Wester van Gaal
@westervangaal.bsky.social
Journalist @euobs in Brussels - EU politics, climate, green finance, industrial policy. Formerly @vice @decorrespondent
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
I don’t think the Rutte “daddy strategy” worked
November 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM
I don’t think the Rutte “daddy strategy” worked
"Last month Europe failed to agree on a plan to seize €140bn Russian assets for Ukraine. Under Trump’s plan that money would fall under US control which will profit from it. EU leaders are paying a bitter price for their failure to seize the initiative, an indictment of their short-sightedness."
The 28-point proposal being hawked around by America is so poorly put together, so vague, unbalanced and impractical that, in a more normal world, it would never have seen the light of day
Donald Trump’s peace plan would be bad for Ukraine, Europe and America
It is a sad mix of naked opportunism and strategic myopia
econ.st
November 22, 2025 at 3:59 PM
"Last month Europe failed to agree on a plan to seize €140bn Russian assets for Ukraine. Under Trump’s plan that money would fall under US control which will profit from it. EU leaders are paying a bitter price for their failure to seize the initiative, an indictment of their short-sightedness."
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
on.ft.com/3XceXC8 Trump’s grab for Russian frozen assets puts EU Ukraine loan in doubt: ‘“It’s like a 1990s style mafia deal,” said Orysia Lutsevich, head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House.’
Trump’s grab for Russian frozen assets puts EU Ukraine loan in doubt
[FREE TO READ] Brussels blindsided by US plan for joint investment funds with Moscow and Kyiv
on.ft.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:51 AM
on.ft.com/3XceXC8 Trump’s grab for Russian frozen assets puts EU Ukraine loan in doubt: ‘“It’s like a 1990s style mafia deal,” said Orysia Lutsevich, head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House.’
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Fully agree with my paper's editorial on Trump. Ukraine needs Europe to stop flattering Trump the conman and take a clear stand for its own survival and values. www.ft.com/content/8ccf...
Trump’s world view: cynical, self-interested and money-grabbing
Latest Ukraine peace plan presented by the US would be a capitulation to Moscow
www.ft.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Fully agree with my paper's editorial on Trump. Ukraine needs Europe to stop flattering Trump the conman and take a clear stand for its own survival and values. www.ft.com/content/8ccf...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
The Netherlands talks a big game about tech sovereignty, but is now about to allow the domestic cloud provider that underpins its national digital identity system and several other critical government services to be sold off to a new American owner.
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Zorgen in de Tweede Kamer over Amerikaanse overname van DigiD-partner
Het van oorsprong Nederlandse cloud-bedrijf Solvinity komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen.
nos.nl
November 21, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The Netherlands talks a big game about tech sovereignty, but is now about to allow the domestic cloud provider that underpins its national digital identity system and several other critical government services to be sold off to a new American owner.
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Literally: “$100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine.”
The corruption of these disgusting criminals is boundless.
The corruption of these disgusting criminals is boundless.
Point 14 shows just how much Trump considers himself to be the "President of Europe" right now (as he put it).
According to the 🇷🇺🇺🇸 "peace plan", 🇪🇺 would give the €210bn frozen Russian assets (plus €100 extra!) to the US, which would invest it in 🇺🇦 and receive the profits.
According to the 🇷🇺🇺🇸 "peace plan", 🇪🇺 would give the €210bn frozen Russian assets (plus €100 extra!) to the US, which would invest it in 🇺🇦 and receive the profits.
Trump administration's 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan presented to Zelenskyy
The plan, which is still a draft and could change, was presented in Kyiv earlier Thursday.
abcnews.go.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Literally: “$100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine.”
The corruption of these disgusting criminals is boundless.
The corruption of these disgusting criminals is boundless.
V interesting. Eddie of ‘chokepoints’ fame basically saying the EU can only make a dent geoeconomically if it embraces its regulatory power (‘Brussels effect’ — haven’t heard that for a while in BXL).
“If europe wants to play a serious role it needs enforcement at the union level.” This irt GDPR. 👍
“If europe wants to play a serious role it needs enforcement at the union level.” This irt GDPR. 👍
Was chuffed to join an all-star roster for a chat on "China’s Hidden Chokeholds & Global Implications"
I brought the view from EU - thanks to the great Lizzi Lee for having me. Fantastic insights from Eddie Fishman (author of Chokepoints), Paul Triolo & Cory Combs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-53...
