Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 16/10/2026One effect of the new Italian electoral law is that the formation of government majorities will depend on parties like "South calling North" again. 000 0
Reposted by Manuel MüllerNicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 16/10/2026The extra summit in November has long been planned. The most optimistic scenario for the MFF has long been a spectacular drama at the extra November summit, where everyone shows how they are fighting tooth and nail, and a late-night agreement in December. 2162 16
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 15/10/2026"Juhlapuheissa Suomi haluaa panostaa Euroopan vahvistamiseen, mutta se ei ole kuitenkaan valmis maksamaan siitä. Kun kyse on rahasta, äänensävy on toinen." Elli Hiilamo yle.fi:ssäyle.fiAnalyysi: Kun puhe kääntyy rahaan, Suomen EU-linja muuttuuJäsenmaiden johtajat keskustelevat tänään EU:n rahoituksesta tuleville vuosille. Suomi on leirinsä valinnut, kirjoittaa EU-kirjeenvaihtaja Elli Hiilamo. 010 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 13/10/2026Still not convinced that normalising "pro-European" ECR member parties was such a great idea. 001 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 13/10/2026Not silly at all. You're absolutely right; they joined the ECR party last year and should thus be part of the ECR group also in the baseline scenario. I'll correct that in the next seat projection. 110 1
Reposted by Manuel MüllerDave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 13/10/2026🤦♂️JFC they already can intervene it's called the vote in the 🇪🇺Council. No EU legislation gets passed without the national governments approving it. Our national leaders in Europe are either idiots or liars. And I don't think they're idiots. 34818 48
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 12/10/2026Unfortunately, it seems to be too good to be true. 130 3
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 12/10/2026It seems that the rule-of-law reports are going the way of the European Semester's country-specific recommendations. 031 3
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 10/10/2026Then again, the derogatory use of "medieval" is also a Renaissance thing, so people who are against witch burnings and the like have always considered them medieval. 000 0
Reposted by Manuel MüllerYossi Bartal @yossibartal.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Die ehemalige UN-Menschenrechtskommissarin Navanethem Pillay bekommt den Friedensnobelpreis. Zur Erinnerung: Vor vier Jahren wurde die südafrikanische Juristin von der Bürgermeisterin von Berlin wegen Antisemitismus-Vorwürfen boykottiert und ein Event mit ihr in Räumen des Rathauses verboten.zeit.deVerleihung: Friedensmedaille an Pillay: Giffey sagt Teilnahme abHier finden Sie Informationen zu dem Thema „Verleihung“. Lesen Sie jetzt „Friedensmedaille an Pillay: Giffey sagt Teilnahme ab“. 11311103 311
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 09/10/2026The ECR, which voted against banning the ESN party (because "free speech"), is now pushing for a ban of the European Left Alliance. 030 3
Reposted by Manuel Müllereuobserver — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 08/10/2026As national leaders call for massive cuts in the next EU budget, the parliament’s budget chiefs, MEP Siegfried Mureşan and Carla Tavares, warn that slashing EU cash now will undercut Europe’s competitiveness, security and social safety net for years to come.euobserver.comCut the EU budget and we all loseAs national leaders call for massive cuts in the next EU budget, the parliament’s budget chiefs, MEP Siegfried Mureşan and Carla Tavares, warn that slashing EU cash now will undercut Europe’s competitiveness, security and social safety net for years to come. 187 8
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 08/10/2026Als always, there is also a shorter version at @table.media:table.media 000 0
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 08/10/2026Wie immer auch als Kurzversion bei @table.media:table.media 000 0
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 08/10/2026Democratic backsliding is possible in "old" member states as much as in "new" ones. It makes sense to give Art. 7 more teeth – but let's do it for everyone, not only for accession countries! 072 7
Reposted by Manuel MüllerDaniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Some unintended consequences I suspect the rise of AI agents will create: 1. Restaurants that only take reservations by hand written letter, or more likely, don't take them at all. 2. Gigs where you can only buy tickets in person. 3. Businesses that operate without websites. 701038174 1K
Reposted by Manuel MüllerJonas Schaible @beimwort.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Und die Bild macht an diesem Abend damit auf. Man kann sich keine Illusionen mehr machen darüber, dass vielen Leuten eine Regierende Bürgermeisterin Eralp unerträglicher ist als ein Ministerpräsident Siegmund, vermutlich ein/e grüne/r Kanzler/in unerträglicher als eine eine Vizekanzlerin Weidel. 32515146 515
