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https://nordictimes.com/world/when-globalism-is-threatened-the-establishment-respond-with-repression/

World

Comment: When globalism is threatened the establishment respond with repression

Totalitarianism

Jenny Piper

We see it time and again: when the ideas of globalism are challenged by the will of the people, voters' voices are met with surveillance, censorship, and threats of bans. In reality, you only have the freedom to choose as long as you choose "correctly".

Published May 5, 2025 – By Jenny Piper
There are concerns that Friedrich Merz will heed the demands of outgoing Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her allies - and ban the AfD altogether.
2 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

After the German security service BfV decided to classify the party Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “right-wing extremist” – which allows the regime to infiltrate, mass-surveil, and sabotage the popular opposition party – the German left-wing bloc has moved forward with attempts to completely ban the party, which is Germany's second-largest party in the Bundestag and, in recent polls, has been the country's largest party.

As expected, this has passed without objection from the Swedish establishment, which is exactly the same trash as its German counterpart.

However, US Vice President JD Vance is not holding back on his criticism and is drawing attention to the move on X.

"The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it. The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt - not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment".

Throughout Europe, those in power are vigorously and, unfortunately, effectively opposing the growing parties that embrace nationalism instead of globalism, which runs counter to the established politically correct view that has been allowed to dominate for so long without any significant opposition.

Bans and increased repression against dissenting voices are now spreading –  the hope lies with the peoples of the rest of Europe to take up the fight against the ruling elite and stand up for their values and true democracy.

The well-indoctrinated population of Sweden will certainly not be a contributing factor – on the contrary, we immediately side with the oppressors, ready to point the finger.

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

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https://nordictimes.com/tech/italian-political-consultant-became-victim-of-spyware-program/

Tech

Italian political consultant became victim of spyware program

Totalitarianism

Published today 10:51 am – By Editorial staff
Francesco Nicodemo.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

An Italian political advisor who worked for center-left parties has gone public about being hacked through an advanced Israeli-developed spyware program. Francesco Nicodemo is the latest in a growing list of victims in a spyware scandal that is shaking Italy and raising questions about how intelligence services use surveillance technology.

Francesco Nicodemo, who works as a consultant for left-leaning politicians in Italy, waited ten months before publicly disclosing that he had been targeted by the Paragon spyware program. On Thursday, he chose to break his silence in a post on Facebook.

Nicodemo explained that he had previously not wanted to publicize his case because he "didn't want to be used for political propaganda," but that "the time has now come".

"It's time to ask a very simple question: Why? Why me? How is it possible that such a sophisticated and complex tool was used to spy on a private citizen, as if he were a drug dealer or a subversive threat to the country?", Nicodemo wrote. "I have nothing more to say. More people must speak out. Others must explain what happened".

Extensive scandal grows

Nicodemo's revelation once again expands the scope of the ongoing spyware scandal in Italy. Among those affected are several journalists, migration activists, prominent business leaders, and now a political consultant with a history of working for the center-left party Partito Democratico and its politicians.

The online publication Fanpage reported first that Nicodemo was among the people who received a notification from WhatsApp in January that they had been targeted by the spyware program.

Questions about usage

Governments and spyware manufacturers have long claimed that their surveillance products are used against serious criminals and terrorists, but recent cases show that this is not always the case.

— The Italian government has provided certain spyware victims with clarity and explained the cases. But others remain disturbingly unclear, says John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab who has investigated spyware companies and their abuses for years.

— None of this looks good for Paragon, or for Italy. That's why clarity from the Italian government is so essential. I believe that if they wanted to, Paragon could give everyone much more clarity about what's going on. Until they do, these cases will remain a burden on their shoulders, adds Scott-Railton, who confirmed that Nicodemo received the notification from WhatsApp.

Intelligence services' involvement

It is still unclear which of Paragon's customers hacked Nicodemo, but an Italian parliamentary committee confirmed in June that some of the victims in Italy were hacked by Italian intelligence services, which report to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.

In February, following revelations about the first victims in Italy, Paragon severed ties with its government customers in the country, specifically the intelligence services AISE and AISI.

The parliamentary committee COPASIR later concluded in June that some of the publicly identified Paragon victims, namely the migration activists, had been legally hacked by Italian intelligence services. However, the committee found no evidence that Francesco Cancellato, editor of the news site Fanpage.it which had investigated the youth organization of Meloni's governing party, had been hacked by the intelligence services.

Paragon, which has an active contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, states that the U.S. government is one of its customers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

FACTS: Paragon

Paragon Solutions is an Israeli cybersecurity company that develops advanced spyware for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies. The software can be used to monitor smartphones and other digital devices.

