Patrick Costello
@patrickcostello.bsky.social
EU official and diplomat for 27 years turned writer, adviser and thinktanker. European Partnership for Democracy, Election-Watch.EU, Kofi Annan Foundation, Mines Advisory Group.
encompass-europe.com/comment/euro... by Pierre Schori, @patrickcostello.bsky.social and @aguirreernst.bsky.social
Europe’s security: don’t start with budgets
After the last 18 months, no serious European leader can honestly say that Europe doesn’t need to rethink its approach to security. We are facing the Russian threat from the East,…
encompass-europe.com
My review of “America’s Middle East” by Marc Lynch. “If the US had learned to listen and respond to the aspirations and concerns of the region’s people, it would not have continually made the wrong choices.” www.chartist.org.uk/a-continuous...
A continuous tragedy — Chartist
Patrick Costello on repeated errors America’s Middle East: The Ruination of a Region by Marc Lynch published by Hurst As Professor Marc Lynch explicitly states, his book was written at a moment of rag...
chartist.org.uk
For the Spanish speakers among you (or expert users of Google translate), this article on UK/US relations was substantially based on interviews with myself and my good friend Mariano Aguirre. www.infobae.com/espana/2026/... substack.com/@patrickcost...
Patrick COSTELLO (@patrickcostello3)
For the Spanish speakers among you (or expert users of Google translate), this article on UK/US relations was substantially based on interviews with myself and my good friend Mariano Aguirre. https:/...
substack.com
“I … am crying at the willingness of a Labour MP to throw out the post World War 2 legal order in the interests of maintaining a transatlantic relationship with a far right President. One would have thought that we had learnt that lesson from Iraq.” labourlist.org/2026/01/lett...
Letters to the Editor – week ending 11 January 2026 - LabourList
Read what people are writing to us about this week and over the festive period.
labourlist.org
My article on Macron: much for Starmer and McSweeney to learn from where his political strategy has left him… www.chartist.org.uk/political-le...
Political lessons from France — Chartist
Patrick Costello sees Macron on the back foot with the far right threatening and the left alliance fracturing Possibly the biggest irony of Emmanuel Macron’s political career is that he entered politi...
chartist.org.uk
Interview with me on Gaza in Egyptian newspaper Al-Dustour
My piece on the EU and Gaza now online. “In Brussels, those in power are continuing to wring their hands while doing the absolute minimum in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.” www.chartist.org.uk/gaza-europes...
Gaza - Europe’s last chance to act — Chartist
Patrick Costello sees much hand wringing with minimum action from Brussels Often, it is harrowing photos that change policy by forcing a sea change in public opinion that governments cannot resist. Th...
chartist.org.uk
Important initiative by 110 former MEPs calling for suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in view of the Gaza war crimes. Failure to act, they write, would leave the EU institutions in breach of EU Treaties. You can read their letter at the link below. www.politico.eu/wp-content/u...
politico.eu
Written together with Glyn Ford, a piece in the latest issue of Chartist explaining why Europe’s security doesn’t require huge boosts in defence spending: “We could have the defence we need, neither playing Trump’s numbers game not at the expense of the welfare state.”
My thoughts on Israel/Iran: “It is frightening to think that global peace and security may be hanging on whether Steve Bannon’s whispering in Trump’s ear is successful.” www.chartist.org.uk/bibis-last-g...
Bibi’s last gamble? — Chartist
Patrick Costello looks behind Netanyahu’s military offensive against Iran seeing it as a dangerous escalation of his war against Palestinians Israel’s latest illegal military action, against Iran, is ...
chartist.org.uk
Looking forward to moderating this one next Thursday
European Partnership for Democracy@epd.eu · last yr.🎙️ With: Dalia Grybauskaitė, Former President of Lithuania, former EU Commissioner for Budget and Member of the @clubdemadrid.bsky.social @sanbilal.bsky.social, @ecdpm.org Moderated by @patrickcostello.bsky.social, EPD Advisory Board
My latest article on how the US invasion of Iraq fuelled Syria’s collapse untoldmag.org/unleashing-n...
