John Kampfner
@johnkampfner.bsky.social
Author, journalist
website: www.jkampfner.net
newsletter: https://johnkampfner.substack.com/
Berlin, London
website: www.jkampfner.net
newsletter: https://johnkampfner.substack.com/
Berlin, London
Pinned
John Kampfner
@johnkampfner.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Dear friends, I'm delighted to be here, not as an echo chamber (disagreement is vital), but to be part of an intelligent, non-toxic forum for discussing world events. Where I hope I can add most is on Germany, Europe and how it all fits in. Please link me up with your followers, if you'd like to
During a recent trip to Prague, I was struck by the mismatch between the mood on the street (especially to foreigners) & the political convulsions. You can see the same in Budapest, Bratislava & elsewhere. That is the sinister smartness of far-right populism
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/another-eu...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/another-eu...
Another European domino set to fall
The Czech Republic is heading the way of its far-right neighbours; but is anyone noticing?
johnkampfner.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
During a recent trip to Prague, I was struck by the mismatch between the mood on the street (especially to foreigners) & the political convulsions. You can see the same in Budapest, Bratislava & elsewhere. That is the sinister smartness of far-right populism
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/another-eu...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/another-eu...
Hohenschönhausen is an amazing place. I'm pleased you went there
Hello. So glad to have read 'In Search of Berlin' before visiting the city. And look what I saw for sale in the shop at Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen.
November 28, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Hohenschönhausen is an amazing place. I'm pleased you went there
As BBC bosses - and their denouncers - appear before parliament, a reminder of the hard-right plotting against the Corporation and of the haplessness of its governance and management in trying to counter it.
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
The Far Right is winning its war against the BBC
A well-meaning but frightened broadcaster in a long-term nervous breakdown
johnkampfner.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
As BBC bosses - and their denouncers - appear before parliament, a reminder of the hard-right plotting against the Corporation and of the haplessness of its governance and management in trying to counter it.
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
Reposted by John Kampfner
❔| #TTP: Are Europe’s New Asylum Policies a Betrayal of its Values?
Hard-line approaches to migration are being proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views. But does the shift break with Europe’s fundamentals?
Nine experts give their takes ⤵️
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Hard-line approaches to migration are being proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views. But does the shift break with Europe’s fundamentals?
Nine experts give their takes ⤵️
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Taking the Pulse: Are Europe’s New Asylum Policies a Betrayal of its Values?
Hard-line approaches to asylum policy are increasingly common, with crackdowns proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views on migration. Does this shift represent a break with Europ...
carnegieendowment.org
November 20, 2025 at 12:29 PM
❔| #TTP: Are Europe’s New Asylum Policies a Betrayal of its Values?
Hard-line approaches to migration are being proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views. But does the shift break with Europe’s fundamentals?
Nine experts give their takes ⤵️
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Hard-line approaches to migration are being proposed even by parties that traditionally hold liberal views. But does the shift break with Europe’s fundamentals?
Nine experts give their takes ⤵️
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Reposted by John Kampfner
The crisis in which Donald Trump is center stage is one of the deepest yet for the British broadcaster, argues John Kampfner.
Trump’s War on the BBC Is Working
The U.S. government has pushed the legendary broadcaster into a nervous breakdown.
foreignpolicy.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:30 AM
The crisis in which Donald Trump is center stage is one of the deepest yet for the British broadcaster, argues John Kampfner.
For as long as I've known it, the BBC has been a wonder for the world - and a mess. It is characterised by some brilliant, but many embattled journalists, some editorial errors, fearful management, hapless governance & far right forces ranged against it
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
The Far Right is winning its war against the BBC
A well-meaning but frightened broadcaster in a long-term nervous breakdown
johnkampfner.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM
For as long as I've known it, the BBC has been a wonder for the world - and a mess. It is characterised by some brilliant, but many embattled journalists, some editorial errors, fearful management, hapless governance & far right forces ranged against it
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-far-ri...
