The German state of Brandenburg will hold state elections on September 22, with a significant political shift underway. According to the latest survey conducted by the opinion research institute INSA, the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to be the strongest party, with 24 percent of the vote. The left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is also rapidly gaining strength, and is now nearly on par with the establishment right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the leftist Social Democrats (SPD).
The survey indicates that the BSW has surged to 17 percent support in the polls. The party was launched earlier this year by Sahra Wagenknecht, formerly of the Left (Die Left) party. Like the AfD, it is highly critical of mass migration. BSW also rejects net zero policies and wants to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine.
The governing SPD, under Brandenburg Minister President Dietmar Woidke, is currently polling at 19 percent, down from 26.2 percent in the previous state election. Many other parties on the left of the political spectrum have also seen decreases in popularity.
The rise in popularity of populist parties is a trend seen across Europe, including France, where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally nearly doubled their seats in the French parliament earlier this month.
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The German state of Brandenburg will hold state elections on September 22, with a significant political shift underway. According to the latest survey conducted by the opinion research institute INSA, the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to be the strongest party, with 24 percent of the vote. The left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is also rapidly gaining strength, and is now nearly on par with the establishment right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the leftist Social Democrats (SPD).
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The European Parliament has dismissed a proposal from the populist Patriots for Europe group to debate the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the escalating politicalviolence in Europe.
The Patriots for Europe group, spearheaded by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, sought a debate and resolution condemning the violence following the Trump shooting. However, the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected, with 337 votes against, 119 in favor, and 15 abstentions.
Support for the Patriots came primarily from the populist Europe of Sovereign Nations and European Conservatives and Reformists groups. The former is led by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, while the latter is led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
Reacting to the vote outcome, Kinga Gál, the First Vice-President of the Patriots for Europe and an MEP from Orbán‘s Fidesz party, criticized the parliament’s refusal to address the attempted assassination, accusing them of ignoring violence against patriotic politicians.
Patriots member Tom Vandendriessche echoed this sentiment, denouncing the decision as hypocritical and highlighting what he sees as selective outrage over attacks on democracy within the European Union (EU).
Formed just last month, Patriots for Europe is now the third-largest group in the European Parliament, comprising MEPs from parties associated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and France’s Marine Le Pen.
Political violence against populist and anti-establishment politicians has become a common occurrence across Europe, including the attempted assassination of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier this year.
Members of Alternative for Germany have also been subject to violent attacks, such as Heinrich Koch, who was stabbed in Mannheim last month while confronting a person pulling down political posters.
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The European Parliament has dismissed a proposal from the populist Patriots for Europe group to debate the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the escalating political violence in Europe.
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Footage has emerged showing a suicide drone striking an oil tanker approximately 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen‘s port city of Hodeidah. The drone struck the tanker on its portside, raising concerns about a potential oil spill.
The incident represents another failure for Joe Biden’s Operation Prosperity Guardian, aimed at curbing the Houthis’ activities in the Red Sea. Biden previously admitted that U.S. strikes in Yemen were not stopping Houthi attacks on global shipping but vowed to continue them anyway.
“When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis, no. Are they going to continue, yes,” Biden told reporters in January.
VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Houthis of Yemen have released a propaganda video of their attack against the oil tanker MT Chios Lion using an uncrewed surface vessel (USV). The oil tanker suffered minor damage and the crew is safe | #OOTTpic.twitter.com/CdMr1kz26v
The footage of the attack was released by the Iran-backed Houthis, who have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November. They claim these attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza.
Since Biden launched his ineffective campaign against them, their attacks have expanded to include targets in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.
In May, the Houthis even managed to capture a $30 million U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, adding to the embarrassment of the U.S. in the region.
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Footage has emerged showing a suicide drone striking an oil tanker approximately 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah. The drone struck the tanker on its portside, raising concerns about a potential oil spill.
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Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has unilaterally banned the right-wing, pro-Donald J. TrumpCompact Magazin, accusing the publication of fostering “hatred” of migrants and ethnic diversity. “The ban shows that we are also taking action against the intellectual arsonists who stir up a climate of hatred and violence against refugees and migrants and want to overcome our democratic state,” Minister Faeser said.
