RTVE has compiled a database showing all known (mass) graves of victims in the Spanish Civil War & the Franco dictatorship and many of their backstories.

To see the map like this is chilling and reveals how bloody this period was.

Link: rtve.es/noticias/fosas… The Spanish Civil War is one of the most fascinating events in history if you ask me. It not only has a lot of lessons about society for the times we live in today, my own family history is also impacted by this war (ofc because the Moroccan Rif was part of Spain back then)...

🇧🇪🧵What is the Belgian govt fighting about?

PM De Wever set up a deadline for tomorrow: if there's no budget agreement, he'll go to the King and possibly tender the govt's resignation

The conflict revolves around Georges-Louis Bouchez, the leader of francophone centre-right MR Belgium's debt to GDP ratio is 107%. Bart De Wever won the elections in Flanders in 2024 with the promise of implementing reforms to reduce this ratio

Govt negotiations were difficult: how does one achieve that? The solution in February was essentially: let's solve this later.

🇳🇱🗳️Today, the Dutch election campaign really starts!

RTL as always organises the 1st tv debate which often triggers new polling swings

🧵Here's a thread on what to watch out for, why PVV is still leading, whether a govt is possible or are we headed for new elections next year?

Current polling situation:

-PVV remains the largest party: ~21%, tho down compared to 2023

-GL/PvdA fails to grow above 2023 result

-CDA is headed for a revival, but growth has stopped

-VVD is headed for record low

-D66 and JA21 are making gains lately

-NSC is dead: 0 seats

🟢Dutch social liberal D66 released its election manifesto today, called: "Yes, we can".

D66 lost 60% of its seats in 2023 after 6 years in govt. But with VVD collapsing, D66 now hopes to become the largest liberal party of the country.

Here's a thread on D66's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Raise minimum wage to unknown rate (now: €14/h)

-Expand flexibility in pension system

-State pension increases on a slower pace than minimum wage

-Increase unemployment benefits, but eligible time periode is shortened

-Make private pension saving mandatory

🟢🟠Dutch christdem CDA has revealed its election manifesto: "Building on trust. Our choices for a decent country"

CDA dominated politics for decades. Although it collapsed to 3% in 2023, polling now shows a CDA revival, possibly finishing first

Here's a thread on CDA's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-3% of GDP invested in innovation and research

-Instate National Investment Bank

-Instate fund to invest in non-govt community services

-Expand shared paid parental leave to 1 year; introduce paid leave for mourning

-Almost free childcare, except for high incomes

🇳🇱Wilders has revealed the election manifesto of his PVV called: "This is YOUR country"

He caused the govt to collapse triggering early elections for October demanding stricter migration policies + hoping to remain the Netherlands' largest party

Here's a thread on PVV's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Abolish VAT on groceries

-Introduce price regulations on basic products

-Abolish profits tax for housing cooperations

-Pension age lowered to 65

-Cut number of civil servants

-Raise VAT on books, art, culture to 21%

-VAT on energy to 9% from 21%

🔵🔴Right-wing JA21 just revealed its election manifesto called 'The Right Approach for the Netherlands'

JA21 hopes to capture the right-wing vote from PVV and VVD. They already managed to attract high profile politicians defecting from PVV/NSC

Here's a thread on JA21's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Abolish inheritance and gift tax

-Abolish all forms of tax on carbon pollution

-Cut eligible period for paid sick leave

-Reduce dismissal protection
-Stimulate usage of AI

-Abolish as many social benefits as possible; replace with tax cuts

-Abolish dividend tax

🔴🟢GL/PvdA just released their election manifesto called 'A New Start for the Netherlands'

With this, the alliance hopes to win the 29 October elections and claim the post of PM.

This would be the 1st time for the Dutch left since 1998

So here's a thread on GL/PvdA's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Increase minimum wage to €18/hour from 18 y/o

-Tax rise on higher incomes; tax cut for lower incomes
-Tax rise on employers that don't grant permanent contracts; tax cut if they do
-Ban 0 hour contracts

-Share of land sale profit must be invested in public services

🚩Last week, Dutch left-wing Socialist Party (SP) presented its electoral manifesto

SP has never been in government. But with VVD collapsing, that may change.

With its manifesto called 'Super social', SP focusses on an economic agenda

Here's a thread on SP's manifesto plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Cut income tax and VAT

-Raise minimum wage to 60% of median income

-Paternal leave of 3 months per parent, 12 months joint (divide as they wish)

-Abolish lower minimum wage level for young adults

-Regulate prices for food/medicine/energy/internet

-Free childcare

🔵🟠VVD is the first Dutch party to publish its manifesto for the elections on 29 October called:
"(Coming) stronger out of the storm"

VVD, the party of former PM Mark Rutte, hopes to take back the premiership by focusing on economy and security

Here's a thread on VVD's plans🧵 💸ECONOMY

-Unspecified tax cut for businesses

-Pension age increases automatically with life expectancy

-Restrict strikes in public transport/healthcare

-50% sick leave cut for employees in small businesses

-Compensate businesses for high electricity costs

🧵About the Danish socdems & the populist right:

1. 🇩🇰 SocDems are now at a record low: below 20%. Among the youth, the party is doing abysmal. Why? They’re in a govt with the centre-right not delivering centre-left economic policies. So migration is not that of a golden key. 2. To say that the Socdems only became “anti-migration” at the 2019 election is wrong. Already in 2015 (even 2001) the party campaigned on “strict migration policies”. And in 2019, the party won govt despite losing 1% in an election dominated by climate change and social services

🇧🇪Belgium has a new govt!

