Levent Özen’s Post

Denouncing Nicolas Maduro's autocracy and its manipulation of elections is a matter of principles. But acting as if all the Venezuelan opposition shares the EU' proclaimed principles of liberal democracy and justice is a risky delusion. The EU should be cautious and express its "preferential option" within the opposition for those who share these values. It should make sure it does not back people who are closer to Trump or Milei's national populism or libertarianism than to liberal democracy. The press should also do its job and explain us who is who in Venezuela's opposition. It did the same mistakes when in 1978-79 it gave its blessing to the anti-Somoza coalition without distinguishing between the Marxist-leninist Frente sandinista comandantes and the rest of the opposition. Or about Solidarnosc in the 1980s when it did not inform seriously on its ultra-reactionay members who ended up founding the PyS and undermining the EU's rule of law. "Suivisme" (followism) and conformism are the death knell of real journalism

🚨 Major Shift in German Politics! 🇩🇪 The AfD claims victory in the Thuringia election, reshaping the political landscape. Discover what this means for Germany's future and how it could impact European politics. Read more on EyeOnLondon. 📊🗳️ Link : https://lnkd.in/eJ5dm6EC #ThuringiaElection #AfD #GermanPolitics #EuropeNews #PoliticalShift #EyeOnLondon #ElectionResults #GermanyNews

What is behind the 'terminal decline' of 3 state parties & shift in national politics — watch ep 1418 of #CutTheClutter, where Shekhar Gupta traces the changing nature of national & state politics ahead of the General Elections, 2024. https://lnkd.in/ewJENwHX

This week on #StayWithMeHere, we talked about the death of dissident #AlexeiNavalny in #Russia, the election of #PrabowoSubianto in #Indonesia, and how #UrsulavanderLeyen is running for a second term in #Europe. Plus, we talked about meaty rice in Have You Heard news headlines. Take a listen now! https://lnkd.in/gbT9K8XA

What to learn more about the problems with Dark Money in political campaigns? sign up & learn!

I travelled to Budapest to participate in the Hungarian Pre-Presidency Conference, organised by TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association) and the HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies – Institute of World Economics It's been my first time since 2007, and it was a great opportunity to dive into the political dynamics of the country right after the European Parliament elections. We had the chance to hear from the Secretary of State responsible for the Presidency. He listed seven priorities for the presidency: 1) The global competitiveness of the EU 2) Defence (financing, innovation, joint procurement) 3) Enlargement (mostly the European promise to the Western Balkans) 4) Migration/external border protection 5) The future of the cohesion policy 6) Agriculture policy (a strategic dependency issue!) 7) Demographic crisis. Following that, I spoke on a panel analysing the EP election results, together with András Bíró-Nagy, Erik Jones and MEP Enikő Győri moderated by Michael Kaeding. Three insights that deserve to be highlighted: The EP’s institutional balance after the elections remains relatively stable despite far right gains. Ursula Von der Leyen will most likely be re-elected as President of the Commission. The national dimension will be where the surge of the far right is most felt, particularly in France and Germany. That will eventually impact the Council configurations (and the #EUCO). Defence, security, and enlargement will be at the top of the EU’s policy priorities. Yet, the EU will need to strike a balance and develop a plan to collectively move forward with the implementation of the green and just transition and the promotion of the rule of law and democracy. The next budgetary debate will be key to knowing how the EU moves forward against these challenges. The GPC will continue to analyse the future of Europe and will continue to regularly provide insights to increase and expand knowledge about the EU and its policies. Learn more at ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ed8yDN8A IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs IE University  

Happening now: Jump into a great conversation on European political shifts!

🎥 Video Alert! 💡 Lithuanian Populist Far-right (In)security Discourse During the European Parliament Elections in the face of Russia’s War Against Ukraine By Jogilė Ulinskaitė (@JUlinskaite) Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshaped Central and Eastern Europe, creating fertile ground for far-right narratives. For the first time, a far-right politician from Lithuania secured a seat in the European Parliament. 📊 How did Lithuania's far-right populists leverage (in)security narratives to gain support? 🗳️ What strategies were employed during their campaign? 🇪🇺 What does this mean for Lithuania and the EU? 📺 Watch the short video for key insights. 📖 Dive deeper into the full report for an in-depth analysis of far-right rhetoric and its implications. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dK5iMfmr #Populism #Lithuania #EuropeanElections #FarRight #InsecurityNarratives

Wise. Voting is ALWAYS very important.

Two weeks ago European Policy Centre's Corina Stratulat, together with Attila Kovacs, were kind enough to have me on a panel about the upcoming European Parliament elections. Below is the recording and 7 ideas I shared: 1. "European politics is increasingly resembling Eurovision, with alliances and performances that play into identity politics [rather than content]." 2. "The European Parliament, to its credit, is far better at communicating the get-out-the-vote campaign and engaging in global issues." 3. "We see an increasing distinction between those who question the system and those who are unhappy with the *decisions* of the system." 4. "We should not be stuck in our Brussels bubble but listen to the diverse trends, priorities, and voices of Europeans." 5. "Foreign policy, like Ukraine, shows a clear divide between some components of ID and ECR, e.g. the Polish Law and Justice party, which is relatively pro-Atlantic and pro-Ukraine [compared to some of its regional peers]." 6. "The severity of the problem with Russian [and other] interference is not properly understood or taken seriously enough even though it has massive implications for the EU's very existence." 7. "EU institutional reform is essential, especially decision-making reform, to make the EU more effective with [the possibility of an] expanding membership to 30+ countries."