The company was acquired by American private equity giant AE Industrial and has since been merged with cybersecurity firm REDLattice. Paragon's clients include the US government, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

In February 2024, Paragon terminated its contracts with Italian intelligence services AISE and AISI after several Italian citizens, including journalists and activists, were identified as victims of the company's spyware.

Paragon is marketed as a tool against serious crime and terrorism, but its use in Italy has raised questions about whether the spyware is also being used against political opponents and journalists.

https://nordictimes.com/world/telegram-founder-reveals-blackmail-attempt-by-french-intelligence-service/

World

Telegram founder reveals blackmail attempt by French intelligence service

Totalitarianism

Published September 29, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Pavel Durov resisted when France demanded censorship of Moldovan opposition channels on Telegram.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov claims that French intelligence services tried to get him to censor opposition channels ahead of Moldova's presidential election – in exchange for help with his French legal case.

In a social media post, Pavel Durov reveals a blackmail attempt by French intelligence services that allegedly took place about a year ago, when he was detained in Paris, France, accused of inadequate control over criminal content on the Telegram platform.

"About a year ago, while I was stuck in Paris, the French intelligence services reached out to me through an intermediary, asking me to help the Moldovan government censor certain Telegram channels ahead of the presidential elections in Moldova", he writes.

After reviewing the channels flagged by French and Moldovan authorities, the Telegram team identified some that clearly violated the platform's rules, and these were removed. But then came an unexpected offer.

"The intermediary then informed me that, in exchange for this cooperation, French intelligence would 'say good things' about me to the judge who had ordered my arrest in August last year", Durov reveals.

"Unacceptable on multiple levels"

Durov describes the offer as "unacceptable on multiple levels" and points to serious problems regardless of whether the claim was true or false.

"If the agency did in fact approach the judge – it constituted an attempt to interfere in the judicial process. If it did not, and merely claimed to have done so, then it was exploiting my legal situation in France to influence political developments in Eastern Europe – a pattern we have also observed in Romania", he states.

Shortly thereafter, the Telegram team received a second list of so-called "problematic" Moldovan channels. But this time the situation was different.

"Unlike the first, nearly all of these channels were legitimate and fully compliant with our rules. Their only commonality was that they voiced political positions disliked by the French and Moldovan governments", Durov explains.

Refused to remove political content

The Telegram chief claims they refused to comply with the French intelligence service's demands this time.

"We refused to act on this request. Telegram is committed to freedom of speech and will not remove content for political reasons", Durov declares.

He concludes with a promise to Telegram users about transparency regarding future pressure attempts.

"I will continue to expose every attempt to pressure Telegram into censoring our platform. Stay tuned".

The allegations come amid Moldova's crucial parliamentary elections, where President Maia Sandu's strongly pro-EU party faces the opposition bloc BEP, which advocates for the country's neutrality and accuses the government of silencing opposition voices.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/europe/von-der-leyens-media-plans-spark-anger-pure-george-orwells-1984/

Europe

Von der Leyen’s media plans spark anger: “Pure George Orwell’s 1984”

Totalitarianism

Published September 12, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Swedish EU parliamentarian Dick Erixon from the Sweden Democrats is not impressed by von der Leyen's speech about the EU needing to "protect" establishment media.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Ursula von der Leyen presented plans in the European Parliament for a new media support program and increased EU funding for traditional establishment media.

Sweden Democrats' EU parliamentarian Dick Erixon calls the EU Commission President's speech "pure George Orwell's 1984" and accuses von der Leyen of wanting to stifle freedom of expression.

In her speech to the European Parliament, the heavily criticized EU Commission President complained about how traditional establishment media are struggling for survival and spoke about rural areas where the local newspaper has become "a nostalgic memory" while warning that this has created "news deserts where disinformation thrives".

As a solution, von der Leyen presented a "Media Resilience Programme" that will actively support what she and other EU power holders consider to be independent journalism and media literacy.

She also announced that the EU Commission proposes to "significantly boost funding for media" in the next EU budget, but only certain media will be able to access EU citizens' tax money.

"Wants to protect legacy media"

Dick Erixon, the Sweden Democrats' representative in the European Parliament, is among several who are directing very harsh criticism at the proposals.

"Deplorable speech by Ursula von der Leyen: Wants state authorities to protect legacy media from source criticism. It was a particularly divisive speech we heard in the European Parliament today. Ursula spoke about freedom but wants to stifle freedom of expression", he states.