I brought the view from EU - thanks to the great Lizzi Lee for having me. Fantastic insights from Eddie Fishman (author of Chokepoints), Paul Triolo & Cory Combs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-53...
Rare Earths Are Just One of Them: China’s Hidden Chokeholds and Their Global Implications
YouTube video by Asia Society
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:11 AM
V interesting. Eddie of ‘chokepoints’ fame basically saying the EU can only make a dent geoeconomically if it embraces its regulatory power (‘Brussels effect’ — haven’t heard that for a while in BXL).
“If europe wants to play a serious role it needs enforcement at the union level.” This irt GDPR. 👍
“If europe wants to play a serious role it needs enforcement at the union level.” This irt GDPR. 👍
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Te groeien of niet te groeien, dat lijkt de vraag in het klimaatdebat. Moeten we streven naar een wereld van overvloed of moeten we genoegen nemen met minder? Twee denkbeelden botsen in de strijd om de toekomst. www.groene.nl/artikel/meer...
In het debat over ‘groene groei’ staan de overvloed-optimisten tegenover de eco-idealisten
Te groeien of niet te groeien, dat lijkt de vraag in het klimaatdebat. Moeten we streven naar een wereld van overvloed of moeten we genoegen nemen met minder? Twee denkbeelden botsen in de strijd om d...
www.groene.nl
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Te groeien of niet te groeien, dat lijkt de vraag in het klimaatdebat. Moeten we streven naar een wereld van overvloed of moeten we genoegen nemen met minder? Twee denkbeelden botsen in de strijd om de toekomst. www.groene.nl/artikel/meer...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
"We have a 2000s housing bubble level of financial engineering on top of a 1920s level of private unregulated lending on top of something bigger than a 1990s internet (or 1870s railroad) level of technology and infrastructure build-out." prospect.org/2025/11/19/a...
The AI Bubble Is Bigger Than You Think - The American Prospect
It’s not just OpenAI that looks overhyped. There’s a whole mountain of sketchy financial engineering underneath.
prospect.org
November 19, 2025 at 5:03 PM
"We have a 2000s housing bubble level of financial engineering on top of a 1920s level of private unregulated lending on top of something bigger than a 1990s internet (or 1870s railroad) level of technology and infrastructure build-out." prospect.org/2025/11/19/a...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
The report, pieced together over three years by 142 researchers, shows Europe has become one of Beijing’s preferred destinations for acquisition in strategic sectors such as batteries, grids and chips.
China put €138bn into EU critical sectors, new report reveals
The report, pieced together over three years by 142 researchers, shows Europe has become one of Beijing’s preferred destinations for acquisition in strategic sectors such as batteries, grids and chips.
euobserver.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
The report, pieced together over three years by 142 researchers, shows Europe has become one of Beijing’s preferred destinations for acquisition in strategic sectors such as batteries, grids and chips.
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
This piece of printed silk was once used as currency 💶
From my grandfather’s/great-grandfather’s ‘Notgeld’ collection - a type of emergency money issued by German cities during the inflation years.
Most were made of paper, but this silk note was printed in 1921 in Bielefeld, a major textile city ✨
From my grandfather’s/great-grandfather’s ‘Notgeld’ collection - a type of emergency money issued by German cities during the inflation years.
Most were made of paper, but this silk note was printed in 1921 in Bielefeld, a major textile city ✨
November 17, 2025 at 9:54 PM
This piece of printed silk was once used as currency 💶
From my grandfather’s/great-grandfather’s ‘Notgeld’ collection - a type of emergency money issued by German cities during the inflation years.
Most were made of paper, but this silk note was printed in 1921 in Bielefeld, a major textile city ✨
From my grandfather’s/great-grandfather’s ‘Notgeld’ collection - a type of emergency money issued by German cities during the inflation years.
