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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Ramsha Jahangir @ramshajahangir.bsky.social · 1d

Last week, a Dutch court ordered Meta to give Facebook & Instagram users the right to set a chronological feed by default - one of the first EU cases applying the DSA in civil proceedings.

To unpack what this means, I spoke with @bitsoffreedom.bsky.social:

www.techpolicy.press/what-a-dutch...

What a Dutch Court Ruling Against Meta Signals for Private DSA Enforcement | TechPolicy.Press

Tech Policy Press spoke with Rejo Zenger, Policy and Advocacy Lead at Bits of Freedom, to better understand the significance of the ruling.

www.techpolicy.press

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 2d

Brussels to curb the travel of Russian diplomats within the EU, in response to a surge in sabotage attempts that intelligence agencies say are led by spies operating under diplomatic cover.

Czech-led initiative backed after Hungary drops its veto. With @andybounds.bsky.social

on.ft.com/46Umr0T

EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount

[FREE TO READ] Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats

on.ft.com

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Yann Wernert @wernertyann.bsky.social · 2d

Ratlosigkeit, zwei gewichtige Rücktritte (von Premier Lecornu und jetzt auch Kurzzeit-Armeeminister Le Maire), keine wirklich guten Optionen.

Wie geht's weiter?

Meine 2 cents dazu habe ich heute mit WDR (Aktuelle Stunde, heute 18.45 Uhr) und Table.Today (Veröffentlichung morgen früh) geteilt.

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Yann Wernert @wernertyann.bsky.social · 3d

Schrumpfen statt wachsen? Eine neue französische Regierung steht, und zwei Parteien aus der bisherigen Minderheitsregierung drohen auszusteigen, LR und UDI. Die Opposition kocht. Was ist passiert?

Kurzfassung und Erklärungen im 🧵

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Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 5d

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Maximilian Henning @maximilian-henning.bsky.social · 5d

Tiktok deleted several bots following an “emergency meeting” with the @ec.europa.eu on the Czech elections, a spokesperson said today.

Read my article at @euractiv.com:

www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Commission held 'emergency' talks with Tiktok over Czech elections | Euractiv

Video-sharing platform removed “several bots” following yesterday's meeting, according to a Commission spokesperson

www.euractiv.com

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 9d

El Pais reporting on increasing Russian interference efforts to sabotage and divide Europe.

EL PAÍS @elpais.com · 11d

Rusia busca desestabilizar Europa con su 'guerra híbrida'. Documentos confidenciales de las instituciones comunitarias advierten de un “incremento” de sabotajes, ciberataques, actos de interferencia política e incursiones en el espacio aéreo europeo

Rusia redobla las injerencias y sabotajes para dividir a Europa

Documentos confidenciales de las instituciones comunitarias a los que ha accedido EL PAÍS advierten de un “incremento” de las actividades híbridas de Moscú

social.elpais.com

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Jakub Jaraczewski @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social · 10d

🇲🇩🗳️ 🇪🇺 Astonishingly, it's Moldova that proves that a democratic rebound is sustainable, even in the face of massive interference from a malicious superpower. Maia Sandu's PAS needs to improve its delivery of promises, but voters haven't given up on Moldova's European dream. 1/

Anastasia Pociumban @pociumban.bsky.social · 10d

Moldova has voted: PAS wins with 50.15%, beating the polls despite Russian interference.

The people chose a pro-EU, reform path. Meanwhile, the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc (24%) calls for protests. PAS must now deliver reforms & lead Moldova toward EU accession.

#Moldova #Elections #EU

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 14d

The result is a directive that would likely do little to address malign foreign influence but carries risks for unwanted side effects.

Let's see how European policy makers decide to go forward with this issue - the EP's Internal Market Committee is set to vote on the proposed directive in October.

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 14d

But: The EU has very limited competence to act in this area. The Defense of Democracy package’s Directive on Third Country Interest Representation is an attempt to legislate in the – in my opinion fairly small – area where its competence and foreign influencing strategies overlap.

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 14d

In short, I argue that malign foreign meddling has a distinct European dimension because vulnerabilities in one member state can spill over to others and the EU level. The EU also has a vested interest in protecting national and European democratic institutions from eroding foreign influence.

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 14d

This week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by @ftm.eu on malign foreign influencing strategies and EU’s response to it.
You can find the full interview by @alistairkeepe.bsky.social (and featuring some very nice office pictures by @albacita.bsky.social) here

www.ftm.eu/articles/int...

