Posted by Thomas Klikauer According to the IEA's global electricity mix, non-renewable, unsustainable and highly polluting fossil fuels still make up 57% of electricity production with the much talked about oil – Strait of Hormuz, etc. – being just 2%. Oil is used to make petrol for cars still running on combustion engines, but it is not much used to make electricity.

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary Thomas Klikauer argues that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) relies on xenophobia and racist ideology to gain votes in East Germany. However, their anti-immigrant platform directly threatens the region's economic survival. Key Takeaways Severe Demographic & Labour Crisis:East Germany faces a shrinking workforce driven by an aging population, retiring post-DDR generations, and young workers moving to West Germany.

Diviziunile etnice subminează perspectivele de a ajunge la politici mai bune în domeniul locuințelor pentru noi toți

Ethnic divisions undermine the prospects of achieving better housing policies for all of us

Етническите разделения саботират възможностите за постигане на по-добри жилищни политики за всички ни

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary A study from TU Darmstadt and a Mercer survey reveal that in Germany, greater understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) leads to higher fear of job loss, directly contradicting previous assumptions that lack of knowledge caused AI anxiety. About 43% of workers with high AI know-how expect AI to take over their work soon, particularly in roles involving text production, analysis, coding, and legal or social media tasks (e.g., software developers, lawyers), whereas craftspeople and healthcare workers remain less affected.

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary Electoral Gains and Regional Support Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MeckPom): The Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to 38%, overtaking the Social Democratic Party (SPD) at 35.5%. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered major losses, falling below the 5% threshold (4.9%) and losing parliamentary representation in the state for the first time. Saxony-Anhalt & Berlin: The AfD reached 44% in Saxony-Anhalt and expanded its presence in Berlin to 16.3%.

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary Historical & Political Context Cultural History: German connection to forests stretches from ancient times through Karl Marx’s 1842 writings on wood-gathering rights (which critique private property laws) to modern ecological warnings. Political Shifts: Decades of conservative and neoliberal forestry policies prioritized short-term corporate profit over ecology. Notably, Helmut Kohl's government renamed the "forest-death report" (

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary Here is a concise breakdown of the three AfD strategies used to undermine Germany's democratic institutions from within: 1. Symbolic Blocking (Disrupting Daily Operations) Quorum & Photo Manipulation: Delays votes until late at night, staged walkouts to force an empty chamber, and then photoshoots the empty room for social media to claim democracy is failing.

Журналистиката трябва да запази ролята си на коректив, а не да бъде придатък на властта

Implicarea pe scară largă a jurnaliștilor în campania prezidențială din Bulgaria indică trecerea acestora de la a trage la răspundere puterea la a concura pentru ea

The widespread involvement of journalists in the Bulgarian presidential campaign indicates the journalists’ shift from holding power accountable to competing for it

Mulți oameni își riscă viața pentru a ajunge în Europa, în căutarea siguranței, a păcii și a libertății pentru copiii lor. Ceea ce găsesc, însă, este departe de toate acestea – iar acest lucru spune mai multe despre UE decât despre migranți

Many people risk their lives to reach Europe in search of safety, peace and freedom for their children. What they find instead is far from it – and it says more about the EU than about the migrants. 

Дарина Руменова Ако някога ви се наложи или пожелаете да посетите чужденец в бежански лагери или център за временно настаняване, бихте могли да засечете любопитно анимационно видео излъчвано по екраните вътре. Насочено към деца в процес на миграция и техните семейства, тези материали рекламират „доброволното“ депортиране. Първият път, когато аз видях въпросната анимация, бях потресена. Тогава бях на посещение на бежанец, пристигнал на крак от Турция и търсещ политическа закрила у нас.

Situația sistemului de sănătate din țara noastră în ultimii 30 de ani este rezultatul unei ideologii mortale care pune banii mai presus de viață.

Trebuie să identificăm problemele din sistemul de sănătate și cauzele profunde ale crizei – abia atunci va deveni clar care sunt soluțiile și cum le putem pune în aplicare

Състоянието на здравеопазване у нас през последните 30 години е резултат от една смъртоносна идеология, която цени парите над живота.

Трябва да назовем проблемите в здравеопазването и корените на кризата – тогава става ясно какви са решенията и как можем да ги постигнем

The state of healthcare in our country over the last 30 years is the result of a deadly ideology that values money over life.