“Our signal is very clear: We will not allow ethnic definitions of who belongs to Germany and who does not,” she added.
Several people associated with the magazine, including publisher Jürgen Elsässer, had their homes raided following the ban on July 16. Police also seized the magazine’s assets.
Compact is well-known for its links to the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which lawmakers in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, are also trying to get banned. The magazine is also noted for being skeptical of Western involvement in the Ukraine war, blaming NATO expansion for the conflict.
Brandenburg state interior minister Michael Stübgen, a member of the so-called “center-right” Christian Democratic Union (CDU) formerly led by Angela Merkel, has said all of Compact‘s social media channels will be scrubbed from the Internet, with their content deleted and revenue confiscated.
Earlier this year, Minister Faeser, who previously wrote for far-left Antifa publications, announced the government would be banning anyone declared a far-right extremist from owning firearms. The government will also trace people who donate to allegedly far-right individuals and groups.
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Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has unilaterally banned the right-wing, pro-Donald J. TrumpCompact Magazin, accusing the publication of fostering "hatred" of migrants and ethnic diversity. "The ban shows that we are also taking action against the intellectual arsonists who stir up a climate of hatred and violence against refugees and migrants and want to overcome our democratic state," Minister Faeser said.
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European politicians are expressing fear of President Donald J. Trump‘s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), worrying he may change the status quo policies on Ukraine and other issues. Some officials in European governments are already preparing for potential shifts in their relationship with the U.S. in the event of a second Trump administration.
Sen. Vance, a vocal critic of U.S. aid to Ukraine, asserted at this year’s Munich Security Conference that Europe should recognize a U.S. pivot towards East Asia. He suggested that American security commitments have allowed European security to diminish.
While some European leaders express confidence that a Republican administration will uphold NATO commitments despite Vance’s stance, concerns linger about potential trade disputes under another Trump presidency. A European Union (EU) diplomat compared the bloc’s preparations to a sailing vessel bracing for a storm.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has notably aligned himself with the Trump-Vance ticket, advocating for immediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine upon a potential Trump victory.
Orban visited Zelensky in Kiev, Putin in Moscow, and former President Trump in Florida in recent weeks to discuss a path to peace. Vance recently expressed his admiration for the Hungarian leader, noting that America could learn from his policies.
In the United Kingdom, many leftist Labour Party supporters expressed anger over Vance due to clips circulating on social media in which he jokingly stated Britain may be the first Islamist power with nuclear weapons after Labour’s recent election victory.
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European politicians are expressing fear of President Donald J. Trump's running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), worrying he may change the status quo policies on Ukraine and other issues. Some officials in European governments are already preparing for potential shifts in their relationship with the U.S. in the event of a second Trump administration.
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Former British prime minister Boris Johnson met with former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday and lobbied him to prolong the Ukraine war. Johnson posted a picture of his meeting with the America First leader shortly after delivering a speech to a nearly empty room at the Republican National Convention (RNC).
Johnson said President Trump was on “top form” following the failed assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “We discussed Ukraine, and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”
It is a marked change of attitude from the supposedly right-wing Briton, whosaid “America is unreservedly back as the leader of the free world and that is a fantastic thing” after Biden replaced Trump.
Prior to Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, Johnson joined much of the political establishment in trashing then-candidate Trump as “unfit to hold the office of President of the United States.”
🚨 NEW: Boris Johnson speaking to a near-empty room at the Republican National Convention
Since resigning as Prime Minister in 2022, Johnson has become a lobbyist for Ukraine and war with Russia. In September of last year, Johnson begged Trump not to withdraw support.
Reports indicate Johnson personally sabotaged a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia in the early stages of the war in 2022. Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel at the start of the conflict, has revealed he helped to negotiate a ceasefire, but NATO powers including the U.S. and Britain where Johnson was then still Prime Minister, “blocked it.”
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin later confirmed this during an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this year, saying a negotiated peace agreement had been made in Istanbul, Turkey, but Johnson dissuaded Volodymyr Zelensky from signing.
