An extremely sobering piece about the unavoidable costs of the transition to electric power in the Netherlands—which in many ways has been *more* proactive than other European countries (charging points, rooftop solar) on.ft.com/4nNckCL
Netherlands rations electricity to ease power grid stresses
Country provides early warning for rest of EU if investments in new cables do not keep pace with shift to greener economy
on.ft.com
July 13, 2025 at 1:38 PM
An extremely sobering piece about the unavoidable costs of the transition to electric power in the Netherlands—which in many ways has been *more* proactive than other European countries (charging points, rooftop solar) on.ft.com/4nNckCL
Grateful for the opportunity to present my PhD thesis outline last week.
Across Europe, populist far-right parties have increasingly mobilized against climate policy, but this opposition is far from uniform.
I aim to understand what drives this variation, and the implications that follow.
Across Europe, populist far-right parties have increasingly mobilized against climate policy, but this opposition is far from uniform.
I aim to understand what drives this variation, and the implications that follow.
May 26, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Grateful for the opportunity to present my PhD thesis outline last week.
Across Europe, populist far-right parties have increasingly mobilized against climate policy, but this opposition is far from uniform.
I aim to understand what drives this variation, and the implications that follow.
Across Europe, populist far-right parties have increasingly mobilized against climate policy, but this opposition is far from uniform.
I aim to understand what drives this variation, and the implications that follow.
Reposted by John Michaelis
There is a new German government coalition!
First surprise: CDU gets the foreign office - which traditionally goes to the smaller coalition partner. Makes a lot of sense and was speculated but I wouldn’t have bet on it. Also means that SPD (Pistorius…) gets defence.
www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...
First surprise: CDU gets the foreign office - which traditionally goes to the smaller coalition partner. Makes a lot of sense and was speculated but I wouldn’t have bet on it. Also means that SPD (Pistorius…) gets defence.
www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...
Union und SPD einigen sich auf Koalitionsvertrag
Die entscheidenden Streitpunkte sind ausgeräumt: Union und SPD wollen am Nachmittag die Eckpunkte ihres Koalitionsvertrags präsentieren. Die Entwicklungen in der Live-Analyse.
www.spiegel.de
April 9, 2025 at 10:49 AM
There is a new German government coalition!
First surprise: CDU gets the foreign office - which traditionally goes to the smaller coalition partner. Makes a lot of sense and was speculated but I wouldn’t have bet on it. Also means that SPD (Pistorius…) gets defence.
www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...
First surprise: CDU gets the foreign office - which traditionally goes to the smaller coalition partner. Makes a lot of sense and was speculated but I wouldn’t have bet on it. Also means that SPD (Pistorius…) gets defence.
www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...
This is so crazy, wth
In 25 years of covering national security, I’ve never seen a story like this: Senior Trump officials discussed planning for the U.S. attack on Yemen in a Signal group--and inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
www.theatlantic.com
March 24, 2025 at 6:43 PM
This is so crazy, wth
Reposted by John Michaelis
A happy ending to the negotiation thriller of the past days:
€100bn of the €500bn infrastructure package will go to climate spending and the legal text will include language on additionality.
Balanced outcome—and a big win for both Germany and Europe.
€100bn of the €500bn infrastructure package will go to climate spending and the legal text will include language on additionality.
Balanced outcome—and a big win for both Germany and Europe.
To help Germany finally snap out its macroeconomic hibernation, the planned changers to the debt brake must help plug the country’s huge investments needs.
Early results in the coalition talks now show that there’s a real risk that the incoming government could still squander this.
1/X
Early results in the coalition talks now show that there’s a real risk that the incoming government could still squander this.
1/X
March 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM
A happy ending to the negotiation thriller of the past days:
€100bn of the €500bn infrastructure package will go to climate spending and the legal text will include language on additionality.
Balanced outcome—and a big win for both Germany and Europe.
€100bn of the €500bn infrastructure package will go to climate spending and the legal text will include language on additionality.
Balanced outcome—and a big win for both Germany and Europe.
Reposted by John Michaelis
The #Greens seem to have won. CDU and SPD agree to make any investment fund "additional" to current investment.
100 of the 500bn will go into a climate fund. www.rnd.de/politik/live...
100 of the 500bn will go into a climate fund. www.rnd.de/politik/live...
