Europe’s Got a Stalker Problem (And It’s Not Your Ex)
Turns out fleeing to Europe doesn’t always mean you’ve actually escaped. The European Parliament just voted overwhelmingly—434 to 128, with 104 people apparently checking their phones—to tackle what they’re calling “transnational repression.” That’s fancy bureaucrat-speak for authoritarian regimes sliding into your DMs from across borders to threaten, harass, or worse.
The problem? Dictatorships and their cronies have gotten really good at the long-distance intimidation game. They’re targeting dissidents, journalists, activists, and basically anyone who said something mean about them on Twitter—sorry, X—even after those people moved thousands of miles away. Family members back home aren’t safe either, because nothing says “we’re totally legitimate” like threatening someone’s grandma.
Parliament wants a “zero-tolerance approach,” which sounds tough until you realize they’re starting from “we don’t even have a proper definition of this yet.” Apparently, the lack of clarity has led to serious under-reporting, which is like trying to solve a crime wave you haven’t bothered naming.
The solution? Europe wants better data collection, specialized training for law enforcement (because “how to spot international intimidation” isn’t currently in the handbook), and an actual EU coordinator to wrangle this mess. They’re particularly concerned about digital threats, abusive Interpol notices, and “consular coercion”—when your local embassy becomes less “passport renewal center” and more “we know where you live.”
As German MEP Hannah Neumann put it: “Distance doesn’t guarantee safety.” Which is a polite way of saying authoritarians have frequent flyer miles and they’re not afraid to use them.