Iskander De Bruycker
Associate Professor at Maastricht University | Leading the NWO-funded VIDI project ACCESS4ALL | Program Director MA European Public Affairs | Researcher exploring the world of lobbying, EU politics, interest groups, and political communication
- An absolute delight to reunite with my former PhD supervisor, Caelesta Braun, for the defense of the brilliant new Dr. @frederikstevens.bsky.social! 🎉 Congrats to Frederik on a strong PhD defense! Your research on lobbying influence on EU agenda-setting paid off. A stellar career awaits you! ✨👏
- Are citizens from #underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds underrepresented in #EU politics❓ My latest study with Marcel Hanegraaff and @evwillems.bsky.social published in @wepsocial.bsky.social reveals that this is indeed the case 👇 (1/3) www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
- On average, elected representatives show 8% less alignment with citizens from lower socioeconomic classes compared to those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds on key EU policy issues. 📊 Interestingly, the percentage is higher for representatives from #Eurosceptic parties. (2/3)
- @catherinedevries.bsky.social hits the nail on the head in this @theguardian.com opinion piece: Germany must step up to save Europe.👇 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Far-right populists spread far more fake news than left-wing populists, shows a study of 32M MP tweets. One of the authors, @pettertornberg.bsky.social, warns in the Guardian it's urgent to address the link between misinformation and radical right populism. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
- Deeply concerning. Piercingly critical. A brave and bold opus by @marietjeschaake.bsky.social. Highly recommended for everyone who cares about democracy in the Western world and beyond. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
- Consultancies in Brussels are an often overlooked force in shaping EU policy. This intriguing article by @stenholm.foljeton.dk sheds light on their pivotal role in assisting major corporations and influencing EU institutions. In Danish—Google Translate can help! www.foljeton.dk/post/mens-eu...
- Brussels Playbook notes that if there’s a will, there’s a way to use the DSA to pressure Musk. Felix Kartte - Reset: “If Musk’s engineered prominence generates public risks, […] regulators could argue that X is failing its risk mitigation obligations under the DSA” www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
- Do you think social background and privilege influence EU policies? 🤔 I recently spoke with Emma Louise Stenholm from Føljeton about our research on diversity in EU lobbying. We explore if access to decision-makers is biased towards privileged groups. Article in 🇩🇰: www.foljeton.dk/post/flere-k...
- Interesting read on leveraging influence as a key skill in the workplace, with a summary of Cialdini's principles of persuasion: reciprocity, liking, unity, authority, social proof, commitment, and scarcity. www.london.edu/think/influe...
- A sad decision for green NGOs: The European Commission is restricting €5.4 billion in LIFE funds for lobbying activities. This echoes anti-green positions pushed by VDL’s center-right EPP, limiting the influence of environmental groups on EU policy.👇 www.politico.eu/article/euro...
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- Congratulations on the new role! Great news for political science in the Low Countries!
- Nice to see that Altmetric is now factoring in Bluesky posts to track impact!
- Congratulations to @brittvandewalle.bsky.social on an excellent PhD defense! 🎉 Looking forward to collaborating with you on the #ACCESS4ALL project at @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social —exciting times ahead!
- Following up with congratulations to the proud supervisors @sldelange.bsky.social, Steven Van Hecke, and Bart Maddens—An inspiring moment to celebrate! 🙌
- Welke invloed hebben jonge, vernieuwende bedrijven op beleid in Brussel en Den Haag? In mijn gesprek met Rogier van Keulen van Considerati deel ik mijn inzichten over hoe zij een voet tussen de deur krijgen in een landschap gedomineerd door gevestigde spelers. 👇 www.considerati.com/nl/kennisban...
- In case you missed it: Microsoft and Google’s rivalry takes center stage in Brussels as business lobby groups clash over cloud market influence. A revealing look at how business interests divide and contend in the EU public affairs space 👇 www.politico.eu/article/micr...
- Interesting detailed flowchart of the EU policy process by Fabian Bohnenberger & Aaron McLoughlin. While focusing on the revision of the CLP Regulation, it provides insights into EU law-making more broadly—a complex process with many moving parts! 😁 fabianbohnenberger.com/2024/11/03/a...
