Heinz Brandenburg
@heinzbrandenburg.bsky.social
Political scientist, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
This is someone who the BBC labels an academic when inviting him onto their programmes.
November 2, 2025 at 2:40 PM
This is someone who the BBC labels an academic when inviting him onto their programmes.
Imagine being the most despised party in the country and winning a stonking majority with only just over a quarter of the vote.
There is only one ingenious electoral system that could make that happen.
There is only one ingenious electoral system that could make that happen.
October 28, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Imagine being the most despised party in the country and winning a stonking majority with only just over a quarter of the vote.
There is only one ingenious electoral system that could make that happen.
There is only one ingenious electoral system that could make that happen.
Dispiriting stuff.
But also enjoyable read. 89-year old with strong energy, opinions and language.
www.ipolitics.ca/2025/07/02/i...
But also enjoyable read. 89-year old with strong energy, opinions and language.
www.ipolitics.ca/2025/07/02/i...
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Dispiriting stuff.
But also enjoyable read. 89-year old with strong energy, opinions and language.
www.ipolitics.ca/2025/07/02/i...
But also enjoyable read. 89-year old with strong energy, opinions and language.
www.ipolitics.ca/2025/07/02/i...
If you have just learned how to pronounce Heidenheim. Next on your list could be Paderborn and/or Elversberg.
The former is the trickier one. Goes something like Pudder-Bourne.
And just like Heidenheim or Hoffenheim, you don't ever want to go there.
The former is the trickier one. Goes something like Pudder-Bourne.
And just like Heidenheim or Hoffenheim, you don't ever want to go there.
October 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
If you have just learned how to pronounce Heidenheim. Next on your list could be Paderborn and/or Elversberg.
The former is the trickier one. Goes something like Pudder-Bourne.
And just like Heidenheim or Hoffenheim, you don't ever want to go there.
The former is the trickier one. Goes something like Pudder-Bourne.
And just like Heidenheim or Hoffenheim, you don't ever want to go there.
It's a women's world cup and says so, so why do you have to call each team "... Women"?
October 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
It's a women's world cup and says so, so why do you have to call each team "... Women"?
Can't get away from the tension between adequate representation and ease of government formation.
And many Eastern European countries show how problematic thresholds can be. The most recent Latvian election disenfranchised 28% of the electorate because neither parties nor voters were deterred.
And many Eastern European countries show how problematic thresholds can be. The most recent Latvian election disenfranchised 28% of the electorate because neither parties nor voters were deterred.
October 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Can't get away from the tension between adequate representation and ease of government formation.
And many Eastern European countries show how problematic thresholds can be. The most recent Latvian election disenfranchised 28% of the electorate because neither parties nor voters were deterred.
And many Eastern European countries show how problematic thresholds can be. The most recent Latvian election disenfranchised 28% of the electorate because neither parties nor voters were deterred.
This makes one of my best friends, an otherwise impressively umimpressible Swede, intensely happy: his club Mjällby, who have never won any title nor ever qualified for European football before, are almost certain to be Swedish champions, leading the league by 11 points with just 4 games to go.
October 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
This makes one of my best friends, an otherwise impressively umimpressible Swede, intensely happy: his club Mjällby, who have never won any title nor ever qualified for European football before, are almost certain to be Swedish champions, leading the league by 11 points with just 4 games to go.
How do you get a Royal Correspondent to appreciate that this story is not about a bit of a Royal boo-boo but about sexual abuse?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
October 12, 2025 at 1:29 PM
How do you get a Royal Correspondent to appreciate that this story is not about a bit of a Royal boo-boo but about sexual abuse?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Do these people only ever go back ten years or so to determine their claimed records?
Gerd Mueller scored his first 50 goals for Germany in just 41 games.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Gerd Mueller scored his first 50 goals for Germany in just 41 games.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
October 11, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Do these people only ever go back ten years or so to determine their claimed records?
Gerd Mueller scored his first 50 goