Mark Furness
@mfurness.bsky.social
Researcher on European foreign and development policy & the MENA region, German IDOS Institute. Posts reflect own views.
The BBC World Service Newshour programme last night had the same angle on this. I had trouble sleeping afterwards. The angle should be 'Marine Le Pen guilty of massive fraud at European Parliament'. The FN's reaction is to attack the justice system, the classic fascist playbook.
Why give front page prominence to such lies and propaganda?
The UK press always seems to run with the far-rights views as most prominent.
Why not “Le Pen in denial, seeks to spin her conviction”?
The UK press always seems to run with the far-rights views as most prominent.
Why not “Le Pen in denial, seeks to spin her conviction”?
April 1, 2025 at 8:40 AM
The BBC World Service Newshour programme last night had the same angle on this. I had trouble sleeping afterwards. The angle should be 'Marine Le Pen guilty of massive fraud at European Parliament'. The FN's reaction is to attack the justice system, the classic fascist playbook.
Looks like the unfinished coalition negotiations on German foreign, security and development policy have been leaked to Politico: www.politico.eu/wp-content/u...
www.politico.eu
March 26, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Looks like the unfinished coalition negotiations on German foreign, security and development policy have been leaked to Politico: www.politico.eu/wp-content/u...
Musk is a total hypocrite, and this is probably one of the last critical stories about him that we will see in the Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding
Government infusions at key moments helped Tesla and SpaceX flourish, boosting Musk’s wealth.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Musk is a total hypocrite, and this is probably one of the last critical stories about him that we will see in the Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
This has to be seen to be believed. The only explanation I can think of is that Trump has foolishly shared something subversive made by someone who is taking the piss news.sky.com/story/trump-...
Trump shares AI video of Gaza vision featuring golden statues, bearded belly dancers and Netanyahu on a sunbed
The footage, which the 78-year-old shared without comment, shows the war-ravaged territory transformed into a Middle Eastern paradise with exotic beaches, Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxury yachts and pe...
news.sky.com
February 26, 2025 at 9:56 AM
This has to be seen to be believed. The only explanation I can think of is that Trump has foolishly shared something subversive made by someone who is taking the piss news.sky.com/story/trump-...
Cutting foreign aid won't fund the kinds of defence spending increases that are being talked about, but it will make conflict more likely. Development policy is security policy.
UK defence spending to rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 with aid budget slashed to help fund move - UK politics live
Keir Starmer says now is the time to deepen European security, as he announces move in the Commons
www.theguardian.com
February 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Cutting foreign aid won't fund the kinds of defence spending increases that are being talked about, but it will make conflict more likely. Development policy is security policy.
If they're going to cancel the Gulf of Mexico then they really need to name it after themselves
February 20, 2025 at 9:52 AM
If they're going to cancel the Gulf of Mexico then they really need to name it after themselves
Basically, Trump wants to plunder the Western part of Ukraine while Putin plunders the Eastern part.
Trump’s plan to extract $500B From Ukraine is even harsher than the financial sanctions imposed on Germany and Japan following their defeat in the Second World War.
It's an international protection racket: he'll only protect countries if they become his economic slave for perpetuity.
It's an international protection racket: he'll only protect countries if they become his economic slave for perpetuity.
Trump’s Plan To Extract $500B From Ukraine Is Worse Than German War Reparations After WW-II: Reports
The text of the draft contract offered by US President Donald Trump to Kyiv would turn Ukraine into an economic colony for Washington for years to come and goes far beyond the US control of the countr...
www.eurasiantimes.com
February 19, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Basically, Trump wants to plunder the Western part of Ukraine while Putin plunders the Eastern part.
EU High Representative Kallas is ready to step up EU aid to partially compensate for USAID's absence. The EU can't do everything of course, so aid will be spent where geopolitical influence can be won, and where the EU is most visible.
www.deutschlandfunk.de/eu-aussenbea...
www.deutschlandfunk.de/eu-aussenbea...
Ausbau von geopolitischem Einfluss - EU-Außenbeauftragte Kallas kündigt neuen Kurs bei Entwicklungshilfe an
Die EU will wegfallende Entwicklungshilfezahlungen der USA nur unter Bedingungen und in ausgewählten Fällen kompensieren.
www.deutschlandfunk.de
February 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
EU High Representative Kallas is ready to step up EU aid to partially compensate for USAID's absence. The EU can't do everything of course, so aid will be spent where geopolitical influence can be won, and where the EU is most visible.
www.deutschlandfunk.de/eu-aussenbea...
www.deutschlandfunk.de/eu-aussenbea...
Reposted by Mark Furness
In @table.media Briefings erklärt IDOS-Experte @stephanklingebiel.bsky.social, wie aktuelle entwicklungspolitische Debatten in Deutschland durch die Politik der #Trump-Administration beeinflusst werden & welchen Auftrieb populistische Strömungen dadurch erhalten könnten ➡️ table.media/africa/stand...
