L'articolo If the next pope is European, he might be from Southern Europe. Or Italian, or Portuguese, or Spanish. The wind of providence will inevitably blow in the direction of the Mediterranean dimension of Europe. Lest we begin to call it EurAfrica proviene da Bubble report.

A certain European left, as usual, confuses form with substance. Some would say that form is substance, but we have to look at certain phenomena objectively: it’s childish to talk about a difference between Atlanticism and the West, because they are two sides of the same coin. Screaming about the fascist danger when talking about Trump is pointless, also because in the United States there is a constitution with solid checks and balances that still exists. Trump’s attempt to separate the Russians from the Chinese, however belated, has its raison d’être from his point of view. For many years, the United States has been asking Europe to make a greater financial and political commitment to defense. This does not contradict, but rather reinforces, the need for Europe to play a more prominent role on the international stage. It also reinforces the idea of a common European defense, which can only develop as an integral part of the Atlantic Alliance. But to do this, we need to start again in the spirit of the post-war treaties. We had 80 years to build a state and we didn’t succeed. And yet the friendship between the peoples of the continent has grown. 

Of course, to do this, we must have the courage to start again from the one thing that should unite the peoples of Europe as one people: God. 

As is done in the best constitutional traditions of the West. 

Here is an example of what the preamble of a new European constitution would sound like, following the example of the Swiss constitution: 

In the name of Almighty God!
The peoples and states of Europe,
Conscious of their responsibility for the creation
Resolved to renew their alliance in order to strengthen freedom, democracy, independence and peace in a spirit of solidarity and openness to the world
Determined to live together in mutual consideration and respect for their diversity
Conscious of their common achievements and of their responsibilities towards future generations
and in the knowledge that only those who exercise their freedom remain free, and that the strength of a people is measured by the well-being of its most vulnerable members.

L'articolo A ridiculous European radical chic left: they cry out against Trump’s fascism and come up with new arguments that don’t hold water. They have invented a new difference: on the one hand Atlanticism and on the other hand the West, as if the EU wasn’t the fruit of the Atlantic relationship. They don’t understand that the number one problem of the USA has only one name: China. And therefore, from their point of view, it makes sense to try to separate Russia from China. So the EU has an opportunity to finally become a real political entity with the Brits in it proviene da Bubble report.

It is no coincidence that the issue was discussed last week at the meeting of the EPP presidency (Manfred Weber and his deputies, as well as the heads of delegations) in Stockholm. While the Italian (led by Antonio Tajani, who just yesterday announced his intention to run for the vice-presidency again at the Valencia congress at the end of April), Spanish, Croatian and Greek members are pushing to the right, a large part of the German delegation, the Swedes and other Nordic countries are more inclined to look to the center, preserving the so-called “Ursula majority”. So it’s not surprising that the meeting in the Swedish capital resulted in a document (the Stockholm Declaration) that focuses heavily on security, combating violence against women and children, fighting terrorism, protecting IT infrastructures and guarding against foreign interference. All central issues, of course. But on which there is also broad agreement, unlike other dossiers such as immigration and the environment (whose fate is not independent of the political balance in Germany, where Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Opel and Volkswagen are based).

In short, the German elections will determine the course of the EPP for years to come. With an eye also on Washington, because tensions over tariffs and the relationship with Donald Trump risk becoming a critical element in the relationship between the EPP and the ECR (the party of which Giorgia Meloni was president until last December). At the moment, the ECR seems to be waiting on the sidelines to understand what the impact will be on the rules in the Parliament. Will the EPP continue to be at the disposal of the “Venezuelan majority” on some specific fronts (starting with migrants and green issues, which are not even mentioned in the Stockholm Declaration), or will it – thanks to the coalition with the SPD in Berlin – also look to the center on these issues? The answer will only be known in a few months when the new German government is formed. Only then will we understand in which direction the political balance in Brussels is shifting.

A strengthening of the “Ursula majority” could bring the ECR and the Patriots closer together (together they have 162 MEPs, 26 less than the EPP but 26 more than the S&D). Moreover, the conservatives and the sovereigntists speak to a largely overlapping electorate, minus the never-voiced tones of the former. With one major difference: their position on Ukraine. If this obstacle were removed – if, for example, Moscow and Kiev were to actually begin negotiations – there’s no reason why the two groups couldn’t coordinate their efforts on a permanent basis. Except, of course, for the far right of the ESN, which includes Germany’s AfD.