Travelling this morning from Charlbury (Oxfordshire) to Manchester. Three trains, one missed connection, the last train packed liked sardines. One hour late. Could have walked more quickly. Come back German railways, all is forgiven
November 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Travelling this morning from Charlbury (Oxfordshire) to Manchester. Three trains, one missed connection, the last train packed liked sardines. One hour late. Could have walked more quickly. Come back German railways, all is forgiven
This coming weekend a new museum is opening in the village of Mödlareuth in southern Germany. For decades, its 50 inhabitants were divided by a wall built over a tiny creek. The Americans called it Little Berlin. All these years later it remains incredibly moving
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Big trouble in ‘Little Berlin’: the tiny hamlet split in two by the cold war
A new museum in Mödlareuth tells the story of how a settlement of only 50 people straddled Bavaria in West Germany and Thuringia in the east
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:41 AM
This coming weekend a new museum is opening in the village of Mödlareuth in southern Germany. For decades, its 50 inhabitants were divided by a wall built over a tiny creek. The Americans called it Little Berlin. All these years later it remains incredibly moving
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
An extraordinary group of next-gen Germans and Brits, from all walks of life, super talented, coming together for the annual Young Königswinter conference in Berlin. It's been my pleasure to co-chair it for past four years with @birgitbujard.bsky.social with thanks @diplo.de and the British Embassy
October 29, 2025 at 5:26 PM
An extraordinary group of next-gen Germans and Brits, from all walks of life, super talented, coming together for the annual Young Königswinter conference in Berlin. It's been my pleasure to co-chair it for past four years with @birgitbujard.bsky.social with thanks @diplo.de and the British Embassy
Reposted by John Kampfner
All ready for this years’ Young Königswinter Conference, starting tomorrow at Europäische Akademie Berlin. Looking forward to this autumn edition of our summer conference! @johnkampfner.bsky.social @birgitbujard.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
All ready for this years’ Young Königswinter Conference, starting tomorrow at Europäische Akademie Berlin. Looking forward to this autumn edition of our summer conference! @johnkampfner.bsky.social @birgitbujard.bsky.social
No matter which way Trump swings, on Ukraine or on Gaza, Europe's demotion is firmly established. My latest @foreignpolicy.com
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/e...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/e...
The Embarrassing Demotion of Europe
How the continent became a second-class citizen on the global stage.
foreignpolicy.com
October 23, 2025 at 9:16 AM
No matter which way Trump swings, on Ukraine or on Gaza, Europe's demotion is firmly established. My latest @foreignpolicy.com
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/e...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/e...
Start of quick swing through Saxony Anhalt and Thuringia to write various pieces. First stop: the Bauhaus Museum in Dessau
October 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Start of quick swing through Saxony Anhalt and Thuringia to write various pieces. First stop: the Bauhaus Museum in Dessau
Two years ago today I published 'In Search of Berlin', a personal take on the 800 years of my adopted home. I first lived here (in the East) as a young reporter in 1988. I'm so grateful for the reception the book received, and to the many people over the years who've been on the journey with me
October 5, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Two years ago today I published 'In Search of Berlin', a personal take on the 800 years of my adopted home. I first lived here (in the East) as a young reporter in 1988. I'm so grateful for the reception the book received, and to the many people over the years who've been on the journey with me
Had the privilege of seeing Daniel Barenboim conducting the Berlin Phil last night, Schubert's 'Unfinished' and Beethoven's 7th. He was so frail but he commanded the orchestra, and the audience was in raptures. What a servant to music and the cause of peace in Israel/Palestine
October 5, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Had the privilege of seeing Daniel Barenboim conducting the Berlin Phil last night, Schubert's 'Unfinished' and Beethoven's 7th. He was so frail but he commanded the orchestra, and the audience was in raptures. What a servant to music and the cause of peace in Israel/Palestine
Off to the Romanian city of Timisoara later today for the last chapter of my book (more on that anon) and as a speaker at a summit on EU enlargement. Atmosphere will be buoyed by Moldova's (momentary) escape from Putin's clutches
timisoarasummit.eu
timisoarasummit.eu
Timișoara Cities Summit 2025 – EU Enlargement - Timișoara Cities Summit 2025
Timișoara Cities Summit on EU Enlargement 30 September 2025 Welcome to Timișoara Cities Summit 2025 It is an honor for […]
timisoarasummit.eu
September 29, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Off to the Romanian city of Timisoara later today for the last chapter of my book (more on that anon) and as a speaker at a summit on EU enlargement. Atmosphere will be buoyed by Moldova's (momentary) escape from Putin's clutches
timisoarasummit.eu
timisoarasummit.eu
Moldova isn't the only (small) ray of anti-populist sunshine in Europe this morning. In the run-off for a series of mayoralties in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's largest state, the far-right AfD lost decisively. Good night for Merz's CDU. SPD & Greens not trashed
www.euronews.com/2025/09/28/g...
www.euronews.com/2025/09/28/g...
