iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Christine Lagarde will probably announce tomorrow that she’s stepping down early as ECB president to meddle in the French election. My colleague Tim Jones has written good policy profiles on the three leading contenders to replace her, the latest on Joachim Nagel 242econ.substack.com/p/the-influe...

242econ.substack.com

The influencer

Joachim Nagel – a policy profile

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242.news @242news.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

🔊"It's been basically scorched-earth tactics". New Twenty-Four Two podcast out on 100 Days of Péter Magyar with @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones. Download and subscribe at: bit.ly/242podcast apple.co/40NZR7L bit.ly/spotify242pod

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

“I’m not a crook”, Nigel Farage (2026)

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242.news @242news.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

As @ecb.europa.eu prepares to lift its policy rate, read the second 242econ.news long-form profile of the leading candidates to succeed @president.ecb.europa.eu. This time, it's Pablo Hernández de Cos. 242econ.substack.com/p/el-indepen...

242econ.substack.com

El independiente

Pablo Hernández de Cos – a policy profile

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

A lesson that needs to be learned as much by the White House as by many of its critics

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

For our final pod on Hungary I finally got to let loose on the gullible western "intellectuals" pushing the embarrassingly biased government-aligned polls, and I didn't even mention the pathetic sharing of the most obvious fake news about Magyar.

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I remembered because I did the exact same thing at some point, so now I have the government formation period stuck in my head more clearly than Claudia’s birthday.

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Nothing like some Monday morning pedantry to start the week

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Would say Austria in part because it tends to be forgotten, but wasn’t that technically in 1999?

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Gabriela Greilinger @gabrielagreilinger.com · 10/04/2026

My colleague Ábel Bede from the Hungarian Observer and I had a great conversation with @242news.bsky.social, covering a lot of ground, from the final days of the campaign to MCC and the connections between the Hungarian and American far right. 🎙️🇭🇺 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

"He's more of a surfer"

The final days with Ábel Bede and Gabriela Greilinger

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Talking my own cast here but we’ve been talking about basically all of this since the start of the year: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

The Twenty-Four Two Podcast

Politics Podcast · Updated Monthly · Talking about Europe's destructive recreation twentyfourtwo.substack.com

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Under European rules this call to pause the fiscal rules means that within two weeks someone has to propose a new European fund to finance “investment” in whatever is related to the current crisis.

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242.news @242news.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

🔊Final 242.news Hungary election podcast out! Ábel Bede and @gabrielagreilinger.com join Tim G. Jones and @pbergsen.bsky.social for a state of play before Sunday's crucial election. Go to ... bit.ly/242podcast apple.co/40NZR7L bit.ly/spotify242pod bit.ly/242Hungary

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Our final foreign interference in the Hungarian election is up. We speak to @gabrielagreilinger.com and Ábel Bede of the excellent Hungarian Observer substack on topics ranging from why Fidesz is losing support to its influence abroad, including MAGA world twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/hes-more-o...

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Back in January we did a similar episode on Orbán, focussing on his interesting political journey. open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

open.substack.com

"The point is how Orbán can react to a possible defeat"

Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbán's political odyssey

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

One week to go until the election in Hungary so about time we spoke to a biographer of Orban’s challenger, Peter Magyar. There’s more there than just a disgruntled former Fidesz insider, but he’s also clearly not the pro-EU liberal some seem to be hoping for.

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Gabriela Greilinger @gabrielagreilinger.com · 01/04/2026

@242news.bsky.social has done a great podcast series on the Hungarian election over the last few weeks, with stellar guests such as @kimlanelaw.bsky.social, @zecsaky.bsky.social, András Pethö, Stefano Bottoni, and others. Give it a listen if you're interested. ⬇️

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Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Highly recommend

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

All the cool kids are now talking about Hungary ahead of the election in two weeks but we’ve been doing that for ages (3 months)! This week we had László Andor on the podcast to talk about Orbán and the EU and a bit on the economic conditions that allowed his rise and now potentially his fall.

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242.news @242news.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

🔊Podcast: "Hungary would probably be hit harder than many others" - @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones discuss Trump's energy-price gift to Viktor Orbán, Hungary's dire economy, the latest polls, and a vicious anti-Ukraine campaign. twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/hungary-wo...

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

🔊Podcast: “Hungary is trailing behind Russia by 10 years” - Márton Schlanger of pollster Republikon joins @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones to discuss what the polls are telling us five weeks before Hungary's election day: bit.ly/3OXWIzt

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

🔊Podcast: Tim G. Jones, @pbergsen.bsky.social, Bill Farren-Price and @simontaylor71.bsky.social discuss 🇺🇦🇷🇴 energy dispute, Péter Magyar’s increasing poll advantage, fears of election delay, Viktor Orbán’s miscalculations around “Peak Trump”, and the EU’s wilful inertia. bit.ly/46ywz0f

bit.ly

"Just set up a Zoom call without Viktor on it and get this done"

Orbán makes Ukraine hostage to his desperate re-election bid

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Nou mogen we van die dictators in Brussel zelfs niet meer ons eten roeren met onze eigen koptelefoons!

