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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
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14 Jan, 4 tweets, 2 min read
As we say goodbye to Merkel, let's have some reality about her legacy:

Merkel (and her dominant position in the EU & @epp) is a key reason the EU let a dictatorship arise in Hungary.

The EU ceased being a club of exclusively democracies on her watch.
politico.eu/article/not-re…
And I say that as someone who was very pleased to see her actions in 2015, when she fought for allowing some 1 million desperate refugees into Germany.
And yes, I also realise that both of those actions - supporting Hungary's extremist dictatorship and welcoming refugees - may possibly stem from the same exact political leaning: the urge to meet the demands of German businesses for cheap labour.
But however you look at Merkel's legacy, this happened on her watch.
hrw.org/news/2020/04/2…

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More from @astroehlein

Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
15 Jan
People frustrated with the negative sides of Twitter sometimes ask me what they can do about it. Here's a thread with some ideas.

Whether you have 100 followers or a million, you can do something to help… 📢
1) Don't share the ugly stuff, not even to expose its ugliness, if it’s just powerless fools looking for attention. (If you just can’t help yourself, use a screenshot, never a link or RT.)
Do expose the ugly stuff from elected officials and others with power. Frame your tweets to be clear you are calling it out. And use a screenshot, not a link or RT, so you don’t send them any clicks of encouragement.
Read 13 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
15 Jan
3 Polish women are on trial for offending religious feelings by making posters of the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo.

They face up to 2 years in prison if convicted.

Poland's authorities seem desperate to turn the country into Europe's Saudi Arabia.
politico.eu/article/poland… Image
A review of the Polish authorities' take on free speech:

- incitement to violence: perfectly fine (as long as it's against people the authorities hate);

- making a poster: absolutely unacceptable (if the poster offends the authorities).

All clear?

In EU member Poland...

...making a poster can get you 2 years in prison.

In the EU.

In 2021.
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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
14 Jan
How the Belgian government got caught up in human smuggling...

An ugly tale of how things worked under then State Secretary for Asylum & Migration @FranckenTheo of the Flemish nationalist party @de_NVA.

euobserver.com/migration/1505…
You may recall that Francken is known for:

- working with agents of Sudan when it was run by a man wanted for genocide, just to illegally deport asylum seekers.
bit.ly/2LPWycM
You may also recall that Francken is known for:

- celebrating the birthday of a Nazi collaborator.

- tweeting of extremist anti-Muslim hate propaganda.

- attacking human rights activists online.

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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
13 Jan
Some coverage our World Report around Europe...

@politiken: "Human Rights Watch: Trump has been a disaster for human rights"
politiken.dk/udland/art8060…

#Rights2021 Image
“The good news is, despite Trump's four-year disaster, the global struggle for human rights continues” - @KenRoth to @mperosino for @LaStampa
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"It is not enough for Joe Biden to just undo what Donald Trump did. He should prioritize human rights so that whoever comes after him cannot destroy everything." - @KenRoth to Michał Kokot for @gazeta_wyborcza.

#Rights2021

wyborcza.pl/7,75399,266797… ImageImage
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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
13 Jan
In today's episode of, "the European People's Party helps its dictator ally in Hungary", a new delaying tactic: a "task force". 🙄

The @EPP could have decided to #ExpelFidesz at any point for years. They continued backing it instead.
politico.eu/newsletter/bru… Image
I was worried it might be a new committee or an advisory group, but a task force... Wow! That really shows they mean business now! This isn't a way for the EPP to continue supporting the dictatorship it helped take hold in EU member Hungary. No, not at all. A task force, people!
People, people... Why isn't this sinking in? It's a task force! A TASK FORCE! This is HUUUUUGE!

It may even lead to guidelines!
Read 6 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
10 Jan
In recent days, I've been in touch with some Trump supporters I know in the US. Not anyone you would have heard of, just regular middle class whites, mostly in the northeast.

I've tried to maintain contact & just listen over the years, so I understand their thinking. 1/
This was the first time all of them literally screamed at me.

They're not upset at last week's mob riot; they're hoping for more of it. 2/
Some even talked about killing specific politicians. I'm not worried these people will be on the news one day, because they have neither the means nor the physical ability to do it. Still, they're very keen to see it happen. 3/
Read 9 tweets

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