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The responsible individuals of CReCCiDe are calling on the Walloon ministers to save a unique, independent structure that is committed to the prevention of extreme right-wing ideologies and the promotion of coexistence, amid political decisions that threaten education on citizenship and the remembrance of genocides. #ÉducationCitoyenne #MémoireDesGénocides #PolitiqueBelge (translated)

With the victory of Raphaël Glucksmann in the center-left primaries for the French presidency, broad leftist cooperation seems further away than ever, as he previously prefers cooperation with the political center over the radical left parties. #Frankrijk #verkiezingen #linksepolitiek (translated)

Jesse Klaver, the changeable leader of the GroenLinks party, keeps reinventing himself while he is at the top of the polls, but his political strategies and appearance change with each campaign, leading to confusion and criticism within his party and among his supporters. #JesseKlaver #GroenLinks #Politiek (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt proposed a compulsory integration course for D66 in his column. According to him, the party spoke excellent Dutch, but still needed to learn how to deal with people who have different beliefs. He referred to Jan Paternotte, who mentioned the Renaissanceschool associated with Forum for Democracy in the Chamber and asked for stricter rules for new schools. According to Von Kreyfelt, Rob Jetten had advocated for a swift evaluation and possible legislative changes. The proposed course would, according to Von Kreyfelt, include lessons on civil rights, freedom of education, diversity, democracy, and equal rights. He wrote that citizens should be allowed to think independently and vote for other parties, and that a political background in itself was not an offense. Regarding Jetten's statements on October 9 about taking stronger action against certain schools and online channels where, in his view, young people were learning incorrect ideas about equal rights, Von Kreyfelt noted that Jetten had not mentioned the Renaissanceschool. As an exam task, Von Kreyfelt described a parent who wanted to pass on different beliefs to their child than D66. According to him, a student would succeed with an answer that did not involve inspection, improvement processes, or legislative changes. He concluded that D66 needed to learn that a free society also existed without its permission. #Inburgering #Diversiteit #Democratie (translated)

Ann Van Haute wondered how the EU elite would react if their political commitment to Ukraine were to fail. According to her, that elite had invested in it for years, spent billions, and put pressure on their own economy, while problems in Europe piled up. She argued that Ukraine was about the only topic that still mattered in politics and that the elite in Europe could gain little honor anymore. She also pondered how desperate that elite would become if their last major political narrative threatened to disappear. #Oekraïne #EU #Politiek (translated)

Mirjam152 challenged the reasoning that a lower VAT rate cost the government a lot of money. She compared it to the income a landlord misses out on by asking for a lower rent and sarcastically suggested that the VAT should then be raised to 30 percent and inheritance and gift taxes to 100 percent. According to her, people were already paying more than enough tax. The researchers defended a higher VAT rate for, among others, hairdressers, bicycle mechanics, and plasterers with the argument that a tight labor market could make services more expensive due to insufficient staff availability. Mirjam152 called that reasoning flawed and accused the researchers of having a political agenda and pandering to the government and the cabinet. #BTW #Belastingen #Overheid (translated)

Steven Arrazola de Oñate wrote that Trump was right according to him, and that Volodymyr Zelensky should have reached an agreement earlier. He suggested that European leaders should have focused more on negotiations from the beginning and had to face the military situation; this could have possibly prevented a lot of human suffering. According to Arrazola de Oñate, Russia occupied about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and the war had reportedly claimed nearly two million military casualties, including dead, wounded, and missing. He believed that European politicians and media did not fundamentally question their strategy nonetheless. Arrazola de Oñate wrote that he never believed Ukraine could win the war militarily and that he did not expect the country to reclaim all the lost territory. He acknowledged that his position could provoke negative reactions and stated that he wanted more European leaders to express what he called uncomfortable truths. He also asked how many lives would still be sacrificed before diplomacy took precedence over political rhetoric. #Oorlog #Diplomatie #Vrede (translated)

The cabinet wants to save billions on the civil service, but while some civil servants in The Hague advocate for fewer staff, experts point out that political mistakes and complex regulations actually call for more civil servants instead of fewer. #ambtenaren #bezuinigingen #politiek (translated)

The cabinet wants to save billions on the civil service by abolishing rules and digitizing tasks, but is faced with a growing number of civil servants needed outside The Hague due to staff shortages and political mistakes that need to be rectified. #ambtenaren #bezuinigingen #politiek (translated)

Denkewel sarcastically wrote "La Résistance" and criticized politicians who, in his opinion, walked away instead of listening to others or engaging in debate with them. He said that politicians from left to right could be held accountable for much, but described this group with disparaging terms and questioned why anyone would join a political party if they were not willing to engage in conversation. He also suggested that such behavior was childish. #politiek #debatteren #respect (translated)

Shermin Amiri wrote that people should continue to listen to political opponents, ask challenging questions, and contest their arguments. According to her, the democratic debate culture weakened when people walked away at the first sign of discomfort. #democratie #debatcultuur #politiek (translated)

Harvard historian Jill Lepore argues that the merging of the American state apparatus with large AI companies undermines democracy and has roots in profound political and economic changes that began in ancient times but have been accelerated by the rise of technology since the 1980s. #JillLepore #KunstmatigeIntelligentie #Democratie (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt wrote that D66, in his opinion, put pressure on the Renaissanceschool, which is linked to Forum voor Democratie. He pointed out that D66 MP Jan Paternotte had mentioned the school in the House of Representatives because of announced separate curricula for boys and girls, and had called for stricter rules for new schools. According to Von Kreyfelt, Rob Jetten had urged for a quick evaluation and possible amendments to the law. Von Kreyfelt also wrote that Jetten had announced on October 9 that he would investigate how to take tougher action against schools, weekend schools, and online channels where, according to Jetten, young people were learning incorrect views about equal rights. The columnist emphasized that Jetten had not mentioned the Renaissanceschool in this context. He argued that the education inspectorate should investigate what was actually happening at the school and that a political background alone was not evidence of violations. According to him, Paternotte had stated that Article 23 remained intact. Von Kreyfelt wondered whether Jetten wanted to address verifiable violations or tighten general rules because a political competitor was taking advantage of them. https://t.co/V2P6pFuNy1 #onderwijs #vrijheid #D66 (translated)

President Trump has announced that it is not yet final whether the execution of Nidal Hasan, who killed thirteen American soldiers, will be broadcast via livestream, amid fierce criticism from both political opponents and within his own party. #Executie #Livestream #Doodstraf (translated)