Gespräch mit dem BR: Welche Chancen hätte eine Wagenknecht-Partei?

Jürgen P. Lang vom BR hat mit Frank Decker und mir über die Aussichten einer möglichen Parteigründung durch Sahra Wagenknecht gesprochen. Etliche O-Töne haben es in den fertigen Text geschafft. Wichtig ist das “maximal” vor “10-15 Prozent”. https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/haette-sahra-wagenknecht-erfolg-mit-einer-neuen-partei,TXjzvQk

Interview mit dem Handelsblatt: Thüringen, die AfD und die Zukunft der früheren Großparteien

Mit Dietmar Neuerer vom Handelsblatt habe ich ausführlich über die das Ergebnis der Thüringen-Wahl und die wahrscheinlichen Konsequenzen für die deutsche Politik gesprochen. In der Online-Ausgabe gibt es das Gespräch im vollen Wortlaut. [contentcards url="https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/interview-zur-thueringen-wahl-ungewoehnliche-mehr-parteien-koalitionen-werden-zur-normalitaet-werden/25160996.html" target="_blank"]

Is there potential for anti-refugee left-wing populism in Germany?

In the last couple of weeks, much has been said and written about the turning tide in German public opinion on refugees, the growing rift between Merkel and the CSU, the potential of a back-bench rebellion against the chancellor and party leader etc. But one of the most interesting (in my book) details is buried…

Germany gets their first Minister-President of the Left

On Friday, the state parliament at Erfurt voted in Bodo Ramelow as Minister-President of Thuringia. He is the first member of the Left party to hold such an office, backed by the first ‘red-red-green’ (Left/SPD/Greens) coalition ever. 25 years after the fall of the wall, that is still a highly controversial constellation. Ramelow has been…

The Math of Post-Socialism

Much merriment in the Eastern state of Thuringia: 25 years after the fall of the wall, the Greens and the SPD in the state parliament are poised to form a coalition with the Left (die Linke), which would give the Left its first minister president ever. What’s the Matter with the Left? Predictably, this is…

German Bundestag Election: Six New Polls, Little Change

The Polls [caption id="attachment_12655" align="alignleft" width="300"] Support for the Major German Parties, Estimates and Predictions (Week 35, 2013)[/caption] Exactly three weeks before the 18th Bundestag election, it’s time for another look at the polls. This weekend brings six new entries: One late result from week 33 that was only published a week ago, three polls…

Nine New Polls Say Merkel Will Still Be Chancellor in October

Last week’s post on Merkel’s very good chances to win a third term created a bit of a stir. This week, I’m back with nine new polls (conducted between August 6 and August 19 by six different companies), which all point into the same direction: The probability of Merkel continuing as chancellor is 98 to 99 per cent.

New Publication: The Left, East vs West, and the 2009 Election

VS/Springer has just published the a massive volume on the 2009 Bundestag election. Our chapter looks (once more) into the differences between voters in the former Federal Republic and their eastern compatriots in the 2009 election. While these differences persist, we find that people in the West are also deviating from traditional patterns of voting behaviour. (In German)