EU has the power to fight foreign meddling – but isn’t using it, democracy expert says

Foreign actors are intensfying their efforts to influence Europe’s democracies, and the EU is scrambling to respond. Its lawmakers are set to vote this week on creating national transparency registers...

www.ftm.eu

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 15d

Thanks Francesco 😊

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Alistair Keepe @alistairkeepe.bsky.social · 15d

For @ftm.eu I interviewed the Jacques Delors Centre’s democracy expert @luisequaritsch.bsky.social on the issue of covert malign interference in the EU.

Quaritsch warns that while the dangers are increasing (“it’s not just Russia or China anymore”), the EU remains “uniquely vulnerable” to threats.

EU has the power to fight foreign meddling – but isn’t using it, democracy expert says

Foreign actors are intensfying their efforts to influence Europe’s democracies, and the EU is scrambling to respond. Its lawmakers are set to vote this week on creating national transparency registers...

www.ftm.eu

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Jacques Delors Centre @delorsberlin.bsky.social · 15d

"It’s all connected. I believe this multi-level governance system makes the EU uniquely vulnerable [...]. A vulnerability in one area becomes a vulnerability for all."

@luisequaritsch.bsky.social talks to @ftm.eu about foreign meddling and protecting European democracy 👉 www.ftm.eu/articles/int...

EU has the power to fight foreign meddling – but isn’t using it, democracy expert says

Foreign actors are intensfying their efforts to influence Europe’s democracies, and the EU is scrambling to respond. Its lawmakers are set to vote this week on creating national transparency registers...

www.ftm.eu

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Thu Nguyen @onethuthree.bsky.social · 19d

If true, we might as well bury the concept of rule of law conditionality. The EU cannot keep letting itself be blackmailed by Orbán into unfreezing funds withheld over rule of law violations in exchange for lifting his veto, unless it truly wants to lose all credibility as a guardian of EU values

Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 20d

The EU is bribing Orban to ditch Russian energy imports

www.ft.com/content/0965...

EU plans to unlock €550mn for Hungary in bid to secure Russia sanctions deal

Brussels seeks to overcome Viktor Orbán’s veto by unfreezing funds earmarked for Budapest

www.ft.com

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Curd Knüpfer @curdknupfer.bsky.social · 22d

One pitfall of buying into the ‘polarization’ narrative is casting yourself as the polar opposite of someone who’s also just chasing attention -- but is simply better at it than you.

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Sophie in't Veld @sophieintveld.bsky.social · 23d

What took them so long?

Euractiv @euractiv.com · 23d

EXCLUSIVE: Europe’s socialists to exclude Fico’s Smer party in October

The expulsion will cut Fico off from Europe’s mainstream left.

dlvr.it

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Thu Nguyen @onethuthree.bsky.social · 27d

Unsere neue EU to go-Folge ist da! Mit Markus Preiß, ARD-Hauptstadtstudioleiter und langjährigem Brüssel-Kenner:
open.spotify.com/episode/2vGZ...

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Thu Nguyen @onethuthree.bsky.social · 28d

Wie erklärt man die EU einem Millionenpublikum? Wie unterscheidet sich die Berichterstattung aus Brüssel und Berlin? Und was erwarten unsere EU-Partner von DE?

Darüber spreche ich mit Markus Preiß, Leiter des ARD-Hauptstadtstudios & langjähriger Brüssel-Journalist: open.spotify.com/episode/2vGZ...

EU to go. Europa unboxed – Ein Gespräch mit Markus Preiß

open.spotify.com

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Reposted by Luise Quaritsch

Protzko @protzko.bsky.social · 29d

Algorithms are not necessary for the creation of echo chambers.

All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences.

From @pettertornberg.com

#psych

arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 29d

*Australia, not Austria

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 29d

On rule of law, she said the link between funds and respect for the rule of law will be even stronger in the next long-term budget. 5/5

Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 29d

She also announced that she would launch a new Media Resilience Programme to support independent journalism and media literacy.

On platform regulation, her focus was clearly on the protection of minors, calling Austria "pioneers" in the area of social media restriction. 4/5

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Luise Quaritsch @luisequaritsch.bsky.social · 29d

In her speech, von der Leyen framed the Democracy Shield as addressing "information manipulation and disinformation".

In the overview of proposed initiatives on the Commission's website, a "European Center for Democratic Resilience" is not mentioned, however, only the Democracy Shield. 3/5

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