Holger Hestermeyer

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 8h

The message of ‘how to hide an empire’ is still true: The economist wrote an article about Spanish in the US without mentioning that Puerto Rico is in the US and operates in Spanish go.bsky.app/redirect?u=h...

go.bsky.app

Anna Hubert @annahbrt.bsky.social · 8h

❗️Leak - Industrial Accelerator Act could limit public support for energy-intensive sectors to EU producers 👉 as per draft annexes to the upcoming IAA

The first lists “strategic sectors” for which public support will be “granted exclusively” to producers from the EU
1/🧶

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 19h

EVs must be 70% made in the EU to qualify for state support, Brussels says

Draft legislation on local content by European Commission seeks to protect bloc’s manufacturing industries

www.ft.com

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 1d

Today's home truth comes from @alanbeattie.bsky.social who wrote "The extent to which Trump is ceding the green tech field to China remains almost beyond belief in its self-destructiveness." In all of the debates about soft v hard power, don't forget Trump is also doing incredibly stupid stuff.

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 1d

The BBC is a trusted name with broad global appeal - soft power like that allows the U.K. to punch significantly above its weight.

Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 1d

My book about Britain ends with a memory.
Of the first time I ever worked at Broadcasting House as a guest commentator, what that meant to me, and what the BBC means for 🇬🇧’s place in the world.
The idea that the World Service could end is awful, and frankly embarrassing for the British Government.

Melissa Chemam @melissaontheroad.bsky.social · 2d

And another bites the dust?

The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 1d

My book about Britain ends with a memory.
Of the first time I ever worked at Broadcasting House as a guest commentator, what that meant to me, and what the BBC means for 🇬🇧’s place in the world.
The idea that the World Service could end is awful, and frankly embarrassing for the British Government.

Melissa Chemam @melissaontheroad.bsky.social · 2d

And another bites the dust?

The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial

Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported

www.theguardian.com

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d

And somehow that fits in nicely with Rubio, son of non-citizens at the time of his birth, portraying immigration as evil or in the UK Badenoch or Braverman doing the same. Our reality of complex belongings is barely even recognized by those that are model examples of that complexity. /3

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d

The Brazilian skiier is half-Norwegian and competed for Norway, where he largely grew up, until 2023. If he would have won for Norway, few would have noticed. But he, same person, won for Brazil. /2

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d

Its fascinating to watch the commentary on Brazil's skiing victory. In our imaginary, there are fixed nations with utter clarity of who belongs to which one. Reality has changed to a dramatic extent. /1

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 3d

This is not the first time I see statistics showing France to be more pro-US than Britain. It‘s quite astonishing

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 4d

I tend to disagree (I am not sure, though, maybe we mean 5he same thing). For me it is not the framework that is dead, but polarised societies voting for polarised politics resulting in a dysfunctional system - in MS not less than in the EU.

Sophie in't Veld @sophieintveld.bsky.social · 4d

The Lisbon Treaty is dead. It created an - imperfect - institutional balance, checks and balances, accountability, separation of powers. But the constitutional framework has effectively ceased to function. Unclear how the vacuum will be filled. The EU’s democracy is on a precipice

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 4d

Swedish deputy PM: European leaders must ‘toughen up,’ stop waiting for Brussels, US

Reuters @reuters.com · 4d

NY Fed report says Americans pay for almost all of Trump's tariffs reut.rs/4643ERt

NY Fed report says Americans pay for almost all of Trump's tariffs

Americans are shouldering almost all of President Donald Trump’s import tax surge, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said on Thursday.

reut.rs

Sophie in't Veld @sophieintveld.bsky.social · 4d

The Lisbon Treaty is dead. It created an - imperfect - institutional balance, checks and balances, accountability, separation of powers. But the constitutional framework has effectively ceased to function. Unclear how the vacuum will be filled. The EU’s democracy is on a precipice

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 4d

Swedish deputy PM: European leaders must ‘toughen up,’ stop waiting for Brussels, US

If member countries take the initiative in certain areas, it would make the EU more agile and less bureaucratic, Ebba Busch says.

www.politico.eu

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

Here's the Norwegian request to waive immunities. He's suspected of passive bribery / aggravated corruption under Norwegian law. Not sure the remaining functional immunities actually caused a problem, but anyway: waived now. rm.coe.int/1550-1-6-art...

rm.coe.int

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

Treaties are here: rm.coe.int/1680063729
legal.un.org/ilc/texts/in...

rm.coe.int

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

If you were wondering like me why Jagland's immunities had to be lifted, here's the answer: the SG of the CoE benefits from full diplomatic immunities (Art. 16 of the General Agreement). These end with his office, however for acts performed in his function they continue (Art. 39(2) VCDR) - until now

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

The age of the ’who even knows what was agreed’ trade deal

Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 5d

US altering US-India trade “fact sheet” on the fly

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Changes India Trade Deal Statement, Sparking Confusion

The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.

www.bloomberg.com

Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 5d

US altering US-India trade “fact sheet” on the fly

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Changes India Trade Deal Statement, Sparking Confusion

The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.

www.bloomberg.com

Todd Tucker @toddntucker.com · 5d

The disapproval resolution over Trump's tariffs against Canada has passed the House, over Speaker Johnson's objections.

It now goes to the Senate - where it's passed before.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

House votes to disapprove of Trump's Canada tariffs

Six Republicans voted in favor of the resolution, which now goes to the Senate. The president would almost certainly veto it.

www.politico.com

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

Monaco based expat choosing to put more foreigners than U.K. players in his football team complains about expats and foreigners working in the U.K.

Sky News @news.sky.com · 5d

'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Britain has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the country's richest and most influential men, has told Sky News.

news.sky.com

Sky News @news.sky.com · 5d

'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Britain has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the country's richest and most influential men, has told Sky News.

news.sky.com

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

The cynicism of ‘populism’ knows neither principles nor bounds. They will say A today, B tomorrow all in the service of the cause. And some of them might have even forgotten what the cause is.

Jakub Jaraczewski @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social · 6d

🇵🇱⚖️I promised a banger on the rule-of-law crisis in Poland, so... here it is. A group of PiS MPs have lodged a case with the Constitutional Tribunal, asking it to find the rules of electing the judges of the same Tribunal, introduced in 2016 by a PiS majority, to be unconstitutional. 1/

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

And this goes for the whole US v EU economy thing

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 5d

A quick reminder: all of this - economy, security etc. - is supposed to improve people’s lives. If you destroy your environment, have a low life expectancy, work like crazy all the time and justify abuse with the S&P, you have a problem. /1

Jakub Jaraczewski @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social · 6d

🇵🇱⚖️I promised a banger on the rule-of-law crisis in Poland, so... here it is. A group of PiS MPs have lodged a case with the Constitutional Tribunal, asking it to find the rules of electing the judges of the same Tribunal, introduced in 2016 by a PiS majority, to be unconstitutional. 1/

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 6d

Always willing to defer to Nansen on questions like that!

Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 6d

Trump is doing a social science experiment: how awful can the US be to foreigners and still attract their business and investment? So far the answer is: pretty damn awful.