Reposted by Manuel MüllerLouis Drounau @louisdrounau.eudemocracy.eu · 01/10/2026And exactly what good should it do to candidate countries to have a commissioner when "the members of the Commission shall neither seek nor take instructions from any Government" (TEU, Art. 17.3) and, therefore, be independent of their country? 1/2 Via @euractiv.com, @eddywax.bsky.social 152 5
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 06/10/2026Yes. To be fair, it also isn't a US thing only – here in Finland, for example, the idea of being world-leading in education first and "happiness" now also hasn't done much good to the national discourse. But in the US, it's a good deal worse, of course. 110 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 06/10/2026Why not start by *respecting* human rights before talking about *leading* on them? 172 7
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 05/10/2026In any case, the Spanish election will make an MFF compromise in 2026 much more difficult. Sánchez will hardly accept an agreement on the Frugals' terms during his electoral campaign. And the Frugals might be inclined to insist, hoping for a more like-minded Spanish government after the election. 0125 12
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 05/10/2026To be honest, I already made a similar argument the day after the 2024 EP election. So let's see whether this finally materialises now...foederalist.euMajority-building in the next European Parliament: The case for a more formal coalitionEin Blog über die Demokratie in Europa 010 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 05/10/2026This is an interesting move – and one that I suggested myself in summer. The current "EPP minority government" (as @nvondarza.bsky.social & @sophia-russack.bsky.social called it) depends on S&D and RE without benefitting them in return. So it makes sense for them to demand a more formal coalition.table.mediaOpinion: The case for a formal grand coalition in the European ParliamentThe political scientist argues that, in the current parliamentary term, the European Parliament’s informal pro-European centrist coalition has effectively given way to a minority government led by the Christian Democrats. 1124 12
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 04/10/2026Interestingly, there will likely even be an adjusted ECR-only majority in the new Saeima. But PM Kulbergs might want to move on with his current coalition of AS/ECR + NA/ECR + JV/EPP (without ZZS, which has lost representation), which would give him a solid 59-60 seats. 010 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 04/10/2026The parties of the extended "von der Leyen platform" (EPP, S&D, RE + Greens) are down to ~20% in the Latvian election – not a good result for pro-Europeans. (Admittedly, AS is one of the most centrist parties in ECR. But they still have chosen to sit in the same group as parties like PiS and AUR.) 2157 15
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 03/10/2026By the way, happy German Unity to those who celebrate! It's also the 15th anniversary of my blog – so if you haven't done so yet, go follow it at @foederalist.eu 😊bsky.app 092 9
Reposted by Manuel MüllerEurope Elects @europeelects.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Latvia: national parliament election today: ➤ Eligible voters: 1,557,615 ➤ Polling stations open: 7:00 AM-7:00 PM CEST ➤ Incumbent government: JV (EPP), ZZS (~RE|S&D), AS (ECR), NA (ECR) with head of government and European Council member Andris Kulbergs ➤https://europeelects.eu/latvia #Latvia 071 7
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 03/10/2026And we aren't even halfway through the Trump 2 presidency... 🙃 240 4
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 02/10/2026Schengen has nothing to do with immigration control. And the entire point of the original post was to discuss why the UK would benefit from Schengen and Euro membership. So if you think that will never happen anyway, it's just EOD here. 100 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 02/10/2026Fair point - but Ireland is already a member of the Schengen Information System anyway, and the main reason it hasn't fully joined Schengen so far has been to maintain the Common Travel Area with the UK. So, if the UK were to join Schengen, Ireland would really have very few reasons not to. 100 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 02/10/2026I mean, the UK is not an optimal currency area anyway; and joining Schengen together with Ireland would solve many problems regarding the implementation of the GFA and also make travelling a lot easier for UK citizens. It's really not such a difficult case to make. 131 3
Reposted by Manuel MüllerBettina Kohlrausch @bettikohlrausch.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Wenn man die Brandmauer nur als performativen Akt und nicht als intellektuelle Haltung versteht, kann sie übrigens auch nicht funktionieren. 0215 21