- Interesting read on António Costa’s appointment as the first ethnic minority president of the EU Council. www.politico.eu/article/eu-p...
- I created a starter pack of academics working on EU 🇪🇺 politics and European integration 👇. Let me know if you want to be added. go.bsky.app/Bg7sPSpat://did:plc:6bvcvhzecbib76kulblujc4h/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3lb75gtap372b
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- Oh wow, thank you! So that’s where all these followers are coming from 😄. Really appreciate it!
- Thanks for this. Happy to be added.
- 🔥 New article in Political Studies on the role of #praise & #pressure in #advocacy! My study analyzes the hospitality industry's X-posts during COVID-19 across 9 countries. Findings show that praise&pressure varied with policy changes and real-world developments👇 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
- New blog post introducing the ACCESS4ALL project 😊👇
- 💥 New: Breaking the “old boys’ club” – How socio-demographics shape lobbying access in the EU ✍️ @iskanderdebruycker.bsky.social Sandra Martinez-Böhme & Susanna Eiselt explain why diversity is an asset for lobbying teams in the EU @jeppjournal.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...
- 🔥 New study from the #ACCESS4ALL project! I found that lobby teams with a balanced gender composition & shared national backgrounds with MEPs secure more access to the European Parliament🇪🇺But biases remain, especially against lobbyists from newer EU states👇 🧵 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
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View full thread💡Interestingly, our analyses suggest #similarity #attraction: MEPs are more likely to grant access to organizations with at least one lobbyist of the same gender or similar member state background 🔗Yet, this advantage decreases as more lobbyists share the MEP’s background👥
- 🌈 The study highlights the crucial role of diversity in lobbying teams and calls for more research on sociodemographic biases and similarity attraction in lobbying and #EU #publicaffairs.✨A whole new research agenda awaits the #ACCESS4ALL team and scholars to explore!➡️
- 👍Results show that lobbying teams with more female lobbyists have a slight advantage in gaining access to MEPs. Access improves as the percentage of women increases, up to about 60% 📈. Beyond that, higher percentages of women correlate with decreased access 📉
- 👎The findings on national origin are concerning. Teams with more lobbyists from new member states encounter limited access to rapporteurs in the EP 🚧. Furthermore, lobbying teams with members from non-EU origins face even greater barriers in accessing MEPs 🔒❌
- 🔍The project’s first study delves into how the socio-demographic characteristics of lobbyists influence their access to the European Parliament 🇪🇺. Analyzing meetings between 335 MEPs and 329 lobbying organizations 📊
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- Thanks Ellis 🙏
- 🚀Launch your research career!🌟We are seeking 2 passionate PhD researchers (4 yrs) & 1 Postdoc (3 yrs) for the #ACCESS4ALL project @MaastrichtUniversity. Join our quest to explore sociodemographic biases in EU lobbying 🌍. Apply now 👉PhD: rb.gy/c8iok4 👉Postdoc: rb.gy/1097on
- 📢 Call for Papers for the Political Science Workshops of the Low Countries or "Politicologenetmaal" hosted by @FasosMaastricht is now OPEN! 🎉 Explore our lineup of 14 fascinating workshops! 👇 📝 Info & submit via shorturl.at/emnsT ⏰ Submission deadline: March 31st 🙌 Conference: June 13-14
- Beat the Blue Monday blues with a workshop proposal for the Politicologenetmaal in picturesque Maastricht! 💡 We've received many incredible proposals, but there's still room for one more shining gem 💎 Don't miss this chance and submit your proposal by today at midnight ⏰ 👇!
- 📣Call for Workshops! Join us in Maastricht for the Annual Political Science Workshops of the Low Countries, aka #Politicologenetmaal!🎉 📝 Info & submit: rb.gy/4vj6ji ⏰ Submission deadline: January 15, 2024 📆 Conference dates: June 13-14, 2024 @VPW_be @NKWP_NL
- 📣Call for Workshops! Join us in Maastricht for the Annual Political Science Workshops of the Low Countries, aka #Politicologenetmaal!🎉 📝 Info & submit: rb.gy/4vj6ji ⏰ Submission deadline: January 15, 2024 📆 Conference dates: June 13-14, 2024 @VPW_be @NKWP_NL
