Democracy is a universal but fragile good that above all requires education and personal initiative. It is a privilege that must be understood and protected. It is not perfect, but it is still the best model that humanity has known over the past millennia. It is everyone's business, not just that of political leaders or a few philosophers and historians who look after it. It is not an object that can be classified as part of humanity's heritage and protected. As can be seen all over the world, democracy, individual freedoms and the rule of law are the exception rather than the rule. And for those who benefit from them, it is important to bear in mind that these privileges are not due, and they cannot be taken for granted. In Europe, this is especially true for the younger generations who were born in a democratic, free and united Europe and who live under the illusion that the freedoms and rights they enjoy are immutable achievements. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I find it particularly worrying to see the attraction many of them have for nationalist movements of the extreme right or left, and the indifference of many others. The history of the last hundred years should be enough to give every European an unshakeable moral and political compass. Nothing has caused more devastation and death than nationalism and communism. As we are seeing today in Poland and Hungary, countries in the hands of far-right nationalist populists, democracy is fragile and can be dismantled. In Europe, democracy, its development and its preservation are increasingly dependent on the European Union. We can criticise what is good in order to improve it. But few of the EU's detractors do so. Most of the time, it's just undifferentiated diatribe, led by populists on the right or left, who dream of abolishing the EU so they can reintroduce small authoritarian nationalist states. There is nowhere in the world where standards of democracy, the rule of law, individual freedoms, consumer protection and the protection of minorities are higher than in the EU. And especially in such a vast and coherent area. People in Asia, Africa, South America and even North America can only dream of such freedoms and rights. It is unique in the world. It has brought us 80 years of peace, which is unprecedented in the continent's history and has been rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. The principle of the European Union is also to pool a little of our sovereignty in order to receive more in return. A simple calculation, but difficult to understand for the basic nationalist. It is the greatest political achievement in modern history, because it is the first time that sovereign states have agreed to form a union of states on this scale, without violence or conquest, with the aim of protecting and developing peace, prosperity, democracy and freedom. It has become a global power that can compete with other world powers such as Russia, China, the United States and India, resolutely defending and protecting our interests as citizens and our values around the world. And that is precisely why populists on the left and the right of every stripe want to see it disappear: For them, the EU is the greatest obstacle to the emergence of totalitarian regimes. Let's hope it stays that way! For that reason alone, it deserves to be protected and developed. It is the best bulwark we have for preserving democracy and protecting us from nationalism and the authoritarian regimes that flow from it!

Russia launched a cynical attack against Ukraine on October 7, firing around 70 missiles – many of them ballistic – along with Shahed drones. The attacks hit Kyiv and 12 regions, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens. In Pryluky, Chernihiv region, a Russian strike destroyed a five-storey residential building, killing 13 people, including three children. At least 43 people were injured, including children. Nine apartment buildings were damaged in Dnipro and Kremenchuk. Two people were killed and 27 more injured. Two more people were killed in Kyiv and two in Oleksandriia. Russian ballistic missiles remain one of the biggest threats. Ukraine urgently needs more air defence, including Patriot missiles, to protect lives.

Was für eine billige Propaganda. Wenn Putin diesen fürchterlichen Krieg nicht führen würde, könnten wir uns das Geld tatsächlich sparen. Die Hilfe für die Ukraine schützt Frauen und Kinder vor dem Tod durch nächtliche Raketen aus Moskau. Auf unsere Hilfe können wir stolz sein.

Und hier nochmal in aller Pracht: der neue Vizepräsident des Landtags von #SachsenAnhalt.

"Face aux menaces de l'extrême droite, nous défendons le droit de tous les citoyens à être informés. Protéger des journalistes libres, dans les médias indépendants comme dans le service public, c'est protéger la République." secure.avaaz.org/campaign/fr…

My Kherson report is going viral on TikTok and a huge amount of people say they had no idea the human safari was happening. This is why reporting on the ground is so important. Thank you for sharing my reports 🙏

Was will Russland? Welche Gefahren bringt eine AfD-Regierung in Sachsen-Anhalt mit sich? Vor Abgeordneten analysieren die Chefs der deutschen Geheimdienste die aktuelle Bedrohungslage und werden dabei ungewöhnlich deutlich. Link in X-Bio.

Meine kleine Schweinesammlung. Heute ist eine Sau dazugekommen.

The death toll in today's Russian glide bomb attack on Kharkiv has risen to 5‼️ 53 people were injured, including several children. Terrorist bastards!

Just a reminder that there is a city in Europe where Russian drones hunt civilians 24/7.

A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Türkiye. Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board. As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ship’s captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being established. Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them injured. Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea. There have also been relevant proposals from third countries. But Russia consistently chooses terror and sinking civilian vessels instead of normal maritime navigation. Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is genuinely interested in this must help.