L'articolo The EPP is waiting for the vote in Germany and the subsequent formation of a government to see how to proceed. The Stockholm Declaration only talks about security and other agreeable issues, without any reference to green policies or immigration. Not to mention economic policy. Yesterday, during the vote in Strasbourg on the annual report on the ECB, an issue came to the fore that is common to almost all political parties (S&D, Renew, EPP, ECR, etc.), namely the differences between frugal and pro-European states on EU economic policy. In fact, even in the EPP, some MEPs abstained on amendments proposed by the Left, which rightly pointed out the dysfunctionality of a system that has a common monetary policy without a common fiscal and industrial policy, and also criticized the ECB for its too rigid interest rate policy. proviene da Bubble report.

L'articolo BUBBLEFLASH – The mystery of the MEGA hats delivered to all MEPs in Brussels: who could have sent the funny gadget? And for what reason? The name refers to the movement conceived by Elon Musk to expand MAGA to Europe. Perhaps this is a sign that anticipates some move that could come soon proviene da Bubble report.

L'articolo The European caviar left is now tearing its hair out over the danger Musk poses to democracy. In contrast, when he was funding Democratic campaigns, he was something of a myth. Of course, not a word about Soros or the CEO of JP Morgan. The latter in particular wants to open the world’s largest digital bank in Europe by gobbling up European savings and acquiring sensitive data. But since the banks have always been generous with the Left all over the world, for heaven’s sake, no one says anything. The usual double standards proviene da Bubble report.

L'articolo BUBBLEFLASH – The Council of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) has just elected former Polish Prime Minister and PiS leader Mateusz Morawiecki as its president, succeeding Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The head of the FDI delegation in the European Parliament, Carlo Fidanza, is one of the three vice-presidents of the ECR, the others being Marion Marechal of France and George Simion of Romania proviene da Bubble report.

Chinese influence began in 1999 with the delivery of the Panama Canal and the granting of concessions to the Chinese company Hutchison-Whampoa to operate the canal’s ports. China thus became the main trading partner. Then, in 2017, the Panamanian government officially recognized the People’s Republic of China. The “Integrated Strategy” document for Panama, published by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022, refers extensively to these issues. The text states that “Panama’s 2024 presidential election is imminent. A new administration may be more susceptible to economic and political pressure from the People’s Republic of China, which could adversely affect the status of the United States as Panama’s preferred partner. What the United States, not just Trump, will do everything to avoid.

L'articolo In Greenland, the plan is Biden’s. And Europe sleeps as usual, lost in ritual declarations about the inviolability of borders under the now blind leadership of France and Germany. No one seems to want to understand that Trump’s shock phrases are more an invitation to the allies to open their eyes. In fact, the activism of China and Russia in such a resource-rich and increasingly crucial region as the Arctic should have worried the EU the most. Which, as usual, has no idea how to defend the area because it has no common army. And so it does not even consider how to exploit the raw materials that are essential for the continent proviene da Bubble report.

Musk has a history of making controversial statements, which have been met with waves of criticism. He has commented on NATO (questioning “why NATO continued to exist”) and Ukraine (mocking the words of President Zelensky). Most recently, he called the European Commission (EC) an “undemocratic” institution.

Earlier, in August, Musk accused the EU of meddling in U.S. internal affairs, when then-Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton sent him an open letter. Breton warned against spreading harmful content on X and imposing a political narrative in connection with a planned live broadcast of an interview with Donald Trump on the platform.

American media estimate that the billionaire spent at least $270 million on Donald Trump’s campaign. Critics argue that this sum should include the amount he paid for Twitter (now X), where he and other Trump supporters disseminated a large volume of content favoring Republicans and aggressively criticized the Democratic candidate.

Musk’s recent comments about the EC were, unsurprisingly, not well-received in Brussels. European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho stated this week that the billionaire’s remarks about the “undemocratic” EC are an attempt to interfere in the internal politics of the European Union.

