Holger Hestermeyer
@hhesterm.bsky.social
Professor of Int’l & EU Law, Diplomatic Academy Vienna. Past: Prof., founding Director CIGAD at King's College London, specialist adviser House of Lords EU Select Committee, Référendaire CJEU
The withdrawals from the ECT continue.
‼️Commission urges remaining EU member states to withdraw from Energy Charter Treaty, threatens infringement proceedings
👉 to read in @contexte.com today
www.contexte.com/eu/news/ener...
👉 to read in @contexte.com today
www.contexte.com/eu/news/ener...
Scoop — Commission urges remaining EU member states to withdraw from Energy Charter Treaty, threatens infringement proceedings - Contexte
Scoop — Commission urges remaining EU member states to withdraw from Energy Charter Treaty, threatens infringement proceedings - Contexte
www.contexte.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:42 AM
The withdrawals from the ECT continue.
Tesla does not seem to care very much about the safety or life of its customers. It is quite astonishing how it rarely seems to be liable or responsible for anything. The standards of an internet company ("this is just a beta version"), but operating a car. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
US investigates Tesla’s ‘Mad Max’ high-speed driver assistance mode
Some drivers say vehicles using new version of full self-driving system can travel above speed limits
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Tesla does not seem to care very much about the safety or life of its customers. It is quite astonishing how it rarely seems to be liable or responsible for anything. The standards of an internet company ("this is just a beta version"), but operating a car. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
A very readable piece about scholars and the press. I am still not sure whether I agree fully, but I certainly agree enough to have given up on some outlets.
My old pal Pete Coviello — one of the best writers and thinkers I've ever known — wrote the piece of the moment
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:54 AM
A very readable piece about scholars and the press. I am still not sure whether I agree fully, but I certainly agree enough to have given up on some outlets.
The UK needed and needs 10s of thousands of civil servants to manage the red tape Brexit created. Farage‘s rank incompetence might well create many more red tape jobs. And he is still unwilling to learn.
Nigel Farage says Reform would “reduce the size of the bloated state” by seizing Brexit opportunities to deregulate
@jreland.bsky.social points out in @the-independent.com that this creates a dilemma - the more the UK does things differently to the EU, the more work there is for British bureaucrats
@jreland.bsky.social points out in @the-independent.com that this creates a dilemma - the more the UK does things differently to the EU, the more work there is for British bureaucrats
November 8, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The UK needed and needs 10s of thousands of civil servants to manage the red tape Brexit created. Farage‘s rank incompetence might well create many more red tape jobs. And he is still unwilling to learn.
As we remember the discover of the double helix, it is worthwhile to read nature‘s article on Rosalind Franklin www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:40 AM
As we remember the discover of the double helix, it is worthwhile to read nature‘s article on Rosalind Franklin www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The way in which we present who buys Russian oil and gas is irritating. When Germany got its gas from Russia, we all said "Germany". Now, strangely, in statistics it is "the EU". But it is not the EU. The largest buyers are 1) Hungary, 2) Slovakia, 3) France, 4) Belgium. www.russiafossiltracker.com
Russia Fossil Tracker – Payments to Russia for fossil fuels since 24 February 2022
www.russiafossiltracker.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:19 AM
The way in which we present who buys Russian oil and gas is irritating. When Germany got its gas from Russia, we all said "Germany". Now, strangely, in statistics it is "the EU". But it is not the EU. The largest buyers are 1) Hungary, 2) Slovakia, 3) France, 4) Belgium. www.russiafossiltracker.com
The charges originally brought were so outrageous that in the end nothing stuck. Enjoy your sandwich
The former DoJ employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Trump’s law enforcement surge in DC has been found not guilty of assault. wtop.com/dc/2025/11/m...
Man who threw sandwich at federal agent in Washington is found not guilty of assault charge - WTOP News
A former Justice Department employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington was found not guilty of assault.
wtop.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
The charges originally brought were so outrageous that in the end nothing stuck. Enjoy your sandwich
Yes, my friends, it's yet another day in the sandwich case.
“This case, ladies and gentleman of the jury, is about a sandwich.”
Closing arguments from the defense in the DC sandwich guy case are now underway.
Closing arguments from the defense in the DC sandwich guy case are now underway.
November 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Yes, my friends, it's yet another day in the sandwich case.
Hint to advocacy students: if a justice explicitly states that ‘you talk so fast’ it’s time to slow down.
November 6, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Hint to advocacy students: if a justice explicitly states that ‘you talk so fast’ it’s time to slow down.
The tradition that governments tell contradictory stories to the court and to the public continues in the tariff case: the government argued before Scotus that the ieepa tariffs are regulatory, not revenue raising tariffs. To the public, Trump argues the opposite.
November 6, 2025 at 7:11 AM
The tradition that governments tell contradictory stories to the court and to the public continues in the tariff case: the government argued before Scotus that the ieepa tariffs are regulatory, not revenue raising tariffs. To the public, Trump argues the opposite.
The word ‘lead’ when applied to countries has become rather meaningless in political discourse.
November 6, 2025 at 5:54 AM
The word ‘lead’ when applied to countries has become rather meaningless in political discourse.
Reposted by Holger Hestermeyer
And the transcript is here: www.supremecourt.gov/oral_argumen...
www.supremecourt.gov
November 6, 2025 at 12:51 AM
And the transcript is here: www.supremecourt.gov/oral_argumen...
Kudos to the FT for finding someone named Noble to write this.
In related news, the Nobel Committee is awarding a 2026 Ballon d'Or
November 5, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Kudos to the FT for finding someone named Noble to write this.
The Scotus hearing on the Trump tariffs is available here: www.supremecourt.gov/oral_argumen...
Oral Argument - Audio File
www.supremecourt.gov
November 5, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The Scotus hearing on the Trump tariffs is available here: www.supremecourt.gov/oral_argumen...
