WEP Journal
LightNews LightNews
banner
wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal
@wepsocial.bsky.social
1.8K followers 830 following 210 posts

Editors: Klaus H. Goetz, Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen, Wolfgang C. Müller. Posts by social media editor @martingross.bsky.social

WEP on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-european-politics/

Videos
Political science 77%
Economics 10%
Posts Replies Media Videos

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 3d
🎊 Online first: "Vote choices in the Council of the European Union 2010 to 2021" by @arash-p.bsky.social & Madeleine Hosli

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Vote choices in the Council of the European Union 2010 to 2021" by Arash Pourebrahimi and Madeleine O. Hosli. Published online first in West European Politics. Table 1, displaying the vote choice by EU member states in the Council between 2010 and 2021.

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 3d
🎉Online first: "Blame games, problem denial, and relational distance" by Thomas Elston, Christopher A. Cooper & Anna Bilous

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Blame games, problem denial, and relational distance" by Thomas Elston, Christoper A. Cooper and Anna Bilous. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying the predicted probabilities of accepting recommendations, with 95% confidence intervals. Figure 3, displaying the probability of accepting recommendations as an interaction between core executive and media attention. Figure 4, displaying the probability of accepting recommendations as an interaction between ministry and media attention.

Reposted by Robert Huber, Klaus H. Goetz

heikekluever.bsky.social
Heike Klüver @heikekluever.bsky.social · 8d
🎉 Excited to share that our article “Adopting restriction: how coalition governments respond to radical right parties” (with @fabioellger.bsky.social) has won the Gordon Smith & Vincent Wright Memorial Prize 2025 from @wepsocial.bsky.social 🏆

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 10d
🔍 The jury for the Gordon Smith and Vincent Wright Memorial Prizes 2025 consisted of Keith Dowding, Ellen Mastenbroek & Alexandru Daniel Moise.

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 10d
Marie Kübler "Who speaks for manual workers? Unequal congruence in the 2017 German Federal Election"

Link to the article:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 10d
@fabioellger.bsky.social & @heikekluever.bsky.social "Adopting restriction: how coalition governments respond to radical right parties" as follows:

Link to the article:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Adopting restriction: how coalition governments respond to radical right parties
Radical right parties (RRPs) have gained representation in parliaments across Europe, but little is known about their impact on government policy. Even though RRPs tend to end up in opposition, the...
doi.org

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 10d
The articles below by @fabioellger.bsky.social & @heikekluever.bsky.social and Marie Kübler have been judged by two Editorial Board members, a previous prize winner & the Editors as making a significant contribution to the study of comparative European politics.

Reposted by Robert Huber, Heike Klüver

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 10d
🎉 The Gordon Smith & Vincent Wright Memorial Prizes 2025 have been awarded to @fabioellger.bsky.social & @heikekluever.bsky.social and Marie Kübler!

The full announcement can be found here:
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/journals/fwe...
The Gordon Smith and Vincent Wright Memorial Prizes
Explore the article collection: The Gordon Smith and Vincent Wright Memorial Prizes. Published in West European Politics.
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Robert Huber, Klaus H. Goetz , and 1 more

tabouchadi.bsky.social
Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 14d
This is a brilliant piece on the restructuring of political competition in Western Europe and goes far beyond the question of populism. Great also for teaching.
wepsocial.bsky.social WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 14d
The 1️⃣article of our 5️⃣0️⃣Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives" is out!🎉

"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.

🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
Abstract of the article "The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi. Published online first, as part of the 50th Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives".

Reposted by Tarik Abou‐Chadi

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 14d
The 1️⃣article of our 5️⃣0️⃣Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives" is out!🎉

"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.

🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
Abstract of the article "The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi. Published online first, as part of the 50th Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives".

Reposted by Robert Huber, Klaus H. Goetz, Claudia Landwehr

eliaskoch.bsky.social
Elias Koch @eliaskoch.bsky.social · 14d
Happy to share that @ecprtheloop.bsky.social has published a blogpost summarising the key findings from my paper @wepsocial.bsky.social on how opposition party strategies relate to their performance in election polls.