Unleashing new Demons: How the US Invasion of Iraq Fueled Syria’s Collapse - Untold
The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its blunders dismantled the state, planting the seeds of ISIS and its Syrian spillover.
untoldmag.org
Some initial thoughts on the German elections from me and Glyn Ford www.chartist.org.uk/centre-right...
chartist.org.uk
Interview in the Catalan newspaper ARA on the implications for Europe of US withdrawal of the security umbrella
Great panel in Barcelona last Thursday. A big thanks to the La Caixa foundation, to my co-panellist Aude Darnal, and to Mariano Aguirre for bringing me to Barcelona for this discussion. Our interventions were in English. m.youtube.com/watch?v=VaPJ...
So it appears that sovereign states can ban harmful social media owned by untrustworthy foreigners.
AFP News Agency@en.afp.com · 2y ago#BREAKING Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok in US, potentially denying video-sharing app to 170 million users
New article reviewing elections from 2024 ⬇️ Thanks to all the contributors @elenepanchulidze.bsky.social @patrickcostello.bsky.social, Christian Leffler, Francisco Alfaro Pareja, Ravio Patra, Sanje Vignaraja, Lukasz Kondraciuk and Adam Busuleanu europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/what-does-th...
What Does the ‘Year of Elections’ Tell Us About Democracy? - European Democracy Hub
The European Democracy Hub asked experts on democracy to reflect on the pivotal year of elections and its impact on democratic politics.
europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu
📕 With 80+ countries heading to the polls, 2024 was a 'year of elections'. We asked experts on democracy to reflect on the pivotal year and its impact on democratic politics. Explore their insights in our latest Democracy Spotlight: europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/what-does-th...
My latest piece for Chartist on Trump and Musk’s European buddies: it’s time to stop hoping for the best. www.chartist.org.uk/trumps-europ...
Trump’s European buddies — Chartist
Patrick Costello says it’s time to stop hoping for the best as the far right organise across nations As the new EU Commissioners appoint their senior staff (Cabinets) and move into their Berlaymont of...
chartist.org.uk
Happy to contribute to this publication by European Democracy Hub on last year’s “year of elections”. My contribution is on the European elections. europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/what-does-th...
What Does the ‘Year of Elections’ Tell Us About Democracy? - European Democracy Hub
The European Democracy Hub asked experts on democracy to reflect on the pivotal year of elections and its impact on democratic politics.
europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu
Mahbrouk to all my Syrian friends! But now let’s all work to ensure that Syria can move forward together beyond sectarianism and in the interests of Syrians, not the regional and international powers who have used it as their battleground for too many years.
MAG is now on BlueSky! We work in 40+ conflict-affected countries, finding & destroying landmines, cluster munitions & unexploded bombs & working to limit the causes & address the consequences of armed violence. Follow us for updates on our work around the world 🌍 Learn more here: buff.ly/2M3ztTB
Mines Advisory Group statement welcoming the ceasefire in Lebanon. Assuming it holds, the hard work of clearing unexploded ordnance and risk education for Lebanese communities can now begin. www.maginternational.org/whats-happen...
MAG statement on the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon | MAG
MAG welcomes the US and France-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon. The Lebanese people now face a huge reconstruction task that will be seriously hampered by the unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind after...
maginternational.org
My piece in Chartist international supplement that was distributed at Labour Party conference this year. Pity about the clumsy communications on reparations around the recent Commonwealth Summit. chartist.org.uk/wp-content/upl…
My latest for Chartist, written before the US elections: www.chartist.org.uk/portents-fro...
Portents from Austria — Chartist
As a party with Nazi roots tops the poll in Austria Patrick Costello examines the far right threat across Europe The clear win by Austria’s far right FPÖ in national elections on 30 September was furt...
chartist.org.uk
I have decided to post a thread to explain the current situation to BlueSky users outside of Brazil.
Eileen Clancy 🧿@clancyny.bsky.social · 2y agoYes, please. :) Anything would help. I'm ignorant. :) You just arrived to Bluesky a few hours ago? Is that right? Are you finding people you know? Or want to know?
