Martin Gelin
@martingelin.bsky.social
American in Paris, formerly a Swede in New York.
I write for The Guardian, Washington Post & Dagens Nyheter.
New book on soft power Wildfire/Hachette 2026.
https://linktr.ee/martingelin
I write for The Guardian, Washington Post & Dagens Nyheter.
New book on soft power Wildfire/Hachette 2026.
https://linktr.ee/martingelin
Reposted by Martin Gelin
All I see on my Twitter timeline are reporters parsing every quote from AOC in Germany, trying to mock them for incoherence or inaccuracy, while a demented old man who can’t string sentences together or stay awake sits in the Oval, while the legacy media happily sanewashes his quotes.
February 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM
All I see on my Twitter timeline are reporters parsing every quote from AOC in Germany, trying to mock them for incoherence or inaccuracy, while a demented old man who can’t string sentences together or stay awake sits in the Oval, while the legacy media happily sanewashes his quotes.
Reposted by Martin Gelin
Canada is now the first non-European country to be granted a membership in SAFE. This is a gamechanger program that means Canada can rearm our Canadian Armed Forces members more effectively and scale up our defence industries with more contracts overseas.
February 16, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Canada is now the first non-European country to be granted a membership in SAFE. This is a gamechanger program that means Canada can rearm our Canadian Armed Forces members more effectively and scale up our defence industries with more contracts overseas.
Thanks to Institut suédois for hosting this talk on soft power and my new book, with Eva Nguyen Binh, Gallagher Fenwick and Madeleine Sjöstedt.
No coincidence that both institutes were founded after world wars. Dangerous to forget that soft power and cultural diplomacy are peacekeeping measures.
No coincidence that both institutes were founded after world wars. Dangerous to forget that soft power and cultural diplomacy are peacekeeping measures.
February 16, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Thanks to Institut suédois for hosting this talk on soft power and my new book, with Eva Nguyen Binh, Gallagher Fenwick and Madeleine Sjöstedt.
No coincidence that both institutes were founded after world wars. Dangerous to forget that soft power and cultural diplomacy are peacekeeping measures.
No coincidence that both institutes were founded after world wars. Dangerous to forget that soft power and cultural diplomacy are peacekeeping measures.
Unbelievable that naive European governments are still praising Rubio. The Trump administration wants to destroy Europe. This is their primary foreign policy objecitve, the pre-condition for the world order they want to see.
And European nationalists cheer them on.
And European nationalists cheer them on.
February 15, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Unbelievable that naive European governments are still praising Rubio. The Trump administration wants to destroy Europe. This is their primary foreign policy objecitve, the pre-condition for the world order they want to see.
And European nationalists cheer them on.
And European nationalists cheer them on.
Shoutout to the Very Serious Foreign Affairs Experts who told us that Rubio would be a moderate force in the new Trump adm
He skipped the Ukraine meeting in order to be able to travel to Budapest to see Viktor Orban.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich
US secretary of state cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official calls ‘insane’
giftarticle.ft.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Shoutout to the Very Serious Foreign Affairs Experts who told us that Rubio would be a moderate force in the new Trump adm
Cab driver in Helsinki a Bangladeshi PhD recently deported from Sweden. Wife went to medical school, both graduated from great universities, but were thrown out by the new income requirements for migrants. The smartest people in the world dream of moving to Europe, perhaps we should let them.
February 14, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Cab driver in Helsinki a Bangladeshi PhD recently deported from Sweden. Wife went to medical school, both graduated from great universities, but were thrown out by the new income requirements for migrants. The smartest people in the world dream of moving to Europe, perhaps we should let them.
February 13, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Skriver för @journalisten.se om slakten av Washington Post:
När den amerikanska demokratin började utmanas av Trump införde Washington Post en ny paroll: “Democracy dies in darkness”.
För Jeff Bezos och de ljusskygga klepotkrater som nu samarbetar med Trump är detta ett löfte snarare än ett hot.
När den amerikanska demokratin började utmanas av Trump införde Washington Post en ny paroll: “Democracy dies in darkness”.
För Jeff Bezos och de ljusskygga klepotkrater som nu samarbetar med Trump är detta ett löfte snarare än ett hot.
”Blodbadet är ingen olyckshändelse – att gå maktens ärenden är döden för en seriös tidning” - Journalisten
I början av februari blev det klart att Washington Post genomför den största bantningen av en tidningsredaktion i USA:s moderna historia. Därmed har...
www.journalisten.se
February 12, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Skriver för @journalisten.se om slakten av Washington Post:
När den amerikanska demokratin började utmanas av Trump införde Washington Post en ny paroll: “Democracy dies in darkness”.
För Jeff Bezos och de ljusskygga klepotkrater som nu samarbetar med Trump är detta ett löfte snarare än ett hot.
När den amerikanska demokratin började utmanas av Trump införde Washington Post en ny paroll: “Democracy dies in darkness”.
För Jeff Bezos och de ljusskygga klepotkrater som nu samarbetar med Trump är detta ett löfte snarare än ett hot.
