Holger Hestermeyer
LightNews LightNews
banner
hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer
@hhesterm.bsky.social
19K followers 3.8K following 2.5K posts

Professor of Int’l & EU Law, Diplomatic Academy Vienna. Past: Prof., founding Director CIGAD at King's College London, specialist adviser House of Lords EU Select Committee, Référendaire CJEU

Videos
Political science 58%
Business 20%
Posts Replies Media Videos

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 4h
If general AI will have a sense of humour, it‘ll laugh that rich people worked so hard ruining their health, family and our environment all to create an algorithm that replaces them. www.theguardian.com/technology/n...
‘It’s going much too fast’: the inside story of the race to create the ultimate AI
In Silicon Valley, rival companies are spending trillions of dollars to reach a goal that could change humanity – or potentially destroy it
www.theguardian.com

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 8h
Actually there is no 2. 1 Speaks for itself.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 8h
Writing an exam and just came across David Frost arguing that Brexit was a success in January 2025 - and among his "Have we forgotten how it used to be" there's this: "Oh, and the six million (it turned out) EU migrants. Can we really have forgotten all this? Don't we remember how bad it was? /1

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 12h
After decades of "no, the EU should not do defense, we have NATO for that" - what the hell did y'all expect? Time to buckle up and change.
politico.eu POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 12h
OPINION: The intense diplomatic maneuvering to end the war in Ukraine has revealed a troubling reality: Even when it comes to its own security, the EU struggles to be a central player.
Europe’s psychology of weakness
It’s time the EU ditched its failing strategy of “react, hope, repeat.”
www.politico.eu

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 12h
The program is demanding and unique. But here's an issue where I could need your help: It is potentially interesting for every graduate student, but only a very small percentage pursue badly needed (but rather wild) interdisciplinary programs. So how can we advertise it without going bankrupt? /2

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 12h
Some cool news: together with the TU Wien we run a two-year M.Sc. (TU & DA) in Master in Environmental Technology and International Affairs. Its goal is to enable students to actually resolve sustainability problems. The master combines social and hard sciences - here's the curriculum. /1

Reposted by Catherine E. De Vries, Holger Hestermeyer

politico.eu
POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 12h
OPINION: The intense diplomatic maneuvering to end the war in Ukraine has revealed a troubling reality: Even when it comes to its own security, the EU struggles to be a central player.
Europe’s psychology of weakness
It’s time the EU ditched its failing strategy of “react, hope, repeat.”
www.politico.eu

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 14h
The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research has published a paper on the impact of Brexit siepr.stanford.edu/publications...

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d
one of Austria's most distinguished climate scientists Prof. Kromb-Kolb and the head of the environmental committee of the Austrian Parliament Lukas Hammer www.da-vienna.ac.at/en/Events#Ev... /2
Events - Vienna School of International Studies
The Diplomatische Akademie Wien - Vienna School of International Studies is the oldest professional school in the world, dedicated to preparing talented university and college graduates for internatio...
www.da-vienna.ac.at

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d
Join us at the Diplomatische Akademie on 2 December when we review the COP30 with Brazil's ambassador to Austria Edoardo Paes Saboia, the head of Austria's COP30 delegation Cornelia Jäger /1

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 2d
The Guardian reports that large parts of southern Europe are drying up. And just in case you are not sufficiently worried: Their definition of southern Europe includes Germany and the South of the UK. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown
Exclusive: UCL scientists find large swathes of southern Europe are drying up, with ‘far-reaching’ implications
www.theguardian.com

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 3d
I prefer the old group of billionaires who thought they'd use their money to combat risks to mankind. Bezos strictly limits his long-term thinking to building a clock. Otherwise he buys pointless space flights at enormous costs to the environment and destroys our information environment.
mikepeeljourno.bsky.social Michael Peel @mikepeeljourno.bsky.social · 3d
A giant clock to keep time for the next ten millennia is moving towards completion in a western US desert cavern.

It's meant to promote long-term thinking in an age of short termism. The project, backed by Jeff Bezos, has been a suitably drawn out and enigmatic affair.

www.ft.com/content/22c0...
The Clock of the Long Now is a 10,000-year-long timepiece backed by Jeff Bezos
Deep inside a Texas mountain, a vast mechanical clock tries to make humanity measure time on the scale of civilisation itself
www.ft.com

Reposted by Holger Hestermeyer

mikepeeljourno.bsky.social
Michael Peel @mikepeeljourno.bsky.social · 3d
A giant clock to keep time for the next ten millennia is moving towards completion in a western US desert cavern.

