Writing

Reflections on how creativity, technology & politics intersect to shape our world.

Illustrated cartoon showing a seesaw under an EU flag. On the left, a heavy basket labelled “Organic populist reach” overflows with angry emojis, megaphones, and logos like AfD and RN, alongside text bubbles saying “Fear! Outrage! Viral!”. On the right, a much lighter basket labelled “Moderate policy ads” contains documents and cogs, with text bubbles saying “Nuance. Plans. Silenced.” A hand labelled “EU regulations” cuts a rope marked “Paid ad support”, while a cracked smartphone on the ground reads “Paid ads banned”, highlighting the imbalance between populist organic reach and restricted paid political advertising.

The EU's political ad ban is a gift to populists

Political ad bans don't protect democracy, but they do give populist parties a massive advantage.

12 September 2025 · 3 min read