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Kosovo’s June 2026 parliamentary election was held amid a prolonged institutional crisis and following two previous votings within 18 months. The election did little to alter the political balance, while voter turnout and overall political engagement declined significantly, reflecting widespread fatigue and institutional deadlock. A central issue was the unresolved presidential election, for persistent disagreements between the ruling Vetëvendosje party and the opposition prevented a compromise. The campaign focused less on policy and more on accusations of obstruction. Our guest analysts, Mr. Mehdi Sejdiu from Heidelberg University highlights the opposition’s difficulty attracting younger and female voters, while Vetëvendosje continues to benefit from strong support among these groups. Mr. Sejdiu argues that a consensual presidential candidate from outside the major parties might potentially offer the most viable path out of the crisis… Participants: Mehdi SejdiuPolitical Scientist, Heidelberg University Bálint L. TóthHost, Researcher/Lecturer, MCC Center for Political Science With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

According to Mr. Grigoryan, the 2026 Armenian parliamentary election took place in a transformed geopolitical environment following Azerbaijan’s 2023 takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, the displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians, and progress toward a draft peace treaty in 2025. The expert claims that the campaign focused on national security, the peace process with Azerbaijan, economic performance, corruption, governance, and Armenia’s geopolitical orientation. The government also highlighted alleged coup attempts and arrested several prominent figures. Three parties entered parliament. The outcome was widely seen as a renewed mandate for Prime Minister Pashinyan, who reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to closer EU ties while continuing to balance relations with Russia-led institutions. If you want to learn more about how support for different political forces was distributed across the country, the demographic makeup of the electorate, and the issues that mattered most to Armenian voters during the campaign, tune in to the latest episode of Votes & Seats! Participants: Armen GrigoryanCo-founder & President, Center for Policy Studies Bálint L. TóthResearcher, MCC Center for Political Science With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

In this episode, Dr. Bálint L. Tóth sits down with Dr. Katia Mihailova of the University of National and World Economy in Sofia to unpack the far-reaching implications of Bulgaria’s 19 April 2026 legislative election—an unprecedented 8th snap vote since 2021. Against a backdrop of political crisis, corruption scandals, rising living costs, and allegations of vote buying, the conversation explores what the results reveal about Bulgaria’s shifting political, social, economic, and cultural landscape. The discussants examine the internal dynamics and external influences shaping the outcome, from regional party strongholds to the voting preferences of different social groups. At the heart of the discussion is Dr. Mihailova’s striking argument that this election may have broken the long-standing “silence of the voters,” signaling an end to political apathy and a possible turning point for Bulgarian democracy. What emerges is a compelling analysis of an election that matters not only for Bulgaria’s future, but for understanding broader transformations across Europe. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

Slovenia held a scheduled legislative election on March 22, 2026. The citizens of this small Central European country – often referred to as Europe’s Green Heart – had the chance to choose from two large and several minor parties. The election was accompanied by an intensive and harsh campaign, centered around the clash between the governing leftist Freedom Movement (GS) led by prime minister Robert Golob and Janez Jansa’s right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). In addition, the last period of the campaign was characterized by turbulent international developments due to the war in Iran, leading to soaring energy prices and even the introduction by the government of a limitation on gas for households and businesses sold at gas stations. Amid the growing uncertainty, a corruption scandal broke out that shook both the political sphere and the Slovenian electorate, making the situation of the largest governing party uncomfortable. However, seeing the close result, the opposition forces (prominently, the SDS) could not really benefit from the scandal. What is the Slovenian party system like? How do Slovenians choose from different parties? What was the campaign like? When can Europe’s Green Heart have a new government, and how stable will it be? Szabolcs Janik, senior researcher of the Center for Political Science (MCC) had the honor to discuss these and similarly interesting questions with professor Matevž Tomšič, lecturer at the School of Advanced Social Studies. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

For the first time in decades, the Netherlands faces a virtual tie at the top: the social-liberal Democrats 66 and the right-wing populist Party for Freedom are both projected to secure 26 mandates each in the House of Representatives. It’s the best-ever election performance for the former party, while for the latter one, it’s a bitter reminder of their voter base’s volatility. The former coalition parties all saw their influence wane, while several traditional formations made surprising comebacks. The margin between the two leading actors is the narrowest since 1956. However, as our guest expert, Dr. Jaap van Slageren from Utrecht University pointed out: the biggest players have never been so small in Dutch politics, due to the electoral system based on fully proportional representation. What were the key factors that ultimately led to the Schoof cabinet’s failure? Which issues are currently most pressing for Dutch society, and how have the political parties responded to these challenges? What do the geographic and demographic trends reveal about the historical, economic, or cultural factors shaping Dutch politics today? In our latest episode, we sought answers to these and other interesting questions. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