RND exklusiv: Grüne einigen sich mit Schwarz-Rot auf Finanzpaket – 100 Milliarden Euro für Klimaschutz
In den Verhandlungen von Union, SPD und Grünen über das Schuldenpaket haben sich die drei Fraktionen nach RND-Informationen auf einen Kompromiss verständigt. Das dürfte auch die Koalitionsverhandlunge...
www.rnd.de
March 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM
The #Greens seem to have won. CDU and SPD agree to make any investment fund "additional" to current investment.
100 of the 500bn will go into a climate fund. www.rnd.de/politik/live...
100 of the 500bn will go into a climate fund. www.rnd.de/politik/live...
Reposted by John Michaelis
NEW: The NIH has begun terminating grants for active projects studying gender identity, DEI, environmental justice, climate change, among other topics.
At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants
Studies that touch on LGBT+ health, gender identity and DEI in the biomedical workforce could be terminated, according to documents obtained by Nature.
www.nature.com
March 6, 2025 at 2:17 AM
NEW: The NIH has begun terminating grants for active projects studying gender identity, DEI, environmental justice, climate change, among other topics.
At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by John Michaelis
The Clean Industrial Deal proposes a “buy European” policy in areas such public procurement—but this risks alienating partners needed by the EU both for the green transition and in other aspects such as development and security ecfr.eu/article/von-... @ecfr.eu
Von der Leyen needs to be decisive on the EU’s climate action course
The EU could remain a global leader on climate action. But for this to happen, Ursula von der Leyen needs to commit to transparency in green policymaking
ecfr.eu
March 6, 2025 at 6:55 AM
The Clean Industrial Deal proposes a “buy European” policy in areas such public procurement—but this risks alienating partners needed by the EU both for the green transition and in other aspects such as development and security ecfr.eu/article/von-... @ecfr.eu
Reposted by John Michaelis
New research brief out in our PPRN series - one that is quite relevant for current discussions. In the brief, Elsa Massoc documents the strong leeway that governments potentially have for green investments and how they have prioritized other sectors.
politicscentre.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/kiunmf...
politicscentre.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/kiunmf...
March 6, 2025 at 9:30 AM
New research brief out in our PPRN series - one that is quite relevant for current discussions. In the brief, Elsa Massoc documents the strong leeway that governments potentially have for green investments and how they have prioritized other sectors.
politicscentre.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/kiunmf...
politicscentre.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/kiunmf...
Reposted by John Michaelis
Von der Leyen has just announced the Commission's "Rearm Europe" plan. The most important parts target national fiscal space: The Commission will activate the national escape clauses in the fiscal rules and put a new loans-based instrument on the table.
Here is what it means:
Here is what it means:
March 4, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Von der Leyen has just announced the Commission's "Rearm Europe" plan. The most important parts target national fiscal space: The Commission will activate the national escape clauses in the fiscal rules and put a new loans-based instrument on the table.
Here is what it means:
Here is what it means:
The absence of the Greens in this list highlights their irrelevance for most of this election cycle, after being in the 'big leagues' with a real shot at the chancellery during the last election.
Their most important role may be for the CDU: to have an alternative negotiating partner to the SPD.
Their most important role may be for the CDU: to have an alternative negotiating partner to the SPD.
Here is what to watch out for in the 6pm exit polls:
1) does the CDU cross 30% & how large is the gap to the AfD?
2) is there a majority of seats for a CDU-SPD coalition? This is the easiest (but by no means easy) coalition to negotiate.
3) are FDP and BSW in or out?
4) how well does die Linke do?
1) does the CDU cross 30% & how large is the gap to the AfD?
2) is there a majority of seats for a CDU-SPD coalition? This is the easiest (but by no means easy) coalition to negotiate.
3) are FDP and BSW in or out?
4) how well does die Linke do?
February 23, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The absence of the Greens in this list highlights their irrelevance for most of this election cycle, after being in the 'big leagues' with a real shot at the chancellery during the last election.
Their most important role may be for the CDU: to have an alternative negotiating partner to the SPD.
Their most important role may be for the CDU: to have an alternative negotiating partner to the SPD.
It’s a loss. As a St. Pauli fan, I tend to agree with the the notion that by taking the anthem and making it ours, it gave this song its own new meaning in line with the club’s values and ideals.
But an anthem’s raison d‘être is to be unifying. It became a source of division and thus had to go.
