Left-wing voters helped Emmanuel Macron defeat far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in the runoff vote of France’s presidential election in April, making him the first head of state since 2002 to get a second term. However, now the French National Assembly is up for reelection a mere two months after the presidential vote. The schedule […]
Time to Dispel Pollinator Mistruths
May 20th marked the annual World Bee Day of the United Nations, an excellent occasion to debunk the myth that the bees are dying because of modern agriculture. This common misconception has been making the rounds through environmentalist activism and the media for almost two decades. When California beekeepers in the 2000s experienced losses in their […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP75: Monkeypox, Shanghai lockdown, and The wireless connection (co-hosted with Fabio Fernandes)
This week’s ConsEUmer podcast is co-hosted with Fabio Fernandes. This week: 🦠 Monkeypox is making the rounds 🔒 China continues its zero-COVID policy 📱 Wireless charging: we weigh the benefits and downsides Check out these websites if you want support Ukraine financially: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en/ https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/?fbclid=IwAR2HawZT-H0iLD08QdXDMBG2qFKA3dpHsjDXt7bppN092YP2TVnQuDJ4j8A You can follow Fabio Fernandes on Twitter @DeFariaeSilva. Check out his […]
Just like the bees, the ‘Beepocalypse’ myth isn’t dying
On World Bee Day, let’s set the record straight. It has been seven years since the Washington Post famously dispelled the myth of a catastrophic bee decline in an article titled “Call off the bee-pocalypse: honeybee colonies just hit a 20-year high.” The piece was one of many attempts to underline that pollinators are not under threat, […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP74: RyanAir being kind of awesome, “Rumscholzen”, and Germany eyes cannabis legalisation (w/ Daniel Kaddik)
We’re back! In this week’s episode: 🧑✈️ RyanAir goes after state aid cases 🇩🇪 Fred Roeder explain “rumscholzen” and the German SPD’s troubles 🌿 Germany considers cannabis legalisation (w/ Daniel Kaddik) Follow Daniel Kaddik on Twitter @DKaddik. Check out the European Liberal Forum: https://liberalforum.eu/ — Check out these websites if you want support Ukraine financially: […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP73: Agri-ultimatum for Turkey, CCC Research, and Flavour confusion (w/ Patrick Griffin)
In this week’s episode: 🇹🇷 The EU is questioning Turkey’s reliability on food trade 🔎 Maria Chaplia takes us through the CCC’s research in 2022 💨 Flavour confusion: what policy-makers don’t understand about harm reduction and the importance of flavours (w/ Patrick Griffin) Check out Vaporound Magazine: https://www.vapouround.co.uk/ Follow Patrick Griffin on Twitter @chattopatrick. Patrick […]
German Leaders Are Out of Touch on Ukraine. One Politician Is Forcing Their Hand.
When Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula in February 2014, the swift conquest assured that Vladimir Putin could make the trip to the recently annexed territory for Victory Day on May 9 of that year. The day marks the victory of the Red Army against Nazi Germany in World War II, but also serves to underline […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP72: Macron re-elected, Poland and Bulgaria cut off, and Timmermans is wrong on F2F
Bill Wirtz going solo in this week’s episode, with these topics: 🇫🇷 Macron re-elected in France’s presidential election 🏭 Poland and Bulgaria cut off Russias natural gas 🚜 Commissioner Timmermans says tackles opportunistic critics of F2F Check out these websites if you want support Ukraine financially: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en/ https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/?fbclid=IwAR2HawZT-H0iLD08QdXDMBG2qFKA3dpHsjDXt7bppN092YP2TVnQuDJ4j8A May 5, 2022 Follow ConsEUmer wherever you […]
How Ukraine Upended Europe’s Agriculture and Energy Policies
In Europe, every political consensus of the last few decades has been thrown out the window. German pacifism, French president Emmanuel Macron’s belief that NATO is “braindead,” and now the continent’s entire agriculture sustainability strategy have been put into question. In response to disruptions in Europe’s food supply, the European People’s Party (EPP), the European […]
Macron Will Have Little Time to Savor His Victory
Emmanuel Macron’s defeat of Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election on Sunday was a victory for moderation over extremism. But despite the collective sigh of relief from the EU and many in the West, Macron’s work is just beginning and the road ahead is filled with obstacles. “Many of our compatriots voted for me […]