Pinho, however, did not wish to comment on statements made by U.S. Vice President-elect JD Vance. In September, during the election campaign, on a television program, Vance threatened that the U.S. might withdraw its support for NATO if the European Commission does not halt the enforcement of European digital regulations on platforms. Especially on X. The EC spokeswoman said that this is clear interference in our internal politics, and she was not going to address it

L'articolo After Musk’s remarks about the EU being ‘undemocratic’, in Brussels there is strong disapproval of the creator of SpaceX and Tesla and his views. This is not the first instance of tension in this relationship. Meanwhile, the billionaire’s influence, having spent the past few weeks with President-elect Donald Trump, is growing and will inevitably influence his policies and his attitude towards the old Continent proviene da Bubble report.

L'articolo BUBBLEFLASH – Parliament approves the Commission that will govern the old continent for the next five years. A team that will be the most conservative in a long time: almost half of the 27 commissioners, including von der Leyen, are from the centre-right, one is an ultraconservative and one is from the far right. There were 370 votes in favour, far fewer than last July. Not a particularly encouraging sign proviene da Bubble report.

The first-round victory of Calin Georgescu, the candidate of the pro-Russian ultra-right, took everyone by surprise. His campaign had been hammering away on TikTok in recent weeks. According to the Central Election Commission in Bucharest, Georgescu received 22.9 percent of the vote, while Elena Lasconi received 19.18 percent, only slightly more than Ciolacu’s 19.15 percent. The difference was around 2,500 votes. Fourth, surprisingly, with 13.9 percent, was George Simion, also on the far right and pro-Russian positions, leader of the sovereignist Aur party, which the polls had instead shown to be the clear winner and Ciolacu’s likely challenger in the second round. But no one can really understand how a man who won 22.9 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential election could be so underestimated by pollsters and analysts. For some, being under the radar paradoxically helped him.

He could move freely without media attention. And he could say anything that the other right-wing candidate, George Simion, avoided being ostracized before the vote. Georgescu, on the other hand, at 62 years old, continued to gather support everywhere, triumphing among what he called “the humiliated, those who feel they don’t count and instead count more, with a vote that is a prayer for the nation. He wooed ranchers and farmers with his agricultural engineering background and promises of lower taxes and higher production. He tickled the nostalgia vote by praising prominent figures of early 20th century Romanian fascism, Ion Antonescu and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. He pandered to young people, the real users of TikTok. He criticized the European Union. And he went all out on the most important issue for Europe and NATO’s eastern flank: cutting off aid to Ukraine.

“The Romanians shouted their demand for peace. And they did it with extreme force,” Georgescu commented after the results. And that will be the theme of the runoff with center-right and pro-European candidate Lasconi (who has already received the support of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who came in third).

This is an existential challenge for Romania, as the country has been increasingly confirmed as a key NATO player in recent years. The alliance has five thousand soldiers stationed in Romanian bases. From the runways of Mihail Kogalniceanu, Atlantic fighter jets patrol the skies against incursions by Russian jets. Earlier this year, Bucharest and Brussels announced that the same base in Constanta, on the Black Sea, would become NATO’s largest military outpost, capable of housing up to 10,000 troops. And with Ukrainian ports unable to receive grain, the port of Constanza has become Kiev’s grain corridor.

Georgescu has long had his eye on aid to Ukraine. And NATO is the populist leader’s first problem. He considers it useless and incapable of protecting its members. He has criticized the anti-missile system deployed at Deveselu, calling it “a disgrace.”

He looks up to Vladimir Putin’s moves, even suggesting that Romania should follow the Kremlin’s agenda. And it is no coincidence that many also see in his victory Russia’s ability to influence the election through the scientific manipulation of social media.

Georgescu’s videos were often shared by Russian media and accounts close to Moscow. It is a technique that has been used in other contexts and monitored by Western intelligence agencies for years. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was careful to point out that no one knows Georgescu’s positions on Romanian-Russian relations. But it is clear that Putin will pay close attention to the election results. And even if the pro-Western candidate wins on December 8, the czar would have plenty of reasons to smile. At least as much as the voters who warned Bucharest and those who fully embraced it.

L'articolo Western Europe’s most important eastern flank surprised everyone with the first-round victory of Calin Georgescu, the candidate of the pro-Russian ultra-right. Romanian farmers and young people find Putin more attractive than Lady Ursula. In fact, if we are still arguing about yes or no to Eurobonds, or if we are still arguing about whether or not to put nativity scenes in institutions instead of creating a common European army and focusing on the traditions of Western culture, the battle with the Authoritarian East will be lost already at its start proviene da Bubble report.