Cold war 2.0

Virtual ghost · Aug 23, 2023

Jet believed to be carrying Wagner boss Prigozhin crashes in Russia

Russia threatens to annex Georgia’s breakaway regions

Deepening the new US-Japan-Korea trilateral partnership

How Russian hackers targeted NATO’s Vilnius summit

The Cat · Aug 23, 2023

ceecee · Aug 23, 2023

Virtual ghost said:
BREAKING:Wagner chief Prigozhin allegedly on board crashed jet

It seems that the dude had an accident.
Or he is faking his own death, something that people like him like to do.

Yeah he "died" back in 2019 too.

Virtual ghost · Aug 25, 2023

For a while I was wondering why they don't harass them on this way. It isn't that Crimea has some totally fortified coast.
This way you can do plenty of damage for pretty low cost and risk.

We don’t want to join Russia, breakaway Georgian region warns

Heineken completes exit from Russia

Brexit Wars part II: Tories plot British exit from Europe’s human rights treaty

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali form military pact

Lebanon to pay public sector salaries in US dollars

Canada probes Walmart, Hugo Boss over Uyghur labor concerns

Zimbabwe: Election monitors arrested, vote extended

The Cat · Aug 26, 2023

Virtual ghost · Aug 26, 2023

‘Short-term stronger, long-term weaker’: U.S. and European officials analyze a post-Prigozhin Putin

Latvia PM: Let EU countries with no colonial past lead diplomacy with BRICS+

China expected at UK AI summit despite pushback from allies

China’s Xi doubles down on hardline Xinjiang policy

The Cat · Aug 27, 2023

Virtual ghost · Aug 28, 2023

The Ukraine is reaching the main defense line in the south.
Actually using thermal cameras to notice metal landmines at the hot summer sun is pretty smart thing to do.

Genetic tests confirm Prigozhin died in plane crash, Russia says

Russian oil titan Lukoil eyes the end of its reign in Bulgaria

Poles face choice over their country’s standing in Europe

US wants 'stable' ties with China, commerce secretary says

China's Evergrande shares plummet by more than 80%

Virtual ghost · Aug 30, 2023

UK parliament calls Taiwan ‘independent country’ as Cleverly visits China

Meta uncovers world's 'largest' spam campaign to boost China

Gabon: Military seizes power after reelection of Ali Bongo

Geert Wilders blasts Pakistani cricketer accused of putting bounty on his head

Macron’s abaya ban nods to the right, splits the left

Virtual ghost · Aug 31, 2023

It seems that the Russian defenses are starting to fall apart.
Plus loss of all those high value planes is a big blow for sure.

Virtual ghost · Sep 3, 2023

Let's go into some polling numbers.
Since this is pretty important for both sides of the Atlantic.

Romania — National parliament voting intention
Big changes, the conservatives (ECR-European conservatives and reformists) are becoming the most popular party in the country.
That golden line is lately going up significantly.

Germany — National parliament voting intention
It seems that AfD has stabilized in the second place.

Austria — National parliament voting intention
Far right leads and is slowly increasing it's lead.

Netherlands — 2023 general election
The Netherlands one again it is has a new right wing party (New social contract).
It starts it's life as a leader in very fragmented field and it's elected to join center right block.

Slovakia — National parliament voting intention
Just weeks before general elections the picture is turbulent.
The red are not so reformed Communists and various populists that like Russia.
What means that the centrist progressive party will need to make the best score possible and them make a coalition with the various right parties.
Since that is kinda the only way keep the country in pro western direction. Pretty unclear picture to say the least.

Belgium — National parliament voting intention
Far right and far left are in the lead.

Slovenia — National parliament voting intention
Right wing SDS has managed to catch liberal Freedom movement in the polls.

Malta — National parliament voting intention
The right (blue) is getting quite close to the left (red).

France — National parliament voting intention
Macron is personally 34 points bellow the water.
Far right is just 1% away from becoming the most popular party.

Poland — 2023 general election
6 weeks before elections conservative PiS is expanding it's lead.
With far right confederacy party they should have enough for a majority in the parliament. The real question is can PiS have enough on it's own.
Plus it is worth mentioning that the other side is lead by the center right, not the left. So right wing win is certain. The question is more of a what kind of a right will win.

Latvia — National parliament voting intention
Center right is increasing it's lead.

While everything else is without any significant moves.
What overall means that the general picture is shifting towards the right and now this is starting to become a clear trend. Which could have very big consequences. One of which is that on the EU member state level there is more right wing head of states and that matters (by US standards these people are basically governors). Therefore all of this has pretty big implications for the elections for EU parliament. Especially since many are thinking that the right wing parties could outperform significantly next to the polls. Rural areas are badly polled and misleading the pollsters could be a thing to some degree. Therefore elections for next EU parliament could be a US style show (at least to some degree).

However in all of this there could a be one important twist. Trump's 2016 victory was built on the wave of Brexit and that is kinda what pushed him just over the line. Therefore large shifts on the level of the whole EU could easily do all of that once again. Especially since polls in the US are pretty close and all of this can be the nudge that will push it over the line once again. EU votes just a few months before US and thus spillovers are quite possible. Especially since the internet will be full of various right wing talking points.

Just something to think about.