Reposted by Martin Gelin
She spent the whole morning performatively screaming at Congressmen, but this image of Bondi saying nothing and refusing to turn around will be the only real takeaway from her testimony today.
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
February 11, 2026 at 6:31 PM
She spent the whole morning performatively screaming at Congressmen, but this image of Bondi saying nothing and refusing to turn around will be the only real takeaway from her testimony today.
Reposted by Martin Gelin
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Trump Has Lost The Culture
And his greediest collaborators are awakening to the fact that they made a terrible bet.
www.offmessage.net
February 10, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Så här ser New York faktiskt ut: Skriver i Bon om Daniel Arnolds gatufotografier från min gamla hemstad.
www.bon.se/martin-gelin...
www.bon.se/martin-gelin...
Martin Gelin: Så här ser New York faktiskt ut
Daniel Arnolds gatufotografier från Manhattan präglas av en osentimental empati som fångar stadens själva hjärta.
www.bon.se
February 10, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Så här ser New York faktiskt ut: Skriver i Bon om Daniel Arnolds gatufotografier från min gamla hemstad.
www.bon.se/martin-gelin...
www.bon.se/martin-gelin...
Reposted by Martin Gelin
Intressant artikel i ETC om gulfens ökande inflytande i konstvärlden där jag fick prata om de strategiska ambitionerna bakom investeringarna i Saudi och Qatar. Tycker inte svenska museer ska bojkotta de här konstmässorna men de måste bli mindre naiva i förståelsen för varför länderna bjuder dit dem.
Qatarisk prinsessa bjöd Moderna museet-chefen på lyxresa till Doha
Vet inte vad resan kostade • ”Jag tror på den fria konsten i hela världen” • Jämför med en resa till Danmark.
www.etc.se
February 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Intressant artikel i ETC om gulfens ökande inflytande i konstvärlden där jag fick prata om de strategiska ambitionerna bakom investeringarna i Saudi och Qatar. Tycker inte svenska museer ska bojkotta de här konstmässorna men de måste bli mindre naiva i förståelsen för varför länderna bjuder dit dem.
Intressant artikel i ETC om gulfens ökande inflytande i konstvärlden där jag fick prata om de strategiska ambitionerna bakom investeringarna i Saudi och Qatar. Tycker inte svenska museer ska bojkotta de här konstmässorna men de måste bli mindre naiva i förståelsen för varför länderna bjuder dit dem.
Qatarisk prinsessa bjöd Moderna museet-chefen på lyxresa till Doha
Vet inte vad resan kostade • ”Jag tror på den fria konsten i hela världen” • Jämför med en resa till Danmark.
www.etc.se
February 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Intressant artikel i ETC om gulfens ökande inflytande i konstvärlden där jag fick prata om de strategiska ambitionerna bakom investeringarna i Saudi och Qatar. Tycker inte svenska museer ska bojkotta de här konstmässorna men de måste bli mindre naiva i förståelsen för varför länderna bjuder dit dem.
Reposted by Martin Gelin
Some really striking numbers in this new survey showing the flip in European public opinion about America.
But bear in mind this is only Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, it has been harder to take the blinders off peoples' eyes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
But bear in mind this is only Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, it has been harder to take the blinders off peoples' eyes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Some really striking numbers in this new survey showing the flip in European public opinion about America.
But bear in mind this is only Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, it has been harder to take the blinders off peoples' eyes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
But bear in mind this is only Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, it has been harder to take the blinders off peoples' eyes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Reposted by Martin Gelin
I think it's best for everyone to understand that the unified class project of billionaires right now is to do to white collar workers what globalization and neoliberalism did to blue collar workers.
February 4, 2026 at 7:41 PM
I think it's best for everyone to understand that the unified class project of billionaires right now is to do to white collar workers what globalization and neoliberalism did to blue collar workers.
Viktigt gräv av @lisarostlund.bsky.social och Der Spiegel @spiegel.de. Svenska EU-politiker samarbetade med Heritage i Washington för att försvaga europeisk klimatpolitik, med argument om att det är “woke” med grön omställning. Trumpismen tränger sig in i EU.
www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/aJ...
www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/aJ...
Täta USA-kontakter – innan EU:s klimatregler försvagades
Trump vill att EU:s klimatregler slopas. Nu har minskade krav på bolag drivits igenom, under ledning av EU-parlamentarikern Jörgen Warborn (M). Tillsammans med
www.aftonbladet.se
February 5, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Viktigt gräv av @lisarostlund.bsky.social och Der Spiegel @spiegel.de. Svenska EU-politiker samarbetade med Heritage i Washington för att försvaga europeisk klimatpolitik, med argument om att det är “woke” med grön omställning. Trumpismen tränger sig in i EU.
www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/aJ...
www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/aJ...
Also Twitter.
The owners of WaPo and CBS are willing to burn money on those acquisitions because they hope to recoup that money, and more, by killing democracy.
Breaking character: The changes at WaPo and CBS are not ones that make economic sense. They're about hating liberals, they're about some media higher-ups hating their mostly liberal audience. It's that simple.