He is particularly critical of von der Leyen's statement that the EU should "protect" traditional media.

"The EU will protect (yes, 'protect') legacy media in a new media program. Since paper newspapers are just a memory, 'news deserts where disinformation thrives' are created. Therefore, citizens need journalism they can 'trust'", Erixon writes sarcastically.

Warned about autocrats

In her speech, von der Leyen also claimed that independent media are under attack from "autocrats" who want to take control of them.

"The first step in an autocrat's playbook is always to capture independent media. Because this enables backsliding and corruption to happen in the dark", she proclaimed dramatically.

"A free press is the backbone of any democracy", she then claimed and promised that the EU will "support Europe's press to remain free".

Dick Erixon points out, however, that von der Leyen and her allies hardly have any interest in a truly independent media landscape and that her rhetoric is rather about citizens blindly trusting what establishment media say and write – while forums that EU leaders don't control should be made suspicious and censored.

"For Ursula, critical source examination of power holders and the establishment is of no value. 'Trust traditional media' was her message, while she believes that social media serves the purposes of darkness and corruption. It's pure George Orwell's 1984", he says.

Wants to limit social media for children

Von der Leyen also wants to introduce restrictions on children's use of social media. She accused the platforms of using "algorithms that prey on children's vulnerabilities with the explicit purpose of creating addictions" and announced that an expert panel will develop proposals for EU restrictions before the end of the year.

"Our friends in Australia are pioneering a social media restriction. I am watching the implementation of their policy closely to see what next steps we can take here in Europe", von der Leyen said.

Von der Leyen gave no further details in her speech about how the media support program will work, what criteria will be used to distribute support, or how large a budget is planned for the program. She also did not specify who will define what counts as "disinformation" or "independent media".

The EU Commission has also proposed using private capital to support certain media, without further explaining how this will work.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-seeks-expanded-powers-during-emergencies/

Sweden

Swedish government seeks expanded powers during emergencies

Totalitarianism

Published June 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Gunnar Strömmer (M) promises that "in practice, Parliament always has the last word".
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government wants to have more power to act quickly in serious crises during peacetime – without having to wait for approval from parliament.

The proposal has been met with strong criticism from several sides, with people warning that it paves the way for abuse of power and risks undermining democratic principles.

A new bill proposes constitutional amendments that would allow decisions on temporary measures in situations such as cyberattacks, natural disasters, or terrorist attacks.

The proposed changes to the constitution are said to be aimed at enabling the government to act more quickly in crises, even in peacetime.

By delegating special powers from the Riksdag, the government will be able to issue temporary regulations that are valid for up to three months. However, these may not change or repeal the constitution.

– The government needs the right tools to govern the country, Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) states.

Spread of infection and cyber attacks

In particularly urgent cases, the government will be able to take a so-called activation decision – a form of state of emergency – to take immediate action without the prior approval of the Riksdag. This is said to be relevant in events such as:

• Nuclear accidents

• Natural disasters

• Extensive spread of infectious diseases

• Terrorist attacks

• Major financial crises

• Extensive IT disruptions or cyberattacks

The government itself claims that the reform is necessary to protect society and safeguard democratic governance in emergency situations where crucial decisions must be made very quickly.

“Ensures separation of powers”

However, several organizations, including LO, the Swedish Union of Journalists, and the Stockholm District Court, have sharply criticized the proposal. The Swedish Union of Journalists warns that a future authoritarian government could use these powers to implement changes without the support of the Riksdag, which in practice risks undermining democracy.

To limit the risks, the government claims that it will only be able to use these powers if it is clear that the Riksdag's decision cannot be delayed.

An activation decision must also be approved retrospectively by a three-quarters majority in the Riksdag. If regulations are not submitted to parliament within a week or approved within a month, they cease to apply immediately, it is stated.

– This ensures the separation of powers and reduces the scope for a government with more despotic ambitions to take liberties, argues Gunnar Strömmer.

– In practice, the Riksdag always has the final say, he assures us.

Concerns about abuse

The bill also contains proposals to allow the Riksdag to meet in locations other than Stockholm in the event of serious crises. In addition, digital meetings will be made possible to ensure that the Riksdag can function even under extreme conditions.

The legislative changes, which are proposed to come into force on January 1, 2027, are based on a report supported by seven of the eight parties in parliament.

Despite broad political support, the proposal has raised concerns among critics. On social media, many warn that the changes could reduce the influence of the people even more than today and lead to abuse of power, as well as being misused to introduce various totalitarian and repressive measures.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com