The sandwich guy trial is… a thing to behold. Was there mustard? Onions? Was the sandwich hurt in the process? How can this be real?
Back for Day 2 of Sandwich Guy’s trial. In government opening statement: “This case is about the fact that you can’t go around throwing stuff at people when you’re mad.”
November 4, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The sandwich guy trial is… a thing to behold. Was there mustard? Onions? Was the sandwich hurt in the process? How can this be real?
The US under Trump is no longer a reliable partner - and the world needs to find solutions fast.
European negotiators were personally targeted by their American counterparts during a brutal negotiation over green shipping rules, European Commission officials told POLITICO.
This highly unusual gambit left diplomats shaken after the meeting.
This highly unusual gambit left diplomats shaken after the meeting.
US accused of threatening EU diplomats during bid to kill green shipping rules
Negotiators at shipping talks in London were told both they and their countries could be punished unless they voted with the U.S.
www.politico.eu
November 4, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The US under Trump is no longer a reliable partner - and the world needs to find solutions fast.
Reposted by Holger Hestermeyer
War Powers Law Does Not Apply to Trump’s Boat Strikes, Administration Says
The stance deepened the idea that a Vietnam-era law, which says congressionally unauthorized deployments into “hostilities” must end after 60 days, does not apply to airstrike campaigns.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
The stance deepened the idea that a Vietnam-era law, which says congressionally unauthorized deployments into “hostilities” must end after 60 days, does not apply to airstrike campaigns.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
War Powers Law Does Not Apply to Trump’s Boat Strikes, Administration Says
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:37 AM
War Powers Law Does Not Apply to Trump’s Boat Strikes, Administration Says
The stance deepened the idea that a Vietnam-era law, which says congressionally unauthorized deployments into “hostilities” must end after 60 days, does not apply to airstrike campaigns.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
The stance deepened the idea that a Vietnam-era law, which says congressionally unauthorized deployments into “hostilities” must end after 60 days, does not apply to airstrike campaigns.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
fascinating - people still don’t know how tariffs work or worse - deny their own experience. Tagesschau reports about this US entrepreneur who thinks that tariffs are a good idea on paper to help Trump lower (!) prices, while in his business he passed the higher costs through tariffs on to customers
November 2, 2025 at 1:01 PM
fascinating - people still don’t know how tariffs work or worse - deny their own experience. Tagesschau reports about this US entrepreneur who thinks that tariffs are a good idea on paper to help Trump lower (!) prices, while in his business he passed the higher costs through tariffs on to customers
Reposted by Holger Hestermeyer
Confirmed: In the White House fact sheet on China trade deal:
"China will take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world."
"China will take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world."
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strikes Deal on Economic and Trade Relations with China
REBALANCING TRADE WITH CHINA: This week in the Republic of Korea, President Donald J. Trump reached a trade and economic deal with President Xi Jinping of
www.whitehouse.gov
November 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Confirmed: In the White House fact sheet on China trade deal:
"China will take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world."
"China will take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world."
UK laws and traditions continue to be both rigid and flexible at the same time. Until yesterday I have read numerous times that the title prince could not be removed, as that denotes the son of a queen/king. And then - just like that - it was removed by the King.
October 31, 2025 at 9:05 AM
UK laws and traditions continue to be both rigid and flexible at the same time. Until yesterday I have read numerous times that the title prince could not be removed, as that denotes the son of a queen/king. And then - just like that - it was removed by the King.
Great, so… what evidentiary value does US government disinformation have in US Court?
Texas sues Tylenol makers J&J and Kenvue, claiming they hid drug's autism risks reut.rs/4oHgGuL
Texas sues Tylenol makers J&J and Kenvue, claiming they hid drug's autism risks
The makers of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue , were sued on Tuesday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of knowingly hiding the drug's supposed links to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
reut.rs
October 28, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Great, so… what evidentiary value does US government disinformation have in US Court?
Musk's new AIcopedia illustrates the risks AI poses to humanity.
1) AI can halucinate. Yet he uses it to "factcheck".
2) Wikipedia was not built to have a bias (though some articles might have one). His thing is built to have a bias. Which risks to put bias over facts.
1) AI can halucinate. Yet he uses it to "factcheck".
2) Wikipedia was not built to have a bias (though some articles might have one). His thing is built to have a bias. Which risks to put bias over facts.
October 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Musk's new AIcopedia illustrates the risks AI poses to humanity.
1) AI can halucinate. Yet he uses it to "factcheck".
2) Wikipedia was not built to have a bias (though some articles might have one). His thing is built to have a bias. Which risks to put bias over facts.
1) AI can halucinate. Yet he uses it to "factcheck".
2) Wikipedia was not built to have a bias (though some articles might have one). His thing is built to have a bias. Which risks to put bias over facts.
Call his bluff and challenge Trump to a public cognitive test on TV @aoc.bsky.social
Trump: "They have Jasmine Crockett -- a low IQ person. AOC is low IQ. Have her pass the exams I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed. They're cognitive tests. Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump. The first couple questions are easy -- a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe ... "
October 28, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Call his bluff and challenge Trump to a public cognitive test on TV @aoc.bsky.social
The 2025 rule of law index reflects the ongoing destruction of legal systems
October 28, 2025 at 6:13 AM
The 2025 rule of law index reflects the ongoing destruction of legal systems
Many excellent amicus briefs in the Scotus tariff cases. Do they attest to the belief the system still works - or is it because no matter how small the hope scotus will do the right thing it’s still hope? Let me highlight some
October 26, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Many excellent amicus briefs in the Scotus tariff cases. Do they attest to the belief the system still works - or is it because no matter how small the hope scotus will do the right thing it’s still hope? Let me highlight some