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Germany's Neo-Nazis and its most successful follow-up organization, the AfD, have turned the Landtag, or state election, in the East German state of Saxony-Anhalt into a feel-good campaign. Gone are the menacing marches of the SA, gone are the thugs on the streets — for now — and gone are the uniforms and outright Nazism. 2026 is not 1926.

We must identify the problems in the healthcare system and the root causes of the crisis – only then will it become clear what the solutions are and how we can achieve them. 

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Very soon, one of the most important state elections—scheduled for 6 September—will take place in East Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt, a state with 2.1 million people, roughly the population of Paris. In a country of 83.5 million, it is not its size that makes this election significant. For weeks, if not months, public polling has suggested—almost conclusively—that Germany’s most radical far-right political party, the AfD, is set to receive around 40% of voter support, surpassing the level of support enjoyed by Hitler’s Nazi Party during the 1930s.

Young people in Germany are concerned about their future careers because AI seemingly always looms in the background.

Interview with Macedonian artist Vasil Zafirchev

Wojciech Albert Łobodziński Summary Andy Burnham is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, having taken office on July 20, 2026, following the resignation of Keir Starmer. A prominent Labour Party politician, Burnham previously served as the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and held multiple senior cabinet roles in the Blair and Brown governments. Key Background & Early Life…

An Israeli left activist involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement speaks about current developments in Israeli politics

A social perspective on the Ukrainian society after more than four years of war

This interview with the Communist Party of Austria's mayor of Graz is about its housing and social policies, and how they have withstood the test of time

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary In early 2026, journalists and domestic intelligence agencies documented a growing trend where East German Neo-Nazis and far-right actors utilize seemingly "apolitical" traditional folk dance afternoons (Brauchtumspflege) as a low-threshold recruitment tool and networking strategy. These events, heavily ideological in nature, leverage a romanticized "blood-and-soil" narrative to obscure hard-core Neo-Nazism behind a facade of rural customs, traditional costumes, and folk music.

For me, the path towards real integration is clear, but it does not coincide at all with the current terrible political registry. The current objective seems to be to make the lives of those who arrive invisible and insecure. Forms of protection are rarely granted. Many people we know have ended up in centers in Albania. Furthermore, there is a forceful practice of racial profiling in Palermo: the police almost exclusively stop foreign or Black people on the street to ask for papers.

Posted by Thomas Klikauer Summary The provided text analyzes how the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has achieved significant political dominance in East Germany, capturing up to 40% (and in some areas like Saxony-Anhalt, 42%) of voter support. Here is a summary of the core factors driving this political shift: 1. Exploitation of an "East Identity" (Ostidentität)

On corruption, nepotism and Alternative for Germany

Младата македонска влашка графична дизайнерка и културна активистка вярва, че власите в Югоизточна Европа биха могли да допринесат много за отношенията между страните, тъй като те присъстват навсякъде.

An Austrian expert perspective on Schengen accession for Bulgaria and Romania, the EU enlargement, Three Seas Initiative, EU reform

The deputy mayor of Pernik explains how the municipality sees the just transition and what...

The expert on green transition discusses with Found in Transition about the Bulgarian political (and not only) crises that make the country a laggard in the implementation of the just transition plan,...

An interview with the leading Romanian expert on just transition about the challenges and accomplishments...

The Vice President of the KNSB, who is responsible for the green transition, comments on how the just transition is progressing in Bulgaria and why people do not believe in it

Atanas Pekanov is a Bulgarian economist. He was the Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds...

Book Review

In this interview, Ukrainian historian and activist Hanna Perekhoda looks back at some of the preconceptions and simplifications that, in Western Europe, shape discussion of the war in Ukraine.

The director of the Europe-Central Africa Network speaks to Cross-border Talks about the conflict in the Great Lakes region, the EU's foreign policy and the role of NGOs in all this

YouTube video by Cross-border Talks

YouTube video by Cross-border Talks

YouTube video by Cross-border Talks

Danny Antonelli, a Trieste-born professional lyricist living permanently in Hamburg, Germany, shares his insights and...

Posted by Thomas Klikauer On a sunny but cold winter’s day – 23rd of February...