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 01/10/2026#OTD 120 years ago, Finland adopted a new electoral law, becoming the first European country to let women vote. 20 years later, in December 1926, Miina Sillanpää became the first 🇫🇮 female (vice)minister. Since 2023, October 1st is celebrated as Miina Sillanpää Day or Day of Civic Participation. 1173 17
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 30/09/2026For Orpo (and many others), it seems to be natural that as a net contributor country, we have to fight for a smaller EU budget, so we side with the Frugals. But maybe a stronger EU budget gives us more value for money? Maybe a more cohesive and capable EU is simply a good investment for Finland? 031 3
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 30/09/2026Well. But also, things like this probably wouldn't happen if Finland had a more meaningful political debate about the EU beyond security policy. It's way too much of "we want more for us" and too little about real strategic priorities. 120 2
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 30/09/2026In climate policy, as in other areas, the argument "If I don't do it, someone else will" usually actually means: "If someone else doesn't do it, I will." 010 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 30/09/2026This is a bit embarrassing: 🇫🇮 PM Orpo has signed the "Frugals" letter demanding across-the-board #EUbudget cuts – although he had been campaining for *more* EU agriculture spending. Now he has distanced himself from the letter, and @hs.fi is wondering whether he was even aware what he was signing.hs.fiHS-analyysi | Vaikuttaa siltä, että Orpo ei itse ymmärrä, millaisen kirjeen on allekirjoittanut EU:lleSuomi on mukana ryhmässä, joka vaatii leikkauksia myös maataloustukiin, vaikka pääministeri Petteri Orpo muuta väittää, HS:n EU-kirjeenvaihtaja Jarno Hartikainen kirjoittaa. 3286 28
Reposted by Manuel MüllerHeide Franck @heidefranck.bsky.social · 30/09/2026🧵 Seitenhonorar/Einkommen: Seriös geschätzt liefert eine Literaturübersetzerin 100 saubere Normseiten im Monat ab, inkl. Recherche, zweifacher Überarbeitung etc. Beim Branchenschnitt von 19,27 € pro Seite beschert mir das 1.927 € im Monat. Aber ich bin Freiberuflerin, daher ... 49942 99
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 30/09/2026Well, Finland has a tradition of acting against its own interests when it comes to the EU budget...hs.fiVieraskynä | Suomen kannattaisi ryhtyä ajamaan eurooppalaista työttömyysturvaaSuomi torjui eurokriisin aikaan ajatuksen eurooppalaisesta työttömyysturvasta, mutta nyt se toimisi Suomen eduksi. 010 1
Reposted by Manuel MüllerMae Nick Phra Khanong @nickjbrumfield.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Seriously just enforce normal liability for AI on the owners and so much of this shit goes away AI companies want to be treated like the hired expert when it comes to pocketing any financial flows, but like a cursory Google Search whenever it comes to liability 635097 350
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 29/09/2026Me, a bit less than a year ago (fiia.fi/en/publicati...): 011 1
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 29/09/2026Nothing says "We urgently want an agreement by the end of the year" like a public ultimatum with maximum demands that you know are unacceptable for the other side. That's how MFF negotiations work. 182 8
Reposted by Manuel MüllerAlexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 29/09/2026"the issue was postponed" 44812 48
Reposted by Manuel MüllerManuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 28/09/2026Is what we need right now really a "new Congress of Europe" bringing together the continent's "most brilliant minds" to develop a "vision" that can "inspire the next generation"? I have some doubts. 👇 242 4
Reposted by Manuel MüllerManuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 28/09/2026Brauchen wir gerade wirklich einen "neuen #Europa-Kongress", der die "klügsten Köpfe" des Kontinents vereinigt, um eine "Vision" zu entwickeln, die die "neue Generation" inspiriert? Ich habe da meine Zweifel. 👇 043 4
Manuel Müller @manuelmueller.foederalist.eu · 29/09/2026"For a long time in the economic literature, the conventional wisdom was that technological progress would have a benign impact on the labour market. [...] However, in recent years, a change of heart has taken place [...]—from blinkered optimism to a creeping pessimism." 👇academic.oup.comDirected technological change: a history and a critical agendaAbstract. In this article, I explore the idea of ‘directed technological change’. Although it has its intellectual origins in early twentieth-century econo 161 6
Reposted by Manuel MüllerEU-Ylva Nilsson @euylva.bsky.social · 29/09/2026”Axe spending or we won’t approve any new budget!” Scary threat in the US maybe. Not so much in the EU where the last budget just keeps rolling over if you don’t approve a new one www.ft.com/content/3b82...ft.comGermany issues EU budget ultimatumBerlin and five other capitals tell Brussels to axe ‘hundreds of billions’ in planned spending 032 3