Most were made of paper, but this silk note was printed in 1921 in Bielefeld, a major textile city ✨
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
A shutdown of the AMOC, a crucial system of ocean currents, “cannot be considered a low likelihood risk anymore in view of the evolving science over the past years,” explains PIK scientist @rahmstorf.bsky.social via CNN.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
A crucial system of ocean currents may be on course to collapse. This country just declared it a national security threat | CNN
Without warm currents from the South Atlantic, Iceland would be much icier and stormier. Now, those currents are at risk of collapse and the country is preparing for this “existential threat.”
edition.cnn.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
A shutdown of the AMOC, a crucial system of ocean currents, “cannot be considered a low likelihood risk anymore in view of the evolving science over the past years,” explains PIK scientist @rahmstorf.bsky.social via CNN.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
“As the planet warms, so much ice has been erased from around Mount Everest that the elevation at base camp in Nepal, which sits on a melting glacier, has dropped more than 220 feet since the 1980s.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Melting Glaciers in the Himalayas Feed Lakes That Threaten Towns Below
Melting ice from the Himalayas is creating thousands of unstable lakes, a growing menace to towns and cities below.
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:07 PM
“As the planet warms, so much ice has been erased from around Mount Everest that the elevation at base camp in Nepal, which sits on a melting glacier, has dropped more than 220 feet since the 1980s.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
If you have to dig up this kind of tricks in order to explain why it's okay to cooperate with far righters, then just say you actually don't care instead of pretending. We're not that moronic, or are we?
Interestingly, Merz today pointed to the fact that the ESN/AfD were not relevant for the majority in the EP yesterday.
This is technically correct, but only because a few MEPs from Renew and the S&D voted with the EPP and the far-right. (Quote from @spiegel.de)
This is technically correct, but only because a few MEPs from Renew and the S&D voted with the EPP and the far-right. (Quote from @spiegel.de)
November 14, 2025 at 2:10 PM
If you have to dig up this kind of tricks in order to explain why it's okay to cooperate with far righters, then just say you actually don't care instead of pretending. We're not that moronic, or are we?
So, they did it. The European Parliament’s biggest political group, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), has teamed up with the far right to roll back major parts of the EU’s green corporate rulebook. #CSRD #CSDDD #omnibus
Wonder what the SPD will say of this.
Wonder what the SPD will say of this.
The European Parliament’s biggest political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, has teamed up with the far right to roll back major parts of the EU’s green corporate rulebook.
EU conservatives join far-right to gut green rules
The European Parliament’s biggest political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, has teamed up with the far right to roll back major parts of the EU’s green corporate rulebook.
euobserver.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Reminder also that there is a clause in the German coalition agreement excluding cooperation by the coalition partners - SPD and CDU/CSU - with parties that are unconstitutional, undemocratic, and right-wing extremist "on all political levels". This would include the EU level.
It’s something we’ve witnessed for a while. In Germany, Weber likes to give the impression of a moderate conservative, also compared to others in his party, but in Brussels he then goes and cooperates with the far-right
November 13, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Reminder also that there is a clause in the German coalition agreement excluding cooperation by the coalition partners - SPD and CDU/CSU - with parties that are unconstitutional, undemocratic, and right-wing extremist "on all political levels". This would include the EU level.
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Almost certain now EPP will rely on far-right groups, including Germany’s AfD, to push through amendments on #csddd #csrd, despite Manfred Weber’s promise never to collaborate with them. Will anybody in Berlin notice?
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
Will centrist EPP join forces with ‘rightwing extremists’?
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
euobserver.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Today, 🇪🇺President von der Leyen's centre-right EPP group will ally with the far right in order to pass the 1st of her deregulation packages in the EU parliament.
A Commission official said these #Omnibus proposals are being sold as "concessions" to Trump.
A Commission official said these #Omnibus proposals are being sold as "concessions" to Trump.
Von der Leyen prepares cooperation with far right to implement Trump's deregulation demands
The cordón sanitaire in the EU Parliament has been broken. Next week, the centre right may team up with the far right to rip up EU climate laws. Next on the chopping block: EU digital rules.
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Today, 🇪🇺President von der Leyen's centre-right EPP group will ally with the far right in order to pass the 1st of her deregulation packages in the EU parliament.
A Commission official said these #Omnibus proposals are being sold as "concessions" to Trump.
A Commission official said these #Omnibus proposals are being sold as "concessions" to Trump.
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
If today’s vote on Omnibus I passes with EPP+ECR+Patriots support, it establishes the operational majority for the rest of von der Leyen's term
This will have major economic and societal consequences at the time these groups chose Trump over the EU
thegoodlobby.eu/the-eu-far-r...
This will have major economic and societal consequences at the time these groups chose Trump over the EU
thegoodlobby.eu/the-eu-far-r...