Following the interview, Johnson pilloried Carlson, calling him a tool of the Kremlin. Carlson said he reached out to interview Johnson, but the former prime minister demanded a million dollars to appear.
In May, footage emerged of Johnson praising Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov Brigade at a private London club.
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson met with former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday and lobbied him to prolong the Ukraine war. Johnson posted a picture of his meeting with the America First leader shortly after delivering a speech to a nearly empty room at the Republican National Convention (RNC).
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France has yet to form a new government after last week’s snap legislative elections, which saw President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble bloc lose its majority. Macron has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, but no one has emerged as a likely replacement. The Macronist bloc in the National Assembly has the second-largest share of seats, behind the far-left New Popular Front (NFP), but this faction also has too few lawmakers to govern alone.
THE LEFT DIVIDED.
The New Popular Front is a coalition of communist, socialist, and green parties, mired in internal conflicts. So far, it has put forward six candidates for Prime Minister and cannot agree to unite behind any of them.
Its major issue is that it has no real leader. The anti-NATO, pro-Palestinian Jean-Luc Melenchon is its leading figure, and his France Unbowed party is its largest faction. However, the Macronists are determined to exclude Melenchon and France Unbowed from any deal with the far left.
Internally, the Socialist Party has rejected all of France Unbowed’s proposed prime ministerial candidates, including Melenchon, suggesting their own leader, Olivier Faure, should get the job.
POPULISTS SEEK INFLUENCE.
Marine Le Pen‘s populist National Rally (RN) came first by share of the popular vote but third by share of lawmakers, compared to the far-left and Macronist party coalitions. Nevertheless, hers is the single largest party in the National Assembly following the elections.
On Tuesday, Le Pen called on all parties to be allowed to participate in the functioning of the parliament.
Jean-Noël Barrot, Attal’s Secretary of State for European Affairs, surprisingly echoed her comments on X, saying that excluding parties who won millions of votes will undermine the legislature’s legitimacy.
“Let us fight extremes tirelessly, but without ever weakening institutions,” he said.
The National Rally also faces judicial hurdles, with prosecutors confirming they have launched an investigation into the party shortly after the elections concluded.
MACRONISTS SEEK TO RETAIN POWER.
President Macron is advising his lawmakers to try and forge a majority coalition or make a pact to allow legislation to go through. This would likely involve attempting to peel the Socialists and other parties besides France Unbowed away from the New Popular Front.
Macron’s bloc could also appeal to some members of Les Republicains (LR), an establishment-right faction that contains some RINO-like politicians that may be open to supporting an anti-populist coalition.
Republican lawmaker Philippe Juvin confirmed on Tuesday that his party is in discussions with the Macronists, and that the Republicans will also oppose any prime ministerial candidates from France Unbowed.
Such a “rainbow coalition” of the Macronists, far-left defectors, and the establishment right would lack democratic legitimacy. Still, it could allow Macron to snatch a form of victory from the jaws of electoral defeat.
Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.
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France has yet to form a new government after last week's snap legislative elections, which saw President Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble bloc lose its majority. Macron has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, but no one has emerged as a likely replacement. The Macronist bloc in the National Assembly has the second-largest share of seats, behind the far-left New Popular Front (NFP), but this faction also has too few lawmakers to govern alone.
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Over 3,500 applicants for jobs connected to the Olympics in Paris, France, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, have been rejected due to concerns over terror links and security threats.
Among those barred from participation are 130 individuals flagged under “Fiche S,” the government’s terrorism watch list, as well as others associated with radical Islamist, ultra-Left, and ultra-Right groups.
With nearly one million people expected to receive accreditations for Olympic roles, stringent security measures are being implemented.
The heightened vigilance comes as France is stuck in a sustained period of high alert, intensified after an Islamic State-linked attack in March claimed 145 lives in a Russian concert hall.
Meanwhile, Christian crosses have been removed from the Paris skyline in promotional art for the Olympics, to appease atheists and religious minorities.