Former PM Andrej Babiš’s ANO emerged as the largest party in the Czech Parliament’s Lower House, marking a major comeback with strong electoral support. According to political scientist Ladislav Cabada, a key factor in the victory was that Babiš positioned himself as the leader of the opposition, formed a visible shadow government, and maintained effective communication. Our guest expert stresses that ANO outperformed other, rather radical opposition parties and consolidated support from voters leaning toward these groups, presenting himself as a unifying character. ANO focused primarily on domestic economic and social issues, resonating with voters, while the governing parties prioritized foreign policy, which many perceived as disconnected from their everyday concerns. If you’d like to learn more about the background of the 2025 Czech election — including the contesting parties, the campaign themes, as well as the electoral system and geography — be sure to check out the latest episode of the Votes &  Seats podcast. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

A scheduled parliamentary election was held in Moldova on September 28, 2025, a political event closely followed by the international press and western political leaders. Indeed, the stakes were high, centered around the country's future path towards EU membership or the building of closer ties to Moscow. The result reflects the electorate's western orientation as the pro-European party of president Maia Sandu (PAS) secured an absolute majority in the legislature, obtaining more than half of the total votes (50.20%). What was the campaign like? How did the parties perform compared to last year's presidential election and referendum? Why were two smaller parties excluded from the election? Did Russia interfere in the election? What might be the geopolitical consequences of the election? How will the new cabinet deliver on its promises? Szabolcs Janik, senior researcher of the Center for Political Science at MCC had the chance to discuss these and similar questions with Nicolae Panfil, program director and head of the Promo-LEX Parliamentary Election Observation Mission. Nicolae Panfil - Program Director and Head of Promo-LEX Szabolcs Janik (host) - Senior Researcher, Center for Political Science, MCC With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

The episode analyzes Norway's September 2025 parliamentary election with expert Dr. Herman Smith-Sivertsen. The Labor Party won 28% of votes, securing government leadership in a minority. The Conservatives dropped to third place, while the conservative-libertarian Progress Party became the largest opposition force. Amid debates over electricity pricing, taxation, climate policies, immigration, and crime, the Progress Party successfully reached younger voters notably using TikTok. Regional voting patterns in the Nordic state still show a historical divide, with southern-southwestern areas favoring conservative forces and central-northern regions leaning left. As for political debates, the expert notes a trend toward more superficial, show-like communication. Overall, the election reflects a slowly but surely shifting Norwegian political landscape. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

The second round of the Polish presidential election was held on 1 June 2025 with Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki as the two leading candidates standing after the first round. The head-to-head battle resulted in the narrow victory of the PiS-backed conservative Nawrocki, which is a challenging development and a huge blow for Donald Tusk’s government, already struggling advancing its agenda in symbolic and substantive issues. At the same time, the result well demonstrated how polarised and divided the Polish society is between at least two visions on the country’s future. The election has far-reaching implications for the dynamic of Polish domestic politics both on the left and the right, but the activism and agenda of the president-elect will most likely be detectable also in international politics. What happened at the polls, what motivated the Poles to vote in such a large number? What role perception will Nawrocki have, how actively will he use his veto right? What dynamics can unfold on the left and on the right? Will anything change in the presidential position on Ukraine after Duda? How will Nawrocki navigate regional cooperation platforms, will he prefer the Three Seas Initiative, and/or will attempt to revive the Visegrad Four? These and similar questions are discussed in detail in the new episode of the Votes & Seats podcast series of the Centre for Political Science (MCC), where Szabolcs Janik had the honour to talk with professor Aleks Szczerbiak, head of department at the University of Sussex. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

Portuguese politics has gone through a turbulent period recently, the latest development being a snap legislative election held on 18 May 2025, the third one in a row in the past three years. Therefore, we have good reason to believe that government stability is at least problematic in the Iberian country, where political competition traditionally took place between two large parties (right-wing social democrats and left-wing socialists) and some minor powers for many decades until the 2024 legislative election. What led to an early election this time? What were the key campaign topics? What was the stake of this election for the voters, what motivated them to go to the ballots? Are we witnessing a structural change of the Portuguese party system? When will Portugal have a new government? In the latest episode of the Votes & Seats podcast series, Szabolcs Janik, senior researcher of the Center for Political Science at MCC had the honor to discuss these and similar exciting questions with Susana Coroado, affiliated fellow of the Institute for Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon and Alexandre de Sousa Carvalho, researcher of the Center for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