It's meant to promote long-term thinking in an age of short termism. The project, backed by Jeff Bezos, has been a suitably drawn out and enigmatic affair.

www.ft.com/content/22c0...
The Clock of the Long Now is a 10,000-year-long timepiece backed by Jeff Bezos
Deep inside a Texas mountain, a vast mechanical clock tries to make humanity measure time on the scale of civilisation itself
www.ft.com

Reposted by Steve Peers

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 4d
Not just the end of an era, but actually quite devastating news for anyone interested in the UK. Few people (including native Brits) have the capacity to explain the UK like AD. She has an eye for the problems - but always with deep sympathy, profound knowledge and a desire to truly understand.
annettedittert.bsky.social Annette Dittert @annettedittert.bsky.social · 4d
So, my dear German followers...some News "in eigener Sache"!
Und bitte nicht schreien, 😚....ich bleibe in London !
dwdl.de Medienmagazin DWDL @dwdl.de · 4d
Annette Dittert war für die ARD als Korrespondentin in verschiedenen Ländern, über viele Jahre geprägt hat sie aber vor allem die Berichterstattung aus Großbritannien. Nun verabschiedet sie sich von der ARD, aber nicht aus London

Reposted by Steve Peers, Holger Hestermeyer, Nicolai von Ondarza

annettedittert.bsky.social
Annette Dittert @annettedittert.bsky.social · 4d
So, my dear German followers...some News "in eigener Sache"!
Und bitte nicht schreien, 😚....ich bleibe in London !
dwdl.de Medienmagazin DWDL @dwdl.de · 4d
Annette Dittert war für die ARD als Korrespondentin in verschiedenen Ländern, über viele Jahre geprägt hat sie aber vor allem die Berichterstattung aus Großbritannien. Nun verabschiedet sie sich von der ARD, aber nicht aus London
London-Korrespondentin Annette Dittert sagt der ARD Goodbye
Annette Dittert war für die ARD als Korrespondentin in verschiedenen Ländern, über viele Jahre geprägt hat sie aber vor allem die Berichterstattung aus Großbritannien. Nun verabschiedet sie sich von der ARD, aber nicht aus London
dlvr.it

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 4d
I know quite a few academics working as arbitrators as well.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 4d
One of the causes of disagreement might be the definition of practice. Does the odd legal advice and case count? Or the change of functions in and out of practice? Many of my academic friends do some form of practice. Few are prolific in both fields.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 6d
The press release in the CJEU same sex wedding case curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/...

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 9d
I am sorry to say: even if it is not accepted. The mere fact that Trump & Vance put a deal on the table in which the US is conceived as a) benefiting financially from a deal akin to capitulation and b) the US is the neutral party mediating between Russia and Nato destroys us leadership.
grahamelucas.bsky.social Grahame Lucas @grahamelucas.bsky.social · 9d
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine? For a decade, Russia has been seeking to divide Europe and America, to undermine NATO and weaken the transatlantic alliance. This peace plan, if accepted, will achieve that goal. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Murky Plan That Ensures a Future War
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Holger Hestermeyer

grahamelucas.bsky.social
Grahame Lucas @grahamelucas.bsky.social · 9d
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine? For a decade, Russia has been seeking to divide Europe and America, to undermine NATO and weaken the transatlantic alliance. This peace plan, if accepted, will achieve that goal. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Murky Plan That Ensures a Future War
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
If you want to have a good evening, I strongly advise you not to read
- the Ukraine "peace plan"
- the UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza
- the UN Security Council Resolution on Western Sahara.
I instead recommend reading Dr. No by Percival Everett...

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
Make non-scientific non-sense sound sexy again.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
And just in case you were wondering: usually the mediator is a neutral third party. Sometimes the mediator is chosen because he's not neutral, but has particular sway over one of the parties. But the mediator is a third party, not one of the two parties to the dispute.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
Source www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Trump’s 28-point Ukraine plan in full: What it means, could it work?
The US-brokered proposal requires Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Russia and to stay out of NATO.
www.aljazeera.com

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
The US peace plan is breathtaking. And among all the breathtaking things this para. characterizes how Trump sees the US: as the mediator between NATO and Russia. (And, yes, there's also a paragraph of the US profiting financially from the deal)

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
That would be great - indeed it would be interesting to see as well what the court does to become more resilient. Beyond changing its software.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
3) And even if you try to be good - the fact that it is trained with tons of data stemming from times where a lot of unacceptable prejudice was touted as "facts" means it perpetuates existing biases anyways.

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
2) trying to consciously influence their dataset, "grooming". By pushing tons of biased information onto data that you know is used for training (or "the internet").

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
1) consciously programming them to be biased. That is what Musk does with his programs, which apparently are now explaining why he is physically more fit than LeBron James.

Reposted by Ben Tonra

hhesterm.bsky.social
Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 10d
Another similarity of LLMs to humans: if you expose them to a lot of disinformation, they will believe it. Which you can exploit, apparently called "LLM grooming". So LLMs fail at three levels: /1 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Hundreds of English-language websites link to pro-Kremlin propaganda
Thinktank says internet flooded with disinformation by Russia-aligned Pravda network, which many websites treat as credible
www.theguardian.com