Vera Tika
Nicușor Dan’s narrow victory over far-right challenger George Simion on 18 May averted the election of Romania's first openly illiberal president. Yet Simion still managed to attract 46.4% of the vote. Vera Tika reveals how ideas born under the Iron Guard, refined under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s national-communism, and weaponised by TikTok, now dominate Romanian politics — and are testing Europe’s eastern frontier of democracy Read more
Angelo Vito Panaro
Elections are the primary channel for political leaders to gain power in democracies. Amid concerns about the state of democracy around the world, Angelo Vito Panaro contends that in the 2024 elections, democratic regimes performed relatively well in comparison with autocracies Read more
Ana Țăranu
Hard-right ‘TikTok messiah’ Călin Georgescu was leading the Romanian presidential race when suspected Russian intervention prompted the Constitutional Court to annul the elections. Ana Țăranu analyses how the annulment feeds into the Romanian far right's polarising worldview Read more
Dennis Shen
Georgia’s elections on 26 October highlighted its balancing act between ties with the West and managing a complex relationship with Russia. Dennis Shen explains how competing visions for the country’s future, challenging geopolitics and potential sanctions threaten socio-political stability. Read more
Thomas Poguntke
Thomas Poguntke argues that the shock results of recent elections in two German Länder show how Germany's party system has lost its capacity to integrate radical challengers. As a result, coalition formation now increasingly requires alliances which do not work – and this feeds popular disaffection. Read more
Antonio Campati
Antonio Campati, Martino Mazzoleni, and Andrea Scavo find, based on survey evidence, that Italians do not perceive an authoritarian risk in the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni. However, they also discover a generational difference in attitudes towards democracy that may constitute concern for the future Read more
Giovanni Capoccia
In calling a snap election Emmanuel Macron aimed to achieve 'clarity' on the will of French voters after defeat of his presidential list in the European elections by Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National (RN). Giovanni Capoccia explores the wisdom of this move in light of the outcome Read more
Monika Brusenbauch Meislová
Compared with the 2019 UK election, Brexit is almost invisible in the 2024 campaign. Monika Brusenbauch Meislová explains why Brexit has become the elephant in the room, and argues that the main political parties' deafening silence on the issue is damaging the UK’s interests Read more
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