Democracy, Backsliding and the Need for a Weekly Radar

Introduction

In March 2026, the V‑Dem Institute published its tenth global Democracy Report: Unraveling the Democratic Era?

For the “ average global citizen ”, they conclude, the level of democracy is now back to where it stood in 1978. The gains of the so‑called “ third wave of democratisation ”, which began with Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1974, have been “ almost entirely eradicated ”.

ACTORS THE EU WILL NOT NAME

A FIMI-Methodology Assessment of US, Israeli and Aligned Network Interference in European Democracy

“those who want to destroy the Union are: Russia, American MAGA, and the European right wing led by Orbán. “1

(Donald Tusk)

1. A House of Cards Indeed
2. The Full OSINT FIMI Shadow Report
3. Open Letter to Kaja Kallas: The EU’S FIMI Blind Spot Is An Existential Threat
4. Footnotes

A House of Cards Indeed

Kaja Kallas is right that today’s wars are fought with lies and algorithms.

Introduction

There’s a point where impunity is not a failure of the system, it is the purpose of the system. Some things shake our belief in justice and government to the core, anyone who has spent anytime with the Epstein case will feel the same. Justice is too often institutional force applied to the weak and vulnerable by the strong: ‘the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must ‘.

1. Introduction
2. The Wizard Behind the Curtain?
3. Empathy or Moral Apathy
4. Misuse of Literary Heroes
   1. Tolkien’s Middle Earth
   2. Banks & The Culture Novels
   3. Dune & The Jihads
   4. George Orwell’s 1984
5. Techno-Villain Or Tragically Flawed Anti-Hero?
6. Masked Crusader Or Crusader Behind A Mask?
7. Footnotes

Introduction

Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. He has become one of the most controversial and confusing figures of the 21st century. He is possibly the richest man in the world (with an estimated wealth of around $400-500bn) and also one of the most fascinating – but not because of his wealth.

Progress Update

1. AI Notebook
2. Introduction: A Democracy Staring at the Abyss
3. The Blueprint for Autocracy: Deconstructing Project 2025
   1. Central Ideology and Policy Goals
   2. Implementation and Funding
4. The Hungarian Model: An Authoritarian Blueprint
5. Progress Tracker Since Inauguration
6. Implementation By Executive Order
7. Implementation: Personnel and Structural Consolidation
   1. The Personnel Purge and Loyalty Appointments
   2. The Parallel Mechanism: Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
8. Key Policy Areas of Implementation
   1. Energy, Climate, and Environmental Deregulation
   2. Dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
   3. Fiscal Control and Spending Cuts
   4. Education and Public Services
   5. Project Esther
   6. Immigration
9. Immigration and Border Security
   1. Targeting and Sensitive Locations:
   2. The Scale of Current and Planned Enforcement
   3. Arrest and Detention Capacity
   4. Policy Changes Driving Scale
   5. The Use of Foreign Prisons and Conditions for Deportees
   6. Intended Scope of Mass Deportations Envisioned by Project 2025
10. Divergences and Extensions Beyond the Blueprint
11. A New International Order: The Global Implications
12. A Call for Democratic Defence: The Path Forward
13. Conclusion: The Work of Millions
14. No Kings - October 18 2025
15. Footnotes

AI Notebook

I have created an AI notebook with many sources of information on Project 2025 and tracking how it is being implemented (which you can use to query aspects of the Trump & MAGA regime change). This overview of where we are has also been created using it (with minor tweaks).

The Blueprint for an Authoritarian Regime

“a systemic, ruthless plan to undermine the quality of life of millions of Americans, remove critical protections and dismantle programs for communities across the nation, and prioritize special interests and ideological extremism over people.“1

(Democracy Forward)

The following article has been researched manually largely based on sources you can find and review here:

Russia, Israel, the USA and the far-right in Europe

1. Introduction
2. A new Axis powers?
3. United Nations vote
4. What is the European far-right?
5. What drives this rise of extremism?
6. The rise of the hard/far-right
7. Israel: Likud, Kahanism & the rise of a fascist state
8. Israel and Europe
9. Trump, MAGA & Russia
10. Russia’s involvement in Europe
11. Hungary: a key node
12. America’s influence
13. The UK (and Brexit)
14. An alliance of cannibals
15. Empathy
16. Footnotes

Introduction

This is an unofficial companion article to the recent European EEAS Report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threats.1

The first article in the European Reckoning series.

“**I’m here today to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being the primary guarantor of security in Europe. ”**1

US Secretary of Defence, February 12, 2025.

AI Podcast Version

I have also created an AI podcast version (if you are interested in trying it out):