Sweden’s Election: the Moderates Hold, Social Democrats Survive, and the Sweden Democrats Lose Ground
Last weekend’s election in Sweden gave a narrow edge to the centre-left, though the outcome may shift over the coming days. We can examine what occurred and what lies ahead. In every poll before the vote, the centre-right Moderata—linked to the EPP at the EU level and to the prime minister—were expected to lose up […]
The Many Drivers Behind the AfD Vote
This past weekend’s election in Saxony-Anhalt shocked Germany with the victory of Alternative für Deutschland with more than 40% of the votes. In this newsletter, we look into the reasons behind such vote and what it means for Europe at large. Sunday’s AfD’s 43.8% victory in Saxony-Anhalt is not that easy to explain. The simplest […]
The October Reckoning: Israel’s Most Consequential Election in Decades
On 27 October, Israelis will vote for the 26th Knesset in what is often described as the most important election in the country’s history. It will be the first since the Hamas’ 7 October attack and the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran that followed. For many voters, the ballot amounts to a referendum on […]
The Road to the Élysée Palace: Assessing the 2027 French Presidential Election
The France is approaching one of the most important election cycles in the Fifth Republic. Scheduled to take place in April next year, the upcoming presidential election marks the end of the Emmanuel Macron era and a test for the stability of the European single market. With the President Macron constitutionally prohibited from seeking a […]
Armenian Ship Sailing West: Pashinyan’s Pro-EU Party Keeps the Majority
The results of the parliamentary elections in Armenia signal an endorsement of country’s turn away from its traditional security ally, the Russian Federation, and towards integration with the European Union and Western countries. Still, navigating the next chapters will require the new-old government to manage profound domestic and a volatile matrix of competing global powers. […]
Mediterranean Election Dynamics: Spain’s Conservatives Lose Majority while Cyprus Faces Uncertainty
Last week’s regional election in Andalusia saw the doubling of votes for the Spanish far-left and at the expense of the Socialists and the incumbent Partido Popular. This shift could reflect a broader trend in Southern European politics, which will be tested on 24 May when Cypriot voters are headed to the polls to elect their new parliament. The final results of the Andalusian regional election held on 17 May have delivered a change of course in […]
Election Watch: Bulgaria’s Ex-President Wins Big: Cause for Concern versus Stability in Sight
Bulgaria’s populist ex-president rode on the transactional geopolitical position wave and anti-corruption platform right to his first term in the Prime Minister’s office, securing an absolute majority in the parliament. Following the electoral victory of pro-EU Tisza in Budapest last week, the political landscape of central and eastern Europe continues to rapidly evolve. The final […]
Election Watch: The End for Orban’s One Man Show. Tisza Takes Hungary
Viktor Orban took his first electoral loss in 16 years, with the moderate conservative Tisza party acquiring a constitutional majority in the parliament. However, another threat to the EU’s cohesion is arising on the Southeastern border of the European Union. The political map of Central Europe has been subject to one of the most important […]
Election Watch: Hungary Counting Down: In the Wake of 2026 Parliamentary Elections
This Sunday might be one of the most stressful days for the Hungarian incumbent Fidesz party and its leader, Viktor Orbán, whose political destiny has never seemed less certain. Parliamentary elections in Hungary on 12 April represent a pivotal challenge to the political status quo in Budapest since 2010. For the first time since, the […]
Election Watch: Paris to the Left, Nice to the Right, Slovenia is at the Crossroads
On 22 March, voters in Slovenia returned to the polls in a parliamentary election that has delivered a narrow lead by the ruling party and heralded a period of political uncertainty. At the same time, the French voters casted their ballots in the local elections, which secured a Socialist victory in the capital, but also gave a morale increase to […]