Stijn Smismans
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europollaw.bsky.social
Stijn Smismans
@europollaw.bsky.social
300 followers 420 following 130 posts

Prof. of EU law and Governance, Cardiff University. All things EU, democracy, Governance, risk regulation, advocacy, industrial relations, public health, with a little flavour of UK, Italy and Belgium.

Videos
Political science 71%
Business 19%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

oldtrotter.bsky.social
David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 6d
Good piece on Miliband’s achievements here. The only point I would make is that decarbonising the grid is the easy part of achieving net zero. We’ll have to see what happens when people have to change their behaviour app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/71896/...
What is Labour actually good at?
In a government of few policy successes, one portfolio stands out
app.prospectmagazine.co.uk

Reposted by Nicolai von Ondarza, Stijn Smismans

bencrum.nl
Ben Crum @bencrum.nl · 6d
. @vkreilinger.bsky.social: "Is the #EU24 the new EU?"

I have mixed feelings about the "solution" used yesterday to provide the 90 bn loan to Ukraine

On the one hand, this is the way that the European Council should have handled the Hungary-problem for long; much better than "bribing" them ...
vkreilinger.bsky.social Valentin Kreilinger @vkreilinger.bsky.social · 6d
Article 20 TEU for ”enhanced cooperation“ is mentioned in the Conclusions of the European Council on the reparations loan for Ukraine. A smart move! It allows to go ahead without Orbán, Fico and Babiš. Is the #EU24 the new EU? #EUCO 1/3

Reposted by Juliet Lodge, Stijn Smismans

peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 11d
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025
Exclusive: More than 150 anonymous channels using cheap AI tools to spread false stories about Keir Starmer, study finds
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Kai Gehring, Stijn Smismans

gabrielzucman.bsky.social
Gabriel Zucman @gabrielzucman.bsky.social · 13d
Now with the same productivity as the US, “core EU” also has more leisure time, higher life expectancy, less inequality

No matter how you look at it, it is a clearly superior economic performance

europollaw.bsky.social
Stijn Smismans @europollaw.bsky.social · 14d
Oh it seems I forgot to add 😂 to make sure everybody reads the irony

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

longcovidadvoc.com
Long Covid Advocacy @longcovidadvoc.com · 14d
❌ Punitive Attendance Policies are unlawful discrimination.

👉 They breach the Equality Act ignore DfE guidance, and are a safeguarding & public health issue.

Schools should not punish children for illness especially during a flu surge.

What we received today 😓👇
A screenshot of a school announcement titled "Detentions" and dated "Dec 11 2025". The text reads: "Please make sure detentions are attended on the day they are set or they will be escalated. The criteria for attending Prom will be announced after Christmas but will include: attending detentions on the day set, attendance being over 95% and positive behaviour." The last part of the sentence, "attendance being over 95% and positive behaviour," is highlighted with a transparent red underline.

Reposted by Mary Bosworth, Richard S.J. Tol, Howard Williams , and 35 more

lucynoakes1.bsky.social
lucynoakes1.bsky.social @lucynoakes1.bsky.social · 14d
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:

Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.

Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

europollaw.bsky.social
Stijn Smismans @europollaw.bsky.social · 14d
To the point the poor guy felt he had to rely on gifts.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Leigh Sparks, Jonathan Hopkin , and 5 more

writesbright.bsky.social
Sam Bright @writesbright.bsky.social · 14d
🔴 REVEALED 🔴

The Institute of Economic Affairs – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group that "incubated" Liz Truss – was bankrolled by oil giants and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

📝 Exclusive findings from @desmog.com 👇
The Institute of Economic Affairs Banked £640,000 from Oil Giants and Murdoch
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group – received more than £640,000 from fossil fuel companies and Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate between 1957 and ...
www.desmog.com

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 18d
Covid fraud under the Tories cost the taxpayer £10.9 billion

The counter-fraud and error measures during the pandemic under the Conservative Government were accused of being 'so lax they may as well have left the door wide open'

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Covid fraud under the Tories cost the taxpayer £10.9 billion
The counter-fraud and error measures during the pandemic under the Conservative Government were accused of being 'so lax they may as well have left the door wide open'
www.mirror.co.uk

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Maarten Vink, Jonathan Hopkin , and 1 more

lukepiper.bsky.social
Luke Piper @lukepiper.bsky.social · 28d
I'm not sure how much it is appreciated that there will be significant emigration coming. Those here on graduate visas coming to an end, the toughening up of skilled worker rules re. salaries/sponsorable roles and the 'earned settlement' changes to come. Lots of people are going to leave.

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

leanahosea.bsky.social
Leana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · Nov 13
Israel attacked Palestinian water sources over 250 times in 5 years, data reveals. Armed forces & settlers used bombs, dogs, poison & machinery to attack people & infrastructure. It's "an important part of a genocidal strategy" says Pedro Arrojo-Agudo

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Israel attacked Palestinian water sources over 250 times in five years, data reveals
Armed forces and settlers used bombs, dogs, poison and machinery to attack people and infrastructure at key sites
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

jannikjansen.bsky.social
Jannik Jansen @jannikjansen.bsky.social · Nov 13
Today’s Omnibus vote has rolled over an already perforated cordon sanitaire in the European Parliament. For the first time, the EPP sided with far-right groups on a file key to the Commission’s agenda. Make no mistake: this was no accident and it’s unclear whether the centrist coalition can recover🧵

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Steve Peers, Stijn Smismans

drrachelbroady.bsky.social
Dr Rachel Broady @drrachelbroady.bsky.social · Nov 1
It's not a grassroots working class movement.

