Portugal Chooses a Left-Leaning President – What’s Next?
After three weeks of uncertainty between rounds one and two of Portuguese presidential elections, a moderate candidate scored a win against his right-wing opponent, but what does that mean for the country and the Continent? Portugal Chooses a Left-Leaning President – What’s Next? In the photo-finish of the second-round runoff on 8 February, Portugal has […]
B&K Explains: Portugal’s Presidential Run-Off
Executive Summary The Portuguese Republic has entered a period of unprecedented institutional tension following the first round of the 2026 presidential election. For only the second time in the five decades since the restoration of democracy, the country will proceed to a second-round run-off on 8 February. The results from 18 January have crystallised a fragmented political landscape. Moderate […]
Dutch Elections: Electoral Tie and the Uncertainty That Follows
Projections from the Dutch elections are in: centrist D66 and far-right PVV both won 26 seats, ending Geert Wilders’ lead in parliament and prompting Frans Timmermans to step down after a disappointing result. The Past After the parliamentary elections held in November 2023, Geert Wilders’ Eurosceptic Party for Freedom (PVV) became the largest party in the House […]
Czech Parliamentary Elections: The Grand Return of Andrej Babiš
Today, we are looking at the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections that took place last week, as well as their potential implications for the future of the country and the EU as a whole. Czech Parliamentary Elections: The Grand Return of Andrej Babiš The political geography of Central Europe is slowly changing, and the latest news […]
🇵🇱 Poland’s Presidential Election: A Nation Divided, A Government Constrained
In a razor-thin runoff, conservative nationalist Karol Nawrocki has been elected President of Poland with 50.89% of the vote, narrowly defeating liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who secured 49.11%. This outcome delivers a significant blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist, pro-European government. Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, will wield presidential […]
German Elections 2025: A Shift in the Political Landscape
The 2025 federal election in Germany marked a significant shift in the political landscape, with the conservative CDU/CSU alliance emerging as the victor. Despite winning the most votes, the mood at the party’s headquarters was subdued. The conservatives managed to secure about 28% of the vote, which fell short of their campaign goal of “30% […]
Elections: The future of the Romanian government, the new European Commission and European security
In the biggest year for elections in human history, 3.7 billion people have gone to the polls in 72 countries globally in 2024. In these weeks, Romanian citizens alone have been called to cast two votes, for their country’s parliamentary and presidential elections, which will see the election of a new Parliament for a four-year […]
B&K Newsletter: What voters want
As Europe dives into four days of European Parliament (EP) elections, the outcome of the vote has never been so critical for shaping and influencing the EU’s policy trajectory over the next five years. With additional seats at stake, there are mounting concerns about which parties will form a majority and whether the centrist grand […]
B&K Newsletter: A green week before the big Elections
Earlier this week, the European Council approved two important legislative acts for Europe’s green future: the Methanol Reduction in the Energy Sector and the Net-Zero Industry Act. These are the final regulatory acts ahead of the European elections and the last big push towards the green deal before everything might turn on a dime in […]
Elections specials: What does Erdogan’s defeat mean for Turkey?
In today’s special edition, we analyse the recent vote in Turkey and the upcoming second round in Slovakia. Enjoy! What does Erdogan’s defeat mean for Turkey? “We have won, the era of the one man in charge is over”. Ekrem Imamoglu is beaming, the mayor of Istanbul who has obtained more than 50% of the […]