CDU wins big in local German vote as AfD fails to secure any cities
After Germany's local elections, the CDU made significant gains, winning in Dortmund, Leverkusen and Bielefeld. Despite setbacks, the SPD celebrated victories in Cologne and other cities.
www.euronews.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Moldova isn't the only (small) ray of anti-populist sunshine in Europe this morning. In the run-off for a series of mayoralties in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's largest state, the far-right AfD lost decisively. Good night for Merz's CDU. SPD & Greens not trashed
www.euronews.com/2025/09/28/g...
www.euronews.com/2025/09/28/g...
Reposted by John Kampfner
The many faces of Tikhon Khrennikov who controlled the Soviet Union of Composers for 42 years. On @bbcradio3bot.bsky.social I map his influence over decades of cultural control. Can music ever be apolitical in a dictatorship? Listen here from Sunday evening: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
September 20, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The many faces of Tikhon Khrennikov who controlled the Soviet Union of Composers for 42 years. On @bbcradio3bot.bsky.social I map his influence over decades of cultural control. Can music ever be apolitical in a dictatorship? Listen here from Sunday evening: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Dear city of Munich, Free State of Bavaria and Government of Germany. There is no moral equivalence in these two flags
September 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Dear city of Munich, Free State of Bavaria and Government of Germany. There is no moral equivalence in these two flags
On the day Starmer and King Charles welcome the terror that is Trump, why Britain, post-Brexit, has become a leader in Europe in terms of panic-laden and short-lived governments.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/16/s...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/16/s...
Starmer Is the Dog Who Caught the Car
Britain’s prime minister fulfilled his quest for power but never knew what to do with it.
foreignpolicy.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM
On the day Starmer and King Charles welcome the terror that is Trump, why Britain, post-Brexit, has become a leader in Europe in terms of panic-laden and short-lived governments.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/16/s...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/16/s...
Writing a piece this morning on Starmer's woes @foreignpolicy.com and decided to insert these two videos, Blair 97 and Obama 08. Brings chills down the spine.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Za...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk17...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Za...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk17...
Tony Blair's famous Downing Street celebration 1997
YouTube video by New Labour
www.youtube.com
September 15, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Writing a piece this morning on Starmer's woes @foreignpolicy.com and decided to insert these two videos, Blair 97 and Obama 08. Brings chills down the spine.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Za...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk17...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Za...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk17...
So Mandelson is sacked. What I find amusing is the extent to which many Brits still cling to the view their politics are cleaner than others'. That's not my experience in 30 years of covering it (and dealing with people who got away with things) - and now watching it from one step removed
September 11, 2025 at 9:56 AM
So Mandelson is sacked. What I find amusing is the extent to which many Brits still cling to the view their politics are cleaner than others'. That's not my experience in 30 years of covering it (and dealing with people who got away with things) - and now watching it from one step removed
This is the third shortlist this summer/autumn for @lucyaash.bsky.social. Not bad, I'd say...
The British Academy Book Prize 2025 shortlist is here!
Each book offers a new perspective on issues of global importance, driven by rigorous research and an ability to tell powerful stories in an engaging and compelling way.
📖 Discover the full list here:
https://bit.ly/4glo8Jo
Each book offers a new perspective on issues of global importance, driven by rigorous research and an ability to tell powerful stories in an engaging and compelling way.
📖 Discover the full list here:
https://bit.ly/4glo8Jo
September 9, 2025 at 5:48 PM
This is the third shortlist this summer/autumn for @lucyaash.bsky.social. Not bad, I'd say...
Nice of you to say @codendahl.bsky.social, though - if I was being reductive (perish thought) - I would be a little less worried about the state of 🇩🇪 than I would of government-less 🇫🇷 and a 🇬🇧 in thrall to Farage and other extremists and clowns
No I know, @johnkampfner.bsky.social is not just a great author but an astute observer of what is going on in Germany, he wrote a great optimistic take on the country which Germans should read, maybe especially now that nothing seems to work.
September 9, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Nice of you to say @codendahl.bsky.social, though - if I was being reductive (perish thought) - I would be a little less worried about the state of 🇩🇪 than I would of government-less 🇫🇷 and a 🇬🇧 in thrall to Farage and other extremists and clowns