But an anthem’s raison d‘être is to be unifying. It became a source of division and thus had to go.
Respect for @fcstpauli.com fans for dealing so cautiously and responsibly with this highly sensitive and emotional issue.
Nazi past discovery leads St. Pauli to suspend fan song – DW – 02/14/2025
Bundesliga side St. Pauli, one of Germany's most politically active football clubs, has decided to suspend the playing of a song in its stadium after it was found to have a troubling past.
www.dw.com
February 16, 2025 at 2:49 PM
It’s a loss. As a St. Pauli fan, I tend to agree with the the notion that by taking the anthem and making it ours, it gave this song its own new meaning in line with the club’s values and ideals.
But an anthem’s raison d‘être is to be unifying. It became a source of division and thus had to go.
But an anthem’s raison d‘être is to be unifying. It became a source of division and thus had to go.
Reposted by John Michaelis
The US government has been turned over to a group of extraordinarily ignorant people, and they are working to destroy science in this country. Cutting over half the NSF budget would save < 0.1% of the federal budget, but do incalculable harm. Simply heartbreaking.
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
White House budget proposal could shatter the National Science Foundation
“This kind of cut would kill American science and boost China.”…
arstechnica.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The US government has been turned over to a group of extraordinarily ignorant people, and they are working to destroy science in this country. Cutting over half the NSF budget would save < 0.1% of the federal budget, but do incalculable harm. Simply heartbreaking.
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Reposted by John Michaelis
German investigators believe that a wave of car vandalism across Germany, initially blamed on radical climate activists, is actually part of a Russian-orchestrated sabotage campaign, according to a Spiegel report published today.
Russia supported sabotage spree in Germany to roil election campaign, report says
A wave of car vandalism, initially blamed on climate activists, is now being linked to Moscow.
www.politico.eu
February 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
German investigators believe that a wave of car vandalism across Germany, initially blamed on radical climate activists, is actually part of a Russian-orchestrated sabotage campaign, according to a Spiegel report published today.
Reposted by John Michaelis
Es reicht eine einzige, simple Logikfrage. Wenn der Vorschlag der CDU geeignet sein soll, die extreme Rechte einzudämmen, warum stimmt die extreme Rechte dann zu und klatscht begeistert?
January 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Es reicht eine einzige, simple Logikfrage. Wenn der Vorschlag der CDU geeignet sein soll, die extreme Rechte einzudämmen, warum stimmt die extreme Rechte dann zu und klatscht begeistert?
Reposted by John Michaelis
The decline in 2018/2019 is in no small measure related to the Diesel scandal.
Good to remember that 2019 was not a particularly great year for the German economy, which shows that many of the issues it faces have little to do with the (very real) 2022 energy shock, that only hit years later.
Good to remember that 2019 was not a particularly great year for the German economy, which shows that many of the issues it faces have little to do with the (very real) 2022 energy shock, that only hit years later.
German decline in exports began 2018, so to name the pandemic may be misleading - or to be more precisely if we compare énd 2019 to end 2024 there is a rise(!) in German exports. Don´t know how COVID is to blame for the decline in 2018-2019.
A critical chart for understanding the world, from my new paper with Brad Setser.
German and Chinese net auto exports before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Brad put it nicely: "Germany never recovered. China never looked back."
The chart also shows....
1/x
German and Chinese net auto exports before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Brad put it nicely: "Germany never recovered. China never looked back."
The chart also shows....
1/x
January 24, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The decline in 2018/2019 is in no small measure related to the Diesel scandal.
Good to remember that 2019 was not a particularly great year for the German economy, which shows that many of the issues it faces have little to do with the (very real) 2022 energy shock, that only hit years later.
Good to remember that 2019 was not a particularly great year for the German economy, which shows that many of the issues it faces have little to do with the (very real) 2022 energy shock, that only hit years later.
Reposted by John Michaelis
New blog! What are EUI SPS department researchers up to? Perhaps of special interest to prospective EUI PhD students. open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
What are the EUI SPS department researchers up to?
Dear prospective EUI PhD students (and probably also current ones), here is the answer to your question what the EUI is known for. I base my answer on all theses ever defended at the EUI SPS.
open.substack.com
January 8, 2025 at 10:00 AM
New blog! What are EUI SPS department researchers up to? Perhaps of special interest to prospective EUI PhD students. open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...