MCC Votes & Seats Podcast – Election insight

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 Sejdiu

Political Scientist, Heidelberg University

• Bálint L. Tóth

Host, 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 Grigoryan

Co-founder & President, Center for Policy Studies

• Bálint L. Tóth

Researcher, 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.