Paper: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Blog post: shorturl.at/lLPgm
How election polls shape government-opposition conflict
Elias Koch finds that opposition parties become more confrontational towards the government when losing in the polls, and particularly when their support drops below the previous election result. But ...
theloop.ecpr.eu

Reposted by Klaus H. Goetz

ecprtheloop.bsky.social
The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · 14d
📉 In @wepsocial.bsky.social research, @eliaskoch.bsky.social finds opposition parties become more confrontational towards the govt when losing in the polls.
🫵 But what does this mean for political systems thriving on an antagonistic relationship b/w the opposition + the executive?
➡️ bit.ly/4oQbpRy
How election polls shape government-opposition conflict
Elias Koch finds that opposition parties become more confrontational towards the government when losing in the polls, and particularly when their support drops below the previous election result. But ...
bit.ly

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 22d
💥OUT NOW! Vol. 49, Issue 2 (2026)

This issue includes a lot of exciting research on:
👉welfare state
👉affective polarization
👉party statements (online & offline)
👉prime ministers & gender
👉technocratic attitudes
👉local politics
👉2024 🇦🇹 elections

www.tandfonline.com/toc/fwep20/c...
West European Politics
Volume 49, Issue 2 of West European Politics
www.tandfonline.com

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 25d
💥Online first:

"Ideology and policy design after Brexit: explaining the UK subsidy regime" by @mmccini.bsky.social Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán & Mike Bolt

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Ideology and policy design after Brexit: explaining the UK subsidy regime" by Michelle Cini, Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán and Mike Bolt. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, describing the path to the subsidy control act 2022. Figure 2, displaying the organising schema.

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 25d
💥Online first:

"Ethnic harassment and political engagement of immigrants in Europe"

by Mathijs Kros

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Ethnic harassment and political engagement of immigrants in Europe" by Mathijs Kros. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying average marginal effects of several logistic regression models of non-institutionalised (petitions and demonstrations) and institutionalised (voting) political engagement.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Klaus H. Goetz

mmccini.bsky.social
Michelle Cini @mmccini.bsky.social · 27d
Cini, M., Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, N., & Bolt, M. (2025). Ideology and policy design after Brexit: explaining the UK subsidy regime. West European Politics, 1–25. doi.org/10.1080/0140...

Reposted by Marina Costa Lobo

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Nov 24
💥 Online first:

"The irresistible populist force: the Portuguese 2025 snap elections" by Luís Russo

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "The irresistible populist force: the Portuguese 2025 snap elections" by Luís Russo. Figures 2 (upper panel) and 3 (lower panel), displaying yearly change in frequency of the two most important issues facing Portugal (2024-2025; Figure 2) and the three most important concerns facing Portuguese respondents (Figure 3). Figure 4, displaying political party account engagements in Facebook (left panel) and Instagram (right panel). Figure 10, displaying vote switches from different parties in 2024 (left) into Chega in 2025 (right).

Reposted by Simon Hix

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Nov 13
💥 OUT NOW: Volume 49, Issue 1 (2026)

Lots of exciting research on:
👉 Polarisation: climate change, immigration, democratic deficit
👉 EU politics & voters/citizens
👉 Working class politicians
👉 Political protest
👉 Housing policy
👉 Symposium 2024 EP Elections

🔗 www.tandfonline.com/toc/fwep20/c...
West European Politics
Volume 49, Issue 1 of West European Politics
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Robert Huber, Swen Hutter

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 25
💥OUT NOW!

"Cleavage size and stability in turbulent times: introducing the bloc volatility and fragmentation dataset" by @jacobgunderson.bsky.social

Part of SI "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies", edited by @dpzollinger.bsky.social & @davidattewell6.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Cleavage size and stability in turbulent times: introducing the bloc volatility and fragmentation dataset" by Jacob R. Gunderson. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying the Loess curves showing trajectory of bloc-weighted cleavage salience index (WCS) over time for transnational (lower curve) and traditional (upper curve) cleavage types from 1951 to 2023 for 14 west european countries. Figure 3, displaying the Loess curves of WCS pooled across 15 West European countries from 1951 to 2023. Figure 4, displaying the effective number of bloc parties for the left and right camps in 15 west european countries from 1951 to 2023.

Reposted by Klaus H. Goetz

pchiocchetti.bsky.social
Paolo Chiocchetti @pchiocchetti.bsky.social · Oct 21
It was great to be back at @eui-schuman.bsky.social
for a workshop on "The EU between differentiation, disintegration, and enlargement". Find most papers on @wepsocial.bsky.social (tinyurl.com/bdz7arw7) and @jeppjournal.bsky.social (tinyurl.com/4htxs4hk). Thanks to all organisers and participants!