The EU Far-Right Tracker: Exposing when the EPP sides with the Far Right | The Good Lobby
Despite repeated reassurances from Commission the EPP continues to rely on the far right to pass legislation or secure political wins.
thegoodlobby.eu
November 13, 2025 at 7:36 AM
If today’s vote on Omnibus I passes with EPP+ECR+Patriots support, it establishes the operational majority for the rest of von der Leyen's term
This will have major economic and societal consequences at the time these groups chose Trump over the EU
thegoodlobby.eu/the-eu-far-r...
This will have major economic and societal consequences at the time these groups chose Trump over the EU
thegoodlobby.eu/the-eu-far-r...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
‘Het is de kern van populisme, een voortdurende opstand van winnaars in de slachtofferrol.’
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Opinie | Angela de Jong durft het bijna niet te zeggen, maar ze vindt precies wat de meeste mensen vinden
Column: Thomas Hogeling beschouwt wekelijks de publieke opinie. Wat wordt er gezegd en vooral niet gezegd? Deze week: de onnodige interessantdoenerij van Angela de Jong.
www.nrc.nl
November 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM
‘Het is de kern van populisme, een voortdurende opstand van winnaars in de slachtofferrol.’
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
From the creeping integration of the far-right into the EPP seeking majorities on central EU policies with the far-right.
bsky.app/profile/nvon...
bsky.app/profile/nvon...
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
Will centrist EPP join forces with ‘rightwing extremists’?
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
euobserver.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
From the creeping integration of the far-right into the EPP seeking majorities on central EU policies with the far-right.
bsky.app/profile/nvon...
bsky.app/profile/nvon...
Almost certain now EPP will rely on far-right groups, including Germany’s AfD, to push through amendments on #csddd #csrd, despite Manfred Weber’s promise never to collaborate with them. Will anybody in Berlin notice?
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
Will centrist EPP join forces with ‘rightwing extremists’?
The EPP could team up with the far right, including Germany’s AfD, in a vote that might redefine EU politics.
euobserver.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
For the latest episode of @the-breakdown.bsky.social podcast (we're back!), I spoke to @sabrinafernandes.bsky.social about Brazilian ecological politics, developmentalism and her essay "Lula's Dilemma"
Listen below / wherever you get your podcasts 🌳🍃
www.break-down.org/lulas-dilemm...
Listen below / wherever you get your podcasts 🌳🍃
www.break-down.org/lulas-dilemm...
Lula’s Dilemmas and COP30
Adrienne speaks to Sabrina Fernandes about the complexities of Brazilian ecological politics at the start of the COP30 climate conference.
www.break-down.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:14 AM
For the latest episode of @the-breakdown.bsky.social podcast (we're back!), I spoke to @sabrinafernandes.bsky.social about Brazilian ecological politics, developmentalism and her essay "Lula's Dilemma"
Listen below / wherever you get your podcasts 🌳🍃
www.break-down.org/lulas-dilemm...
Listen below / wherever you get your podcasts 🌳🍃
www.break-down.org/lulas-dilemm...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
Unusually candid statement from VW on Nexperia:
“How quickly and sustainably this system functions depends primarily on the stability of relations between the US and China,” Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of Volkswagen Group China
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
“How quickly and sustainably this system functions depends primarily on the stability of relations between the US and China,” Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of Volkswagen Group China
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
Nexperia chips have begun flowing to Europe again, auto suppliers say
Beijing has followed through on promises to ease export restrictions, but a final deal to decide the chip firm’s fate has yet to be agreed.
www.scmp.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Unusually candid statement from VW on Nexperia:
“How quickly and sustainably this system functions depends primarily on the stability of relations between the US and China,” Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of Volkswagen Group China
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
“How quickly and sustainably this system functions depends primarily on the stability of relations between the US and China,” Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of Volkswagen Group China
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
Reposted by Wester van Gaal
To all concerned with climate finance! In my article published in @climate-policy.bsky.social, I find that overlooking the influence of banks’ types of equity on sustainable lending narrows the scope of analysis and limits the tools available to reach Paris-aligned portfolios. See abstract for more!
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 AM
To all concerned with climate finance! In my article published in @climate-policy.bsky.social, I find that overlooking the influence of banks’ types of equity on sustainable lending narrows the scope of analysis and limits the tools available to reach Paris-aligned portfolios. See abstract for more!