February 4, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Also Twitter.
Karin Petterssons “Förbannelsen” är något så sällsynt som en bok som både är strålande intelligent och kul att läsa, och det säger jag inte bara för att vi är polare.
Onsdag den 11 februari har vi lunchsamtal om mjuk makt och 1990-talets kulturella arv, på Gamla stans bokhandel. @karinp.bsky.social
Onsdag den 11 februari har vi lunchsamtal om mjuk makt och 1990-talets kulturella arv, på Gamla stans bokhandel. @karinp.bsky.social
Författarsamtal: Martin Gelin och Karin Pettersson om Mjuk makt
Onsdagen 11 februari kl.12.00 Lunchsamtal USA:s globala inflytande har länge vilat på mer än militär och ekonomi. Kultur, idéer, värderingar – den så kallade mjuka makten – har varit avgörande för vär...
gamlastansbokhandel.se
February 4, 2026 at 8:34 AM
Karin Petterssons “Förbannelsen” är något så sällsynt som en bok som både är strålande intelligent och kul att läsa, och det säger jag inte bara för att vi är polare.
Onsdag den 11 februari har vi lunchsamtal om mjuk makt och 1990-talets kulturella arv, på Gamla stans bokhandel. @karinp.bsky.social
Onsdag den 11 februari har vi lunchsamtal om mjuk makt och 1990-talets kulturella arv, på Gamla stans bokhandel. @karinp.bsky.social
Reposted by Martin Gelin
Peter Thiel has been open about this for a long time. Trump is a way to break the republic, which can then be replaced by “free economic zones” with oligarchs as dictators and tech as a taskmaster for helpless humans without any rights. (1/2)
Definitely seems like they destroyed the country on purpose.
February 2, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Peter Thiel has been open about this for a long time. Trump is a way to break the republic, which can then be replaced by “free economic zones” with oligarchs as dictators and tech as a taskmaster for helpless humans without any rights. (1/2)
Reposted by Martin Gelin
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this winter is Rana Dasgupta’s After Nations, so I’m thrilled to host this discussion at the American Library in Paris, where we'll talk about the history of nation states and the challenges to liberal democracy.
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
February 2, 2026 at 9:45 AM
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this winter is Rana Dasgupta’s After Nations, so I’m thrilled to host this discussion at the American Library in Paris, where we'll talk about the history of nation states and the challenges to liberal democracy.
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this winter is Rana Dasgupta’s After Nations, so I’m thrilled to host this discussion at the American Library in Paris, where we'll talk about the history of nation states and the challenges to liberal democracy.
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
February 2, 2026 at 9:45 AM
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this winter is Rana Dasgupta’s After Nations, so I’m thrilled to host this discussion at the American Library in Paris, where we'll talk about the history of nation states and the challenges to liberal democracy.
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
americanlibraryinparis.org/event/dasgup...
Piketty makes the controversial and accurate argument that Europe is, in fact, pretty good at things
www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/a...
www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/a...
Thomas Piketty: 'European countries have achieved unprecedented levels of prosperity and social well-being'
COLUMN. To win the cultural and intellectual battle, Europe must staunchly defend its model, writes the economist in his column, dismantling the narrative of a 'declining' continent.
www.lemonde.fr
February 1, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Piketty makes the controversial and accurate argument that Europe is, in fact, pretty good at things
www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/a...
www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/a...
Reposted by Martin Gelin
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... „Rightwing billionaires …have established a pervasive grip over both traditional and online media, effectively curtailing the public’s freedom of speech in ways that are often invisible, hence all the more insidious.“
What the US TikTok takeover is already revealing about new forms of censorship | Paolo Gerbaudo
It’s not what we can or cannot say that matters – rather, it’s whether what we say can get any visibility at all under the US-specific algorithm, says academic Paolo Gerbaudo
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:33 AM
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... „Rightwing billionaires …have established a pervasive grip over both traditional and online media, effectively curtailing the public’s freedom of speech in ways that are often invisible, hence all the more insidious.“
Bra och nyanserad diskussion i SVT om den globala militära upprustningen, om diplomatins fortsatta roll och den mjuka makten i en hård värld, där jag fick flika in några rader om Ukraina, Danmark och Sydkorea. (23 minuter in, men hela inslaget värt att se).
www.svtplay.se/video/8myqvV...
www.svtplay.se/video/8myqvV...
Utrikesbyrån – Alla rustar upp
Rekordsummor går till försvar och militär verksamhet världen över. Men vad innebär egentligen upprustningen för Sverige? Finns det plats även för satsningar på diplomati och mjuk makt? Medverkar gör M...
www.svtplay.se
January 28, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Bra och nyanserad diskussion i SVT om den globala militära upprustningen, om diplomatins fortsatta roll och den mjuka makten i en hård värld, där jag fick flika in några rader om Ukraina, Danmark och Sydkorea. (23 minuter in, men hela inslaget värt att se).
www.svtplay.se/video/8myqvV...
www.svtplay.se/video/8myqvV...