However, Paris has also cleared out migrant tent encampments ahead of the Olympics in an effort to appear more presentable to the international community. Officials in San Francisco, California, performed a similar clearout out the homeless so the city would appear less run down while Chinese dictator Xi Jinping was visiting.
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Over 3,500 applicants for jobs connected to the Olympics in Paris, France, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, have been rejected due to concerns over terror links and security threats.
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A new populist bloc, the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), has emerged in the European Parliament, announced by its freshly elected leader on Wednesday. The alliance, comprising 25 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), is spearheaded by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and Poland’s Confederation party.
ESN also includes members from Bulgaria’s Revival, France’s Reconquête (Reconquest), Slovakia’s Republic Movement, Hungary’s Our Homeland Movement, Lithuania’s People and Justice Union, and the Czech Republic’s Freedom and Direct Democracy.
On Monday, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz united to establish the Patriots for Europe group, replacing the disbanded Identity & Democracy group. The group has 84 MEPs.
Patriots for Europe saw Spain’s VOX, who left the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, join as well.
The group also contains Matteo Salvini’s League (Italy), Chega (Portugal), Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (Czech Republic), Oath and Motorists (Czech Republic), Christian Democratic People’s Party (Hungary), Freedom Party (Austria), Party for Freedom (Netherlands), Vlaams Belang (Belgium), Danish People’s Party, Voice of Reason (Greece), and Latvia First.
CAUSES OF DIVISION.
ESN aims to take a more radical stance compared to the Patriots and came about after members of the AfD, the largest party in the group, were kicked out of the former Identity & Democracy group over alleged scandals involving AfD MEP Maximilian Krah, just prior to the European Parliament elections.
Krah himself is not a member of the ESN but remains a member of the AfD in the parliament.
However, globalist and left-wing blocs intend to impose a cordon sanitaire on both groups, aimed at limiting their influence over legislation for the next five years.
Despite their small sizes, one of the group leaders will attend the influential Conference of Presidents meetings, shaping the Parliament’s agenda and managing internal affairs.
Christine Anderson, an AfD MEP chosen as the group’s chief whip, described the founding meeting in Brussels as highly successful.
René Aust of the AfD emphasized the group’s commitment to shaping Europe’s future through strategic and decisive actions, stating, “We embark on this path not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary to realize our vision of a strong, united, and forward-looking Europe of Fatherlands.”
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A new populist bloc, the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), has emerged in the European Parliament, announced by its freshly elected leader on Wednesday. The alliance, comprising 25 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), is spearheaded by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and Poland’s Confederation party.
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Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, faces an uphill battle in her bid for re-election as European Union (EU) representatives vote on July 18 to decide whether she will serve a second term. To remain President of the Commission, which functions as both the EU’s executive branch and primary initiator of EU-level legislation, von der Leyen needs 361 votes out of the 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The globalist European People’s Party (EPP) group, von der Leyen’s main ally in the European Parliament, holds just 188 seats following this year’s European elections, forcing her to seek support from other factions.
Right-wing European Parliament groups that might consider backing von der Leyen, such as the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) led by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, have recently weakened. The ECR lost Spain’s VOX to the new Patriots group, led by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is less willing to compromise his principles than the Italian leader.
After becoming Italy’s Prime Minister, Meloni collaborated extensively with von der Leyen. She faced criticism for aligning too closely with the EU establishment despite its failure to tackle the the bloc’s illegal immigration crisis, which has been hitting Italy especially hard.
However, Meloni may now be less inclined to support the EU establishment, as the EPP and socialist and liberal euro-groups have shut her out of key EU positions following the European elections despite her compromises.
Even with the support of the ECR, which holds 78 seats in the European Parliament, von der Leyen would still fall short of the 361 votes she requires.
If von der Leyen fails to win re-election, leaders from the European Council, composed of the EU’s national governments, will need to select another candidate to present to the European Parliament.
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Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, faces an uphill battle in her bid for re-election as European Union (EU) representatives vote on July 18 to decide whether she will serve a second term. To remain President of the Commission, which functions as both the EU's executive branch and primary initiator of EU-level legislation, von der Leyen needs 361 votes out of the 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
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