The Loop. A Political Science Blog from @ECPR

New ECPR blog: Based on work with Nadiia Koval, I argue that defending liberal democratic values is a foundation of the EU's geopolitical power — and must drive enlargement and ramping up of military power to fill the void in values and security left by US. Series by @anghel_v1

🧭 #EUEnlargementDilemmas No.22 🇪🇺 What motivates #EU enlargement? @MariusGhincea & @LaurentiuPl argue that the Union's approach has evolved through three overlapping logics 🔀 : transformation, stabilisation, and demarcation. 👇 buff.ly/garNKTv

@CEUDemInst @ceu @ECPR_TheLoop Great that our student's blog from the #CIVICA course #genderingilliberalism is out. Congratulations and thanks. to those involved.

HE is in crisis: we can dvlp better models including civic engagement, lifelong learning & professional dvlpt by learning from other models bit.ly/SocSciManifesto @civicuniversity @The_ACU @UniversitiesUK @SSNScholars @UCLPublicPolicy @PolicyUpen @CIVICUSalliance

💡@eldorn & Sofía Bosch Gómez argue disillusionment with democratic systems offers designers an opportunity. ⚙️Relational design reimagines governance: prioritising equity, legitimacy & collective care in participatory, inclusive & systemic interventions buff.ly/jS41s9b

🌊 #IlliberalWave No.40 🇭🇺What role do sexism, racism, and climate denial play in the regime of Hungarian Prime Minister #ViktorOrbán? 🐽Hanna Zelma Horányi describes how Orbán is legitimising his power through ‘petro-masculinity’ #GenderingIlliberalism 👇buff.ly/YHz4tGB

The @PardeeCenterIFs Country and Organizational Leader Travel (COLT) dataset is freely available to use and a great resource for studying global patterns of diplomacy: korbel.du.edu/pardee/country…

🦋 #ScienceOfDemocracy No.112 A new phase in this series rethinks democracy by challenging Western-centric models. @honggdo acknowledges its ambition, but argues it risks celebrating democratic traditions without fully addressing embedded inequalities 👇 buff.ly/jNhbas4

☢️ #NuclearPoliticsParadox No.15 🎯 @esraserimm argues that advances in #AI-enabled #drone tech significantly enhance #NuclearWeapon delivery & deterrence capabilities. 🌍 But, to ensure global stability, we must create robust international frameworks. buff.ly/3267VWB

🧭 #EUEnlargementDilemmas No.23 ⚡ @MiladaVachudova argues that defending liberal democracy is essential to Europe's #GeopoliticalPower. 🇪🇺 EU enlargement & #MilitaryInvestment must fill the security & values vacuum left by the United States in 2025. 👇 buff.ly/CNuG9NE

🏳️‍🌈 In Turkey, gender and sexual minorities are increasingly targeted by the state. 🪧But minorities are also isolated by opposition groups that purport to champion democratic values. 🇹🇷 Ilker Kalin argues this weakens democracy, and reinforces repression 👇bit.ly/44RNXeE

🌐 World leaders' first foreign trips reveal more than diplomatic protocol - they are carefully crafted political stories. ✈️ @MerayMaddah & @maxheermann analyse inaugural diplomatic journeys to uncover stability and change in global networks 👇 bit.ly/4lY2FHQ

🇪🇺 For years, the #EU has played the role of global regulator, setting standards that often apply beyond its borders, dubbed the '#BrusselsEffect' by scholars. But, M Łabuz argues, these norm-setting activities now risk undermining the EU's values. 👇 buff.ly/AvBq0lD

🇵🇱 #Poland's presidential election resulted in surprise defeat for centrist Civic Coalition candidate #Trzaskowski. 🗳️ Renata Mieńkowska-Norkiene describes how the right-wing #Nawrocki managed to convince the electorate that he is a 'man of the people'. buff.ly/gMk8vVF

🏙️ #AI is transforming our cities, but at what cost? As public spaces become more digitised, we risk losing the #HumanConnections that bind us 👫. 📱 @ElifDavutoglu_ explores how AI now shapes public life & suggests how we can preserve our shared spaces. buff.ly/f6XUw7Y

🇪🇺 Does #CivilSociety mobilisation reduce socioeconomic bias in #EUpolicy debate? @evelien_willems, I De Bruycker & @MarcelHanegraaf reveal that active engagement by civil society orgs narrows the representation gap for people of low socioeconomic status. buff.ly/0jOJmtz

🦋 #ScienceOfDemocracy No.111 ✍️ To kickstart another round of essays, @JeanPaulRGagnon recaps 4 years’ worth of discussions in this series. He explains where this ever-growing community of scholars has got to so far – and where it aims to go next. 👇 buff.ly/yvVK3kO

☢️ #NuclearPoliticsParadox No.14 ❎ The NPT exists to prevent the development of #NuclearWeapons and reach disarmament. But, argues Cecilia Gustavsson, without improved transparency, the #NPT could, paradoxically, accelerate a new nuclear arms race.👇 buff.ly/xZ8QW9g

👩‍🏫 Whether intercultural education fails or thrives depends on the teachers implementing them. 🏫 Drawing on fieldwork in Italy,  Irene Landini shows how inclusive practices emerge — or falter — depending on school leadership, discretion, and innovation bit.ly/44ot5g1

ICYMI - Last month, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro signed a 'strategic association' agreement with Russia. CMIST's @johnchinphd and Justin Lee argue this is one manifestation of a larger trend of rising sharp power in Latin America. @ECPR_TheLoop theloop.ecpr.eu/rising-sharp-p…