Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Catherine E. de Vries

@catherinedevries.bsky.social

11K followers 1.9K following 1.3K posts

Generali Endowed Chair in European Policies, President of the Institute of European Policy Making at Bocconi University (she/her) www.catherinedevries.eu Respect the Marble Substack: catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

Videos

Catherine E. de Vries is a Dutch political scientist. She is Dean of Diversity & Inclusion and Professor of Political Science at Bocconi University. She is known for her research on European politics, including political behaviour, comparative European politics and political economy. She is also a columnist for the Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad. .. more

Political science 78%

Sociology 8%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · Sep 4

📢 Launching the Etched in Marble series on my Substack today.
 💡 Conversations with writers + thinkers about how ideas last.

First guest: Simon Kuper, FT columnist & author of Football Against the Enemy & Chums

🔗 catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-...

🧵

Etched in Marble: Simon Kuper on Clarity, Memory, and Why Writing Still Matters

Writers on the Forces That Shape Us and the Writing That Endures

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

1 4 19

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Simon van Teutem @simonvanteutem.bsky.social · 6h

Nederlandse kiezers zijn massaal voorstander van de CPB-doorrekening. Toch weigert @geertwilderspvv mee te doen. Van een partij die mee wil regeren, mag de kiezer meer verwachten.

Vandaag in @nrc.nl: www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Opinie | Politici dromen op andersmans rekening en komen ermee weg

Verkiezingen: Iedereen kan beloftes doen op de bonnefooi – zonder doorrekening van het CPB. Maar politiek draait om schaarste, ziet Simon van Teutem.

www.nrc.nl

3 11 22

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 6h

Looking back at yesterday's motions of censure against the EU Commission, they really drove down how France's political crisis is spilling over into the EU:

-> Both the far-left and the far-right motions of censures came from French MEPs, uploading their fight against 'centrists'

1 8 23

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Simon Kuper @simonkuper.bsky.social · 6h

Leuk (vind ik althans) @nrc.nl interview over het WK, n.a.v. mijn nieuwe boek, De wereld aan mijn voeten - over de negen WKs die ik sinds Italia '90 bezocht, en wat het toernooi betekent www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

‘WK’s veranderen de wereld niet, ze werpen er wel een verhelderend licht op’

Simon Kuper schrijver-journalistJournalist Simon Kuper (55) volgde in zijn loopbaan negen WK’s van nabij. Hij zag hoe politiek en commercie het prestigieuze voetbaltoernooi steeds meer in hun greep na...

www.nrc.nl

1 2 8

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you for reading, Ben!

Reposted by Daniela Schwarzer, Catherine E. De Vries, Nicolai von Ondarza

Carnegie Europe @carnegieeurope.bsky.social · 1d

❔| #TTP: Does France's Political Crisis Weaken Europe's Geopolitical Hand?

While the EU tries to navigate international challenges, France is experiencing historic political disarray. What impact will instability in Paris have on Europe's strategic capacity? ⤵️
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...

Taking the Pulse: Does France's Political Crisis Weaken Europe's Geopolitical Hand?

While the EU tries to navigate a myriad international challenges, France is experiencing historic political disarray. What impact will instability in Paris have on Europe's geostrategic capacity?

carnegieendowment.org

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you much for your kind words and see you at the coffee break.

1 1

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Rahel Freiburghaus @rfrbrghs.bsky.social · 1d

Prof @catherinedevries.bsky.social: „Demonstrate that the state can efficiently serve its citizens“

Truly the best keynote I’ve ever had the privilege of listening to, incredibly powerful &inspiring. It invited so many fields into a conversation we urgently need: how to design a state that delivers

2 6 36

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you Virginia!

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Virginia Mucchi @virginiamucchi.bsky.social · 1d

@catherinedevries.bsky.social interviews @casmudde.bsky.social. Very interesting and insightful as usual.

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-...

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

2 1 4

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Interestingly it was in English. Cas and I sometimes find that easier! 🤣

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

It was such a joy to have this conversation with you.

I’m so privileged to be able to write these posts and hope folks will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries, Mirya R. Holman, Ben Worthy

Cas Ⓜ️udde @casmudde.bsky.social · 2d

This was a really challenging interview and I thank @catherinedevries.bsky.social for pushing me to reflect on why and how I write. I was kind of surprised by the result myself.

Hope you like it… and read the other interesting interviews by her.

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Writing isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you refuse to lose in the process.

Read my conversation with Cas Mudde on writing, voice, and resisting conformity in academia, in the media, and on the page.