In May 2025, the presidential election in Romania, which was annulled last December, was repeated amid considerable social and political tensions. Mathematician and independent Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan faced former football hooligan George Simion, the leader of the far-right AUR party in the second round. Our guest expert, Prof. Alexandra A. Iancu claims that the invalidation of the original election consolidated the sovereigntist camp, however, the end result of the re-run showed that the majority of Romanian voters see their country’s future within the Euro-Atlantic cooperation. The political scientist sees no doubt shifts in party preferences, inasmuch as the historical moderate parties are loosing ground, while anti-system and anti-corruption political formations are becoming more and more popular. Can Nicușor Dan’s inauguration put an end to the years-long political instability in the country?Will there be a reorganization in the party system of Romania, or the status-quo survives the turmoil?What can be said about the voting preferences of the different layers of society?Will there be any political gesture towards ethnic Hungarians and Moldovan–Romanian dual citizens, whose votes made Dan’s victory possible?Among many other thought-provoking issues, these are the topics we addressed in this episode of the Votes and Seats podcast. Alexandra A. IancuProfessor, University of Bucharest Bálint L. TóthResearcher-lecturer, MCC Center for Political Science With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

Chosen by God, elected by the cardinals In May 2025, the Conclave has elected the American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome, the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and the head of Vatican City State, the Holy See. Our guest expert, Mr. Marco Malaguti from Centro Studi Machiavelli claims that Pope Leo XIV is a compromise between the Latin American and the European cardinals, because, with his pragmatism, the first US-born pontiff can restore a “Catholic way of thinking” in the West. The analyst considers the election of Pope Leo XIV an “oxygen mask” for Catholicism in contemporary western societies. In the SPECIAL EDITION of the Votes&Seats podcast, we assess the balance of power and the advocacy potential of the different platforms within the Conclavewhat is the differentiate between “politician” and “spiritual” popes?what do progressivism and conservativism mean in ecclesiastical terms?and finally, what religious, political, and cultural legacy did late Pope Francis leave us?With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

Following the collapse of the so-called “traffic light” coalition in late 2024, a snap federal election was held in Germany on 23 February 2025, 7 months before the “ordinary” one scheduled for late September. In the campaign, the economic situation and immigration and public security were the top issues on the agenda. The stakes of the election and voter expectations were high, which is indicated by the highest turnout (82.5%) since the reunification of the country. What was the parties’ strategy? What happened at the polls? What motivated the citizens to vote in such a large number? Does the increasingly visible East–West divide in voter behavior and preferences indicate a structural change in party competition and the party system? Who are the “winners” and “losers” of the election? What are the prospects for the right-wing populist AfD? How will the CDU-CSU and the SPD reach an agreement to form a government? How will the German–Hungarian bilateral relations develop under the new cabinet? In the new episode of the Votes & Seats podcast series of the Center for Political Science of Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Szabolcs Janik had the honor to discuss these and similar questions with Oliver W. Lembcke, professor of political science at the Ruhr University in Bochum and visiting fellow at MCC. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

The first episode of the Votes & Seats podcast’s 5th season flies us to the heart of the Balkans. Thanks to the most valuable professional insights from Mr. Mehdi Sejdiu, we were lucky to have the bigger picture about the background, the circumstances, and the main conclusions of the February 2025 legislative election in Kosovo. Our guest expert pointed out that the internal cohesion of the governing coalition made Albin Kurti’s cabinet successful in completing a full 4-year term and winning the subsequent election. In the 2025 campaign, the governing Vetëvendosje party's rhetoric was not targeted against other political formations but towards business corporations and media outlets for their alleged interference in politics and state affairs. Kurti, in exchange, was criticized for having caused instability by the dismantling of parallel Serbian-Kosovan institutions in the areas of the country where ethnic Serbs give the majority, a governmental initiative that led to the EU introducing unfavorable measures against Kosovo – Mr. Sejdiu added. Fancy knowing more about the social-political cleavages in the youngest state of the Balkans? Interested in the current state-of-the-art of certain political aspirations aiming at the unification of Kosovo and Albania? Tired of the newsportals’ black-and-white narratives and wanna get a more sophisticated opinion about the prospects of the Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue in light of these countries’ EU accession endeavors? Then, here is your best chance to quench your thirst for a more complex knowledge about the political mosaic of Kosovo. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.

A scheduled Romanian legislative election was held on 1 December 2024, between, now we can say, the planned two rounds of the presidential election. Following the decision of the Constitutional Court annulling the result of the first round, many are guessing what comes next, when will Romania hold the presidential election and when will it have a properly elected new president. In the meantime, the legislative election was successfully held, with the social democrats (PSD) taking the first place, followed by the right-wing populist AUR, and the liberals (PNL) coming third. And while mainstream moderate parties (PSD, PNL and the centrist USR) suffered a large drop in their share of popular vote and their number of seats in both chambers after 2020, AUR and two newly founded right-wing radical parties performed massively. The UDMR, representing the interests of the Hungarian minority, also performed decently to become a stable party in the legislation once again. What was the campaign like? What happened at the polls? Why is the turnout in legislative elections traditionally low in Romania (in contrast to presidential elections)? What is the problem with Georgescu’s first-round win, what do we know today? What are the prospects for a new government? Szabolcs Janik, senior researcher of the Centre for Political Science had the chance to discuss these and similar questions with Titus Techera, a political scientist and visiting fellow of MCC in the latest episode of the Votes & Seats podcast series. With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.