If you are not worried, you have not been paying attention. “National populism” – itself a polite misnomer for a radical right ideology that also claims to attack the elites – is going international. Viktor Orbán, bankrolled by the EU and the Hungarian treasury, is trying to establish himself as the impresario of this transnational horror show. A new research article documents the role that Orbán plays in the emerging international populism movement.
At a rare public parliamentary hearing, the heads of Germany’s three intelligence agencies have sounded every available alarm about Russia’s interference in western democracies and its plans for a more “direct military confrontation with NATO”. They had the attention of the public for a day or so, but then other stuff happened, and now the country is headed for early elections. Inevitably, the campaign will soak up a lot of energy that should be spent elsewhere.
Speaking of Putin and the campaign, disproportionate attention will be given to Sahra Wagenknecht, Germany’s leading Putinversteher (Putin Apologist). She is like catnip for the media. Her new-ish eponymous Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance or BSW for short) made quite a splash in the 2024 European parliamentary elections, then went on to win a handful of seats in the eastern regional elections. And now, the astroturfed personalistic cadre party uses these seats to blackmail the Christian Democrats, Germany’s natural party of government, over national security and defence policy.
And finally, have you heard the story about the Rector of Spain’s oldest university, Juan Manuel Corchado? It is an absolute banger: ‘Corchado had requested his employees add citations to his work in their papers to create the illusion that he was among the most cited scientists globally’. And that’s just a fraction of what this Spanish scientist did to cheat his way to the top of the league table.
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