February 7, 2025 at 9:52 AM
In @table.media Briefings erklärt IDOS-Experte @stephanklingebiel.bsky.social, wie aktuelle entwicklungspolitische Debatten in Deutschland durch die Politik der #Trump-Administration beeinflusst werden & welchen Auftrieb populistische Strömungen dadurch erhalten könnten ➡️ table.media/africa/stand...
I wrote this @idos-research.bsky.social column before Elon Musk's illegal, corrupt, ideologically bankrupt and fundamentally stupid shut down of USAID. It is even more relevant now for Germany to maintain and strengthen its development aid programme.
www.idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
www.idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
International development cooperation is in Germany’s national interest
Germany’s international cooperation is as important for its own continued development, as it is for the countries where Germany invests public money.
www.idos-research.de
February 7, 2025 at 9:52 AM
I wrote this @idos-research.bsky.social column before Elon Musk's illegal, corrupt, ideologically bankrupt and fundamentally stupid shut down of USAID. It is even more relevant now for Germany to maintain and strengthen its development aid programme.
www.idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
www.idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
Reposted by Mark Furness
Die #Bundestagswahl2025 rückt näher, und die Debatte um #Entwicklungshilfe spitzt sich zu. @mfurness.bsky.social betont: #InternationaleEntwicklungszusammenarbeit dient nicht nur globalen Zielen, sondern auch nationalen Interessen: www.idos-research.de/die-aktuelle... #DieAktuelleKolumne #BTW2025
January 27, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Die #Bundestagswahl2025 rückt näher, und die Debatte um #Entwicklungshilfe spitzt sich zu. @mfurness.bsky.social betont: #InternationaleEntwicklungszusammenarbeit dient nicht nur globalen Zielen, sondern auch nationalen Interessen: www.idos-research.de/die-aktuelle... #DieAktuelleKolumne #BTW2025
This is really sad news. Rafaella Iodice was one of the smartest and most insightful people I ever had the priviledge of meeting. amu.tv/147052/
Raffaella Iodice, former EU chargée d’affaires to Afghanistan, passes away | Amu TV
Iodice served as the EU’s Deputy Head of Delegation in Kabul from June 2022.
amu.tv
January 9, 2025 at 6:56 AM
This is really sad news. Rafaella Iodice was one of the smartest and most insightful people I ever had the priviledge of meeting. amu.tv/147052/
Reposted by Mark Furness
Managing Change in #Syria
- IDOS expert Musallam Abedtalas argues that international actors like the #EU must proceed cautiously to guide Syria toward an inclusive state without imposing foreign solutions. He outlines key actions for international intervention: blogs.idos-research.de/2024/12/19/m...
- IDOS expert Musallam Abedtalas argues that international actors like the #EU must proceed cautiously to guide Syria toward an inclusive state without imposing foreign solutions. He outlines key actions for international intervention: blogs.idos-research.de/2024/12/19/m...
January 8, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Managing Change in #Syria
- IDOS expert Musallam Abedtalas argues that international actors like the #EU must proceed cautiously to guide Syria toward an inclusive state without imposing foreign solutions. He outlines key actions for international intervention: blogs.idos-research.de/2024/12/19/m...
- IDOS expert Musallam Abedtalas argues that international actors like the #EU must proceed cautiously to guide Syria toward an inclusive state without imposing foreign solutions. He outlines key actions for international intervention: blogs.idos-research.de/2024/12/19/m...
Looks like al-Jolani might have read our World Development Special Issue on the social contract in MENA countries
english.almayadeen.net/news/politic...
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
english.almayadeen.net/news/politic...
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
World Development | Framing the emergence of new social contracts in Middle East and North African countries - Markus (Loewe) | ScienceDirect.com by ElsevierScienceDirect
The concept of the social contract is a powerful tool for the analysis of state-society relations and can, in particular, help us understand recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa (ME...
www.sciencedirect.com
December 18, 2024 at 7:44 AM
Looks like al-Jolani might have read our World Development Special Issue on the social contract in MENA countries
english.almayadeen.net/news/politic...
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
english.almayadeen.net/news/politic...
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
Reposted by Mark Furness
📚 #TheCurrentColumn
Zero hour in Damascus: What role can the international community play in #Syria’s new beginning? IDOS experts Tina Zintl and Markus Loewe call on international actors to provide #HumanitarianAid for the population as quickly as possible: idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
Zero hour in Damascus: What role can the international community play in #Syria’s new beginning? IDOS experts Tina Zintl and Markus Loewe call on international actors to provide #HumanitarianAid for the population as quickly as possible: idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
December 16, 2024 at 8:00 AM
📚 #TheCurrentColumn
Zero hour in Damascus: What role can the international community play in #Syria’s new beginning? IDOS experts Tina Zintl and Markus Loewe call on international actors to provide #HumanitarianAid for the population as quickly as possible: idos-research.de/en/the-curre...
Zero hour in Damascus: What role can the international community play in #Syria’s new beginning? IDOS experts Tina Zintl and Markus Loewe call on international actors to provide #HumanitarianAid for the population as quickly as possible: idos-research.de/en/the-curre...