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Now that everyone is paying attention to Hungary thanks to Orbán’s threats to EU Ukraine policy, an obviously cynical campaign ploy, it’s another good moment to remind everyone we’ve been talking about the election and scenarios such as these for the last two months. This is our latest episode:

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Finally some juicy stuff to talk about this week: a sex tape scandal and speculating how the election could be stolen, and some drama for the nerds in our discussion on the Hungarian central bank

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Zselyke Csaky @zecsaky.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Likewise, I really enjoyed the conversation. Thanks so much for having me on, @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim!

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Enjoyed discussing the European implications of the Hungarian election with @zecsaky.bsky.social and her explaining to me why in several cases I don't quite get it twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/trump-hasn...

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

“Trump hasn't been the boon to Orbán that many expected”

Zselyke Csaky on the foreign-policy impact of Hungary's election

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

🔊New Podcast out! “Trump hasn't been the boon to Orbán that many expected” @zecsaky.bsky.social from @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social on the European impact of Hungary's election on the Twenty-Four Two podcast with @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones. twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/trump-hasn...

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

🔊Podcast: “People are waiting for change, so there is a huge expectation” Hungarian 'red baron' Gábor Bojár explains why liberals should use Péter Magyar's to topple Viktor Orbán on the Twenty-Four Two Podcast. with @pbergsen.bsky.social and Tim G. Jones. twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/people-are...

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

That's fair, would've been good to discuss political interference more broadly anyway because it doesn't just happen in Hungary

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Given Trump’s heavy handed attempts to control the Fed, we thought it would be a good time to do a podcast on how the Hungarian government went about taking control of its central bank a decade ago with a former deputy governor who was at the MNB at the time open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

open.substack.com

"The central bank take over of MAGA dreams"

A Hungarian playbook for taming the Federal Reserve

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Biggest lie of the day must be him claiming to "actually like Emmanuel Macron"

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242.news @242news.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

🔊242.news podcast: “Péter Magyar is a much more dangerous opponent for the government than any other former challenger”. 2026 Hungary election special co-hosted by @pbergsen.bsky.social with pollster Dániel Róna on how Viktor Orbán can still win: open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

In our second podcast ahead of the Hungarian election we spoke about Orbán's political and ideological journey with his biographer Stefano Bottoni twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/the-point-...

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

"The point is how Orbán can react to a possible defeat"

Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbán's political odyssey

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

🔊242.news podcast: "The point is how Orbán can react to a possible defeat". 2026 Hungary election special co-hosted by @pbergsen.bsky.social with Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbán's political odyssey. Listen and subscribe (free) to www.242.news at: twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/the-point-...

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

"The point is how Orbán can react to a possible defeat"

Stefano Bottoni on Viktor Orbán's political odyssey

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Reposted by Pepijn Bergsen

242.news @242news.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

🔊Podcast: “Hungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American left”. The new weekly 'Twenty-Four Two' 2026 Hungary election special series opens with @kimlanelaw.bsky.social. Listen and subscribe (free) to www.242.news at: twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/podcast-hu...

twentyfourtwo.substack.com

🔊Podcast: “Hungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American left”

New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

In the first episode of a podcast series ahead of the Hungarian election in April, my colleague Tim Jones has @kimlanelaw.bsky.social on to discuss how Orbán spread his ideas to the rest of Europe and the US. I’m rather biased but thought this was very insightful. open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

open.substack.com

🔊Podcast: “Hungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American left”

New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Tim Jones has a new podcast series spotlighting Hungary as part of the spread of autocratic threats to democracy around the world. New episodes will drop every Sunday from now thru the HU election. I'm delighted to be the first guest to kick off the series! substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

🔊Podcast: “Hungary is to the American right what Sweden used to be to the American left”

New podcast series on Europe's pivotal 2026 election

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Uhm excuse you, we’re not interested in being shackled to that economic corpse, thank you very much.

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

So my point is really that a discussion over a few tientjes of eigen risico is not enough of a discussion on redistribution

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

It’s not really the communication that I’m talking about though, it’s that the underlying discussion is so limited in its different options. That finds its expression really clearly for me in the very small differences in policy proposals for the eigen risico (ignoring unrealistic Wilders stuff)

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

My point is not that they talk about big issues in this roundabout way but that they do that through small beer bickering instead of a real differentiation.

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

That's fair, probably too strong in that and the shift from some of them on that issue is actually relevant and interesting. Don't think that changes my main point though (which is that I find the bickering over de eigen risico very very very annoying)

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Here’s one of those takes I disagree with. This wasn’t a contest between Jetten and Wilders economist.com/europe/2025/...

economist.com

The Dutch choose optimism over anti-immigrant populism

Rob Jetten fends off Geert Wilders

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

“We now go live to Venray for a key race alert!”

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

I found the campaign in the Netherlands very frustrating and was even more annoyed by all the hot takes suggesting the result marked a defeat for the populists, so I tried to write my anger away open.substack.com/pub/twentyfo...

open.substack.com

False choice

"Victory" for the Dutch centre is welcome but Pyrrhic

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Pepijn Bergsen @pbergsen.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

De Commissie houdt dit al een tijdje in de gaten (publiceren maandelijks een onleesbaar rapport waarin textiel inderdaad naar voren komt als een sector waarin import vanuit China sterk toeneemt terwijl prijzen dalen). Ze hebben ook al gezegd dat ze maatregelen nemen zodra er genoeg bewijs is.

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