RT @AnnaDeMilanese: 🇷🇺 Der Krieg endet dort, wo er angefangen hat. ​In Moskau gehen Omas und Opas auf Polizisten los, weil junge Menschen…

Today, Friedrich Merz @bundeskanzler and I had a very productive meeting. There is a new support package for Ukraine – a comprehensive package worth more than €1.3 billion. It includes weapons that will help us now, as well as support for our energy sector ahead of winter – an important energy package. Of course, we discussed the need for air defense, which is critical at this time. As of today, we have 15 agreements and documents, and most of them concern security cooperation, production, relevant procurement, our orders for German industry, and joint projects in Ukraine. The total value of our agreements today is more than €8.5 billion. A special agreement was signed that creates more opportunities for our joint efforts to counter drones. Thank you, Germany. Thank you, Friedrich. Thank you to all of Europe for standing with Ukraine and helping us protect life.

This morning, the Russians once again struck the Pivnichnyi Bridge in Kyiv with a drone. They attacked an ordinary pharmaceutical warehouse in Sumy with drones. Tragically, one person was killed. My condolences to the family and loved ones. In Dnipro, they struck a communications facility. Six people were injured as a result of these attacks. Overnight, the Russians launched 135 attack drones against Ukraine, more than 50 of them jet-powered. Kyiv, the Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions came under attack. And among the main targets of these terrorists, as always, are ordinary residential buildings, critical infrastructure – everything that makes up normal everyday life. There are power outages in some communities. Our services are working at the impact sites. It is important that Ukraine is not left alone against this terror. This week alone, the Russians have used more than 1,900 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 25 missiles against Ukraine. More than 800 of the drones were jet-powered, and Russia must be held accountable for this escalation. Today, Friedrich Merz @bundeskanzler – Federal Chancellor of Germany – is visiting Kyiv. A leader of a country that consistently demonstrates leadership in protecting the lives of Ukrainians from Russian strikes. We are grateful for all the support, and today we are preparing decisions to give us in Ukraine, and all of Europe, greater capabilities to defend ourselves. There will be important agreements between Ukraine and Germany. Russia must be stopped together. Thank you to everyone who is helping.

À partager sans modération, ça détruit le fond de commerce de l’extrême droite.

Terrifiant 🫣 un missile russe frappe un pont à Kyiv alors que des voitures civiles l’empruntent. Il faut protéger le ciel ukrainien !! On peut pas laisser les civils se faire massacrer sans réagir

⚠️Breaking news. Première image exclusive du dépôt de plainte de Jordan Bardella en attendant la décision du parquet ;-)

We know from intelligence and some people around Putin that at the beginning of September Putin said, “No rules now.” The Russians couldn’t occupy us. So now they are doing massive attacks and massive killings. And of course they want to go after our bridges and, from what we understand, after our data centers, internet, cell network, hospitals, kindergartens, schools, universities – everything. They want people to run away from their cities, and we need to do everything to save our people and cities. F-16s destroy 50 to 60% of jet drones now. This is one way, and we work a lot on getting weapons for F-16s. The second way is fast interceptors. Now we have five interceptors being tested. One day they are 70% effective, the other day – 30%. So, answering the question “When can we scale up the production?” – we don’t have billions to produce a million interceptors which will not work. Engines are key. We import a lot and produce some, but these numbers are not enough. So out of these 5 samples, some were used five times, some ten, and some only once. But you had one, and destroyed one Russian drone. This is the problem. I don’t know the exact date, but in October, we will have 400 of these interceptors. And it is normal when you use 400 interceptors over several days of attacks, and you say, “Look, guys, sorry, but it destroys only 10%. It doesn’t work.” Or, for example, if it is 30% or more, “Great, guys, you have to work a little bit on it, and when the percentage is 60–70% – huge success.” From an interview with the Financial Times.

De nouvelles têtes RN ont fait leur entrée au Sénat et à l'Assemblée à la suite des élections du 27 septembre. L’un d’eux est en guerre contre « la gauchiasserie », un autre a été condamné pour vol... « Le Canard » s’est penché sur leur profil… et c’est gratiné ! l.lecanardenchaine.fr/D0

NEW: Trump’s talks with Russia over ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar Lukoil deal that would benefit Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to a NYT report. The deal, which needs approval from both the U.S. government and Kremlin, would involve Lukoil’s oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world. The group seeking it includes Trump donor Todd Boehly, Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Kushner or Witkoff’s family, and even an arm of the U.S. government.

Wir hatten 16 Jahre lang eine Bundeskanzlerin aus Ostdeutschland, aber die mochten sie ja auch nicht.