"Wherever we looked for prominent flaggers and leaders of this movement, we found people smugglers and sex doll salesmen, people with dubious criminal pasts and people willing to put in a good word for Adolf Hitler."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
manchestermill.co.uk

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Stijn Smismans

jibarrondo.bsky.social
Javi Ibarrondo @jibarrondo.bsky.social · Oct 31
Exclusive: Future of chronic disease journal in limbo after cuts at CDC | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
Exclusive: Future of chronic disease journal in limbo after cuts at CDC
Researchers dismayed by the targeting of Preventing Chronic Disease’s editorial staff
www.science.org

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

jonathanhopkin.bsky.social
Jonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.bsky.social · Oct 27
Amazing how a few TikToks of e-bike thieves can create a completely false impression observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
‘Lawless London’ is safer than it’s been in decades
Official data suggests the capital may be safer than at any time in the past half century, comfortably beating other major cities
observer.co.uk

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Oct 27
Home Office wasted billions on asylum hotels due to ‘flawed contracts’, MPs say on.ft.com/47IzPH6
Home Office wasted billions on asylum hotels due to ‘flawed contracts’, MPs say
Leadership failures at UK government department criticised by cross-party Commons committee
on.ft.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Stijn Smismans

adambienkov.bsky.social
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · Oct 23
Michael Gove personally intervened to ensure that a Conservative donor's firm was awarded a multimillion pound covid contract.

Private correspondence reveals that Ciga Healthcare’s Brexit-supporting owner had pushed Gove to “take control” of the process.

The contract was awarded just days later
Michael Gove Lobbied Government Officials to Hand Conservative Donor Multimillion Pound Covid Contract
Private correspondence seen by Byline Times reveals that Ciga Healthcare's Brexit-supporting owner had pushed Gove to "take control" of the process
bylinetimes.com

europollaw.bsky.social
Stijn Smismans @europollaw.bsky.social · Oct 19
Congratulations. Well deserved

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Richard S.J. Tol, Patrick Dunleavy , and 13 more

sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · Oct 18
Sunday Times interview Tory "rising star" Katie Lam

She is clear she wants lots of legal migrants to be told to "go home" so as "to leave a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people"

(The interviewer suggests she is scrapping ILR or stripping people of it)

europollaw.bsky.social
Stijn Smismans @europollaw.bsky.social · Oct 5
Bristol South in the latest poll will be Green, and so it will be indeed

Reposted by Steven French, Stijn Smismans

samthielman.com
CHOAM for the holidays @samthielman.com · Sep 26
When there’s a lot of hand-wringing over how Farage got elected in a little while, this will be the answer. When you ask people if they want fascism or diet fascism they’re never going to pick the low-calorie version
The Celegraphy Log in News Sport Business Money Opinion Keir Starmer The Left ignored immigration fears for too long. It's time to give communities back control Only a plan for patriotic national renewal led by Labour will counter the rise of the populist Right Keir Starmer 66 25 Sep 2025, 10:30pm

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

europeanpowell.bsky.social
EuropeanPowell @europeanpowell.bsky.social · Sep 25
Given this EXTENSIVE presence across UK institutions, Palantir involvement in Brit Card is not just possible - it’s PROBABLE.
MY FOI DEMANDS ANSWERS ON:
✅ Is Palantir contracted for Brit Card technology?
✅ What’s the contract value & scope?
✅ How will our biometric/personal data be used?

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 1 more

rolandmcs.bsky.social
Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · Sep 25
Once a professor who used to have quite interesting things to say.

Now a madman.

Reposted by Colm O’Cinneíde, Stijn Smismans

iandunt.bsky.social
Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · Sep 22
The true question right now is whether you believe in the moral character of the British public. If you do, you'll want to have the fight with Reform. You'll believe that the public will hate the idea of breaking up families, spying on & deporting people who've worked here for years.

Reposted by John Foot, Stijn Smismans

will-davies.bsky.social
Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · Sep 22
Re the new Reform pledge, a sports writer has already got to the heart of the matter better than the politics commentators www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
What is the endgame in this toxic immigration debate: is it friends and neighbours thrown out of the country? | Jonthan Liew
The notion of remigration was abstract, but the right is dragging it towards respectability. If the goal is homogeneous whiteness, they should say it, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Stijn Smismans

realtexaspaul.com
Texas Paul @realtexaspaul.com · Sep 21
Because there are no left wing groups. There is no leftwing counterpoint to The Oathkeepers, 3 Percenters, Proud Boys, Patriot Front, The KKK, etc. etc. etc. Are you starting to finally see the problem?

Reposted by Colm O’Cinneíde, Stijn Smismans

profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · Sep 20
"The law firms that capitulated to Trump are finally having to make good on their deal with the devil ... By entering into these deals, these law firms have helped Trump to chip away at [the rule of law] and become complicit in his attack on our legal system."

www.publicnotice.co/p/law-firms-...
The lawyers who caved
Big Law firms finally have to hold up their end of a Trumpian bargain.
www.publicnotice.co

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli, Stijn Smismans

oliver48.bsky.social
Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · Sep 19
Not only the BBC
is sucking up to
hate spewing fascists

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Simon Hix, Tim Bale , and 12 more

casmudde.bsky.social
Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · Sep 18
The far-right majority in the Dutch parliament (BBB-FvD-JA21-PVV-SGP-VVD) has just designated “Antifa” a terrorist organization.

This is a dark day for Dutch democracy and the final nail in the coffin of the VVD as a serious liberal democratic party.
Kamermeerderheid vindt Antifa terroristische organisatie
Een meerderheid in de Tweede Kamer wil dat Nederland, in navolging van de Verenigde Staten, de extreemlinkse beweging Antifa aanmerkt als terroristische organisatie. Een motie daartoe van Lidewij de V...
www.rd.nl