Led by De Wever; the first time a Flemish nationalist is Belgian PM

This Arizona coalition (🟡N-VA, 🔵MR, 🔴Vooruit🟠CD&V/LE) consists of Flemish nationalists, liberals, christdems, socdems

Here’s a thread about the govt🧵

https://x.com/EuropeElects/status/1886325285924253797

Elections were held on 9 June, with conflicting results in Flanders and Wallonia/Brussels:

In Flanders, centre-right Flemish nationalist N-VA surprisingly remained the largest. Far-right VB made gains, but not as big as in the polls

Socdem Vooruit and far-left PVDA also gained

A recent poll in Morocco showed that 78% want the Family Code (laws concerning marriage, inheritance, divorce, child custody) to be based on Sharia/Islamic law

Westerners might have all kinds of ideas about this

But in essence, this poll result is meaningless

Let me explain👇 Most Muslim countries, from Morocco to Malaysia, claim to base their Family Codes on Sharia. But guess what, every country in between has vastly different policies. Comparing Afghanistan to Morocco/Algeria is almost comparing polar opposites, yet both claim to be Sharia-based.

As Syrian rebel forces are getting closer to Damascus, prepare yourself for the stories from freed prisoners you'll hear when this purple circle is liberated: Saydnaya Prison

Its nickname is 'Human Slaughterhouse' as the thingd we already know are beyond horrific

Some stories🧵 8 years ago, Amnesty reported on prisoners being left without food for days, sometimes even weeks. People hare tortured and beaten for hours without break, sometimes every single day. Many die and are left to rot in crowded cells while others are alive with diseases spreading.

According to Geert Wilders, anti-semitism is part of the Moroccan DNA.

We need to remind him of the fact it’s the Netherlands whose Jewish community got decimated by 3/4 in WW2. While Morocco’s King told the Nazis/Vichy “there are no Moroccan Jews” to protect his Jewish subjects We need to remind him that most Jews who fled the prosecution in post-Reconquista Spain fled to Morocco. Even before that, Jews were living in Morocco for thousands of years together - even before Islam spread to North Africa - with the Amazighs/Berbers.

🇳🇱🧵Dutch right-wing parties have been going on for longer than I even live about Muslims not sharing “Dutch values”. Since the 90s

But which “values”?

Values of massively punishing 26K families for fraud they didn’t commit?

Values of supporting genocide committed by Israel? Values of giving billions of euros to a Tunisian dictator who uses this to hunt black migrants to the desert to die?

Values of saying that “women should wear what they want to wear” but complain 24/7 when a woman chooses to wear a hijab and verbally attack her?

🇧🇪BELGIAN LOCAL ELECTIONS TOMORROW

Belgians will go to the polls electing 581 municipal and 10 provincial councils

This follows federal & regional elections in June. Regional govt's are already formed, but the federal govt not yet

Here's a thread on 10 things to look out for👇
1⃣Who wins Antwerp?

Most eyes are on Flanders' largest city Antwerp

Leader of Flemish-nationalist centre-right N-VA Bart de Wever has been mayor for 12 years. But he faces a major challenge from left-wing PVDA's mayoral candidate Jos D'Haese who's polling closely behind...

🇯🇴Jordan is electing its 20th Parliament today/tomorrow on 10 September!

Tricky context: high unemployment, geopolitical pressure due to genocide in Gaza, widespread discontent and there's a new electoral system that should strengthen political parties

Here's a quick thread👇 ⚠️Let's start with DISCLAIMERS:

-King Abdullah II has major powers.
Directly: he can dissolve parliament, appoints the PM, ministers and mayors. He has veto power, may dismiss judges and commands the army.
Indirectly: through ties with businesses and obedient security forces

🇫🇷I see a lot of misinformation about the programme of the French left-wing NFP alliance that just finished first.

Here's an overview of their key policies:

🇺🇦Support military aid to Ukraine

🇵🇸Recognise Palestine as a sovereign state + support ICC/ICJ cases against Israel/Bibi 🇪🇺Support EU membership, push for green re-industrialisation of EU, support EU-wide taxes

💶Minimum wage €1600/month, 10% increase

🏗️Reverse Macron's cuts on social housing by investing €1.3 billion

🏥Restrictions on private healthcare providers to guarantee free healthcare

The Belgian prime minister who accidentally sang the FRENCH anthem when asked to sing the Belgian one is Yves Leterme

PM twice: from March till Dec. 2008 & from 2009 till 2011 of which 1.5 year in caretaker status!

Here’s a thread on how disastrous Leterme’s premiership was👇🧵

https://twitter.com/nassreddin2002/status/1742585904655429903

Yves Leterme, despite a French sounding name, is a Flemish politician from the Dutch-speaking christian democratic party CD&V.

CD&V was once omnipotent in Flanders with 50%+ of the vote. By 2003, it had declined to 21%. Leterme became leader tasked to reverse the downward trend.

🇳🇱TOMORROW - 22 November - the Dutch will go to the polls in early elections to elect the lower house of parliament following a govt collapse in July.

And polls show a very tight FOUR WAY race and a very difficult govt formation.

In this thread I’ll explain what’s happening🧵👇 On 7 July, the Rutte IV govt collapsed due to disagreements over asylum policies, after 18 months in office

13 year PM Rutte’s liberal conservative VVD demanded to restrict family reunifications of refugees

Social-liberal D66 and social-christian CU refused

And the govt fell