Happy Festival of the Recruitment

Giving evidence last year on how financial rule breaking in 1996 led to the resignation of the European Commission in 1999 www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/e...

Welcome to England. A first glimpse of spring but with no right to roam.

I am delighted to have been nominated for a @royalholloway.bsky.social Education Excellence Award. One of the comments from a nominating student said: 'From facilitating the greatest and most inspirational lectures and seminars... 1/2

I was just going through my old files when I found this: my calling out of Matt Goodwin on twitter from January 2017.

This evening I attended a rejoin #Erasmus+ celebration at Westminster addressed by Europe Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds MP @europeanmovement.co.uk

If a Latin American head of state can be kidnapped, the same can happen to the head of government of a NATO country.

Bulgaria joins the eurozone as its 21st country after formally adopting the euro.

Some good news: UK to rejoin #Erasmus+ but let's cautiously wait until details are published tomorrow. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme

Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say

theguardian.com

In 2014, 24 MEPs were elected for #UKIP. In 2019, only 3 were reselected for the Brexit Party: Farage himself, Gill and one other www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d... 1/2

UK to hold inquiry into foreign financial interference in domestic politics

Review, which will focus on effectiveness of political finance laws, follows conviction of former Reform politician for accepting bribes

theguardian.com

🇪🇺🇬🇧At the 11th edition of the Oxford Symposium, the 3rd panel discusses redefining the state & public policies: 🔺 Giacomo Benedetto 🔺 Andy Western MP 🔺 Maria Jepsen @eurofound.europa.eu 🔺 Pascal Smet 🔺 @afscharian.bsky.social 🔺Joni Smith 🔺 @francoisbalate.bsky.social 👉 bit.ly/GreatUnravel...

I am very pleased to have taken part in the @feps-europe.eu Oxford Symposium 2025 feps-europe.eu/event/11th-o... 1/2

11th Oxford Symposium - Foundation for European Progressive Studies

FEPS, Progressive Britain, and the Karl-Renner-Institut are proud to co-organise yet another edition (11th) of […]

feps-europe.eu

#NigelFarage reference in a 2014 Guardian interview with UKIP's founder Alan Sked, 1/2

Poland‘s Vice President Radoslaw Sikorski absolutely torches Elon Musk.

I'll not forget what Alan Sked told me at the LSE about the attitudes that Farage had when he and Sked first met in the early 1990s, a decade after the reported incidents at Dulwich www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I’ll never forget the look of hatred Nigel Farage had for me at school, simply for existing

The Reform UK leader doubts people can recall their abuse from years ago. I’ve never forgotten his – it felt malicious

theguardian.com

Dans le Nord, des activistes anglais d’extrême droite veulent stopper les migrants

Dans le Nord, des activistes anglais d’extrême droite veulent stopper les migrants

lemonde.fr

#Salzburg

Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action... (from my presentation at the IMF last week)

Regional government elections are being held today in Veneto, Puglia & Campania. If things go as predicted there should be easy wins for the centre-right in Veneto & the centre-left in Puglia. Campania should also go to the centre-left by a smaller majority. Voting continues tomorrow until 3 p.m.

Urne aperte in Veneto, Campania e Puglia: oggi e lunedì si vota

Il presidente uscente Luca Zaia ha votato a San Vendemiano accompagnato dalla moglie

lasicilia.it

Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales sentenced to 10-and-a-half years for taking pro-Russia bribes

Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales sentenced to 10-and-a-half years for taking pro-Russian bribes

The judge tells Nathan Gill his actions were a "grave betrayal" of the electorate's trust and inflicted "profound harm".

bbc.co.uk

There is a perception that #Erasmus-plus is only for middle class language students @labour4europe.bsky.social. The new proposal is open to negotation but it is clear about including 'Learning mobility of vocational education', Art. 4(1)b: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conten... 1/3

FT reporting that the Brits want to rejoin Erasmus+ but with a 50% rebate. I'll just let that sink in #EUreset #Erasmus on.ft.com/43d4lGI

EU demands UK pay into budget as part of relationship ‘reset’

Growing tension between London and Brussels just six months after summit set out to build stronger ties

on.ft.com

The European Commisson should steer well clear of adding pension reform as an item of conditionality to the #EUbudget #MFF www.politico.eu/article/eu-f...

EU considers withholding funds from countries that don’t fix pension systems

Brussels fears Europe’s aging population will cause fiscal crises unless member countries address unsustainable retirement systems.

politico.eu

The European Commisson should steer well clear of adding pension reform as an item of conditionality to the #EUbudget #MFF www.politico.eu/article/eu-f...

EU considers withholding funds from countries that don’t fix pension systems

Brussels fears Europe’s aging population will cause fiscal crises unless member countries address unsustainable retirement systems.

politico.eu

A few weeks ago at @cont.europarl.europa.eu I was honoured to present research on the #EUbudget audit and #discharge for 1996 that led to the resignation of the @ec.europa.eu in 1999. www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/e... @euauditors.bsky.social @rhulpir.bsky.social #BrusselsTreaty1975

Conference on 50 years of the budgetary Treaty of Brussels | Other events | Events | CONT | Committees | European Parliament

All the available information relating to other public CONT events involving external speakers. Links to programmes and contributions from speakers.

europarl.europa.eu

At the start of September, I was very pleased to give a paper at the UK PSA Teaching & Learning Conference. My talk focused on my experience of taking undergrads to Brussels to visit the EU's institutions and to evaluate de-colonisation at the Africa Museum in Tervuren. @rhulpir.bsky.social

All European Parliament committees are now on Bluesky.

EP Press Service@press.europarl.europa.eu · 12mo ago

We are delighted to announce that the European Parliament's Bluesky family is expanding, with the arrival of accounts for each of the Parliament's Committees 🦋 Check out the full list below, and follow them for regular updates on Committee activity - votes, meetings, etc.!

11-post thread that describes the violent but gradual establishment of fascism in Italy during the 1920s with no single Enabling Law. It may be a more valid comparator for today's challenges than the rapid establishment of authoritarianism in Germany in 1933.

Giacomo Benedetto@gbenedetto.bsky.social · 12mo ago

The rise of authoritarianism and autarky. Italy, 1921-26, is a more relevant comparator than Germany in 1933. By 1926, fascist totalitarianism was in place. In a climate of militia violence and several fascist laws from 1924, the dictatorship took hold and not through a single Enabling Act. 1/n

The rise of authoritarianism and autarky. Italy, 1921-26, is a more relevant comparator than Germany in 1933. By 1926, fascist totalitarianism was in place. In a climate of militia violence and several fascist laws from 1924, the dictatorship took hold and not through a single Enabling Act. 1/n