Reposted by Klaus H. Goetz

indubioproreto.bsky.social
Reto Mitteregger @indubioproreto.bsky.social · Oct 15
2) "Overlooked de- and realignment? Cohort differences in consideration sets", Single-authored, published @wepsocial.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Overlooked de- and realignment? Cohort differences in consideration sets
While it is established that core values and voting behaviour persistently differ between birth cohorts, less is known about the consideration set stage that lies between those two points of the el...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Simon Otjes, Robert Huber

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 14
💥Online first:

"How populist citizens see the people and their place in representative democracy"

by Rosa Kindt @robert-a-huber.bsky.social & @kristofjacobs1.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "How populist citizens see the people and their place in representative democracy" by Rosa Kindt, Robert A. Huber and Kristof Jacobs. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying the comparison of high and low populists' marginal means on whether politicians belong to the people. Figure 3, displaying the comparison of marginal means per attribute on the economical dimension in relation to 'belonging to the people'. Figure 4, displaying the comparison of marginal means per attribute on the cultural dimension in relation to 'belonging to the people'.

Reposted by Klaus H. Goetz

davidevampa.bsky.social
Davide Vampa @davidevampa.bsky.social · Oct 7
Publication 3, recently in @wepsocial.bsky.social

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
From nations to regions: electoral volatility in European multi-level politics
European politics has experienced increasing turbulence, with much focus on the volatility of national elections. However, it remains unclear whether such instability extends to the sub-national le...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 7
💥Out now: The introduction to the Special Issue "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies"

"Updating cleavage theory for the twenty-first century" by @dpzollinger.bsky.social & @davidattewell6.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Updating cleavage theory for the twenty-first century" by Delia Zollinger and David Attewell. Published online first in West European Politics.

Reposted by Robert Huber

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 7
Structural unemployment drives support for income redistribution in Europe, while cyclical unemployment shows no general effect.

👉 Discover how welfare state size moderates the effect of cyclical unemployment in the latest study by Ivan Petrúšek & Kristyna Basna

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Structural and cyclical unemployment and redistribution support in Europe: the moderating role of welfare state size" by Ivan Petrúšek and Kristyna Basna. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 3, displaying point estimates and confidence intervals for the effects of contextual variables. Figure 4, displaying marginal effects of cyclical unemploymemt at different levels of average public social expenditure.

Reposted by Vincent Tiberj, Swen Hutter, Klaus H. Goetz

davidattewell6.bsky.social
David Attewell @davidattewell6.bsky.social · Oct 7
2/@dpzollinger.bsky.social and I set out 3 puzzles: How does a new cleavage work without strong intermediary orgs? How to reconcile cleavage theory w fragmented party systems? How are structural divides (e.g. ed) mobilized indirectly in political conflict today?

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Updating cleavage theory for the twenty-first century
Contemporary cleavage research has linked ‘socio-cultural’ conflicts mobilised by new left and far right parties to structural divides in post-industrial knowledge societies. Contributions in this ...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Ruth Dassonneville, Robert Huber , and 7 more

davidattewell6.bsky.social
David Attewell @davidattewell6.bsky.social · Oct 7
@dpzollinger.bsky.social and I are thrilled "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies" is out as an SI at @wepsocial.bsky.social!

Its papers explore the foundations of the cleavage pitting new left against radical right parties, and how it compares to the classic cleavages of Lipset & Rokkan:

🧵⬇️

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 7
Online first:

"Women’s descriptive representation in multi-level political systems: (almost) no pyramids found"

The new research note by @adamgendzwill.bsky.social & Stanislaw Mazur

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the research note "Women's descriptive representation in multi-level political systems: (almost) no pyramids found" by Adam Gendzwill and Stanislaw Mazur. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying different patterns of the descriptive representation of women at national, regional, and local levels. Figure 2, displaying (a) levels of women's descriptive representation in two-tier countries (left panel), and (b) inter-level gaps in women's representation in three-tier countries (right panel). Tables 1 (upper panel) and 2 (lower panel), presenting the assignment of countries with three or two levels of political representation to specific patterns of women's descriptive representation.

Reposted by Mikael Persson

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 6
What matters more to politicians: the quantity or quality of public opinion signals?

Find out in the new article by @bart-maes.bsky.social Stefaan Walgrave Emmi Verleyen Frédéric Varone @annerasmussen.bsky.social & @professormpersson.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "What matters more to politicians: the quantity or quality of public opinion signals?" by Bart Maes, Stefaan Walgrave, Emmi Verleyen, Frédéric Varone, Anne Rasmussen and Mikael Persson. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying average (reversed) importance of each public opinion criterion aggregated across countries. Figure 3, displaying the frequency distribution of the quantity vs. quality public opinion criteria scale. Figure 4, displaying predicted values of politicians' ranking of the criteria.

wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Oct 6
Part of the Symposium: European Parliament Elections 2024, guest edited by @simonhix.bsky.social