🔗 catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-...

🧵

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

1 6 30

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

📢 I would love to hear from others about how they try to find and protect their voice in a world that rewards volume and hot takes. Let me know!

Message me here, via my Substack or email.

end/

1 5

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Read more about my conversation with Cas Mudde here 👇

🔗 catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-...

Thank you so much @casmudde.bsky.social for taking the time! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

10/

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

1 1 2

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

His advice for writers: “Value voice over volume.”

It’s not about producing more, publishing more, or being everywhere.

It’s about sounding like yourself.

9/

1 1 4

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Finding and protecting one’s voice has become even harder.

Across media, and now through AI, language is being standardised, polished until it all sounds the same.

“We risk narrowing the debate,” Mudde warns.

8/

1 1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

What struck me most: his commitment to his voice.

After writing for outlets like The New York Times, he would sometimes get edits back and think: “That wasn’t my voice.”

7/

1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

But these maps change with life.

“When I was single, I could work anytime. Now, with a family, it’s harder.”

Writing, like life, adapts to circumstance.

6/

1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

He can’t write until he sees the structure. “If I don’t see the structure, it means I don’t see my argument.”

The structure is the map. Once he has it, the words flow.

5/

1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

That contrast says a lot: some writing exists to meet expectations, and other writing to make sense of the world.

You do your best writing, Mudde suggests, when you manage to do both.

4/

1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

“When I write op-eds,” Mudde told me, “it’s often because I can’t get something out of my head. I need to start my day by writing it down.”

Academic writing, he added, is “more instrumental, because academia pushes you to.”

3/

1 1 1

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Cas Mudde is one of the world’s leading experts on populism & the far right.

In our conversation for Etched in Marble we talked about his writing, finding one’s voice, and the quiet power of staying true to oneself.

2/

1 1

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Mirya R. Holman, Nicolai von Ondarza

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

catherineeunicedevries.substack.com

3 8 32

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 2d

Big congrats to you all, and definitely a great contribution.

Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · 3d

Great work, Alvaro!

1 2

Reposted by Tim Bale, Catherine E. De Vries

Tim Haughton @timhaughton.bsky.social · 3d

A quick take on the Czech elections 🇨🇿 written with one of my PhD students, Marek Prsin: views-from-central-and-balkan-countries.eu/motorists-pi... @sarahobolt.bsky.social @filipkostelka.bsky.social @petraguasti.bsky.social @zsolt.bsky.social @timbale.bsky.social @catherinedevries.bsky.social

Motorists, Pirates and Dissatisfied Citizens: Recipes for Electoral Success in the Czech Republic – Views from Central Europe and the Balkans

views-from-central-and-balkan-countries.eu

2 3

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries, Jon H. Fiva

Giovanna Invernizzi @ginvernizzi.bsky.social · 5d

Please share!

Call for papers in the formal theory section at EPSS 2026 @epssnet.bsky.social.

Call for papers is open: epssnet.org/belfast-2026...

We welcome individual and panel submissions on all substantive areas of political science!

Call for Papers | EPSS Belfast 2026 Conference

Submit your abstract or full paper for EPSS Belfast 2026. Share cutting‑edge political science research, network with peers & contribute to academic impact.

epssnet.org

6 3

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries, Laurent Pech, Marie-Laure Basilien-Gainche

Alberto Alemanno @alemanno.bsky.social · 5d

It’s high time to present European integration not as a threat to national identity, but as the means to protect and strengthen it -
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Europe should be standing up to Trump and Putin – instead it is mirroring them | Alberto Alemanno

Public opinion is clamouring for closer EU cooperation. The last thing we need is Ursula von der Leyen pandering to the far right, says Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet professor of EU law at HEC Paris

www.theguardian.com

3 10 38

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Marike Stellinga @marikestellinga.bsky.social · 6d

www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Waarom euro-obligaties wél een goed idee zijn

Column: De EU is een economische macht van jewelste. Toch leunt het Europese financiële systeem nog steeds op de dollar en de Amerikaanse centrale bank. Dat moet anders.

www.nrc.nl

2 10 35

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries

Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos @ipp-csic.bsky.social · 6d

El próximo miércoles recibimos a Simone Cremaschi (@simonecremaschi.bsky.social) de la Bocconi University.

👉 Acceso libre hasta completar aforo.

Vente al @cchscsic.bsky.social, tómate un café ☕ y escucha, comparte e intercambia ideas con otros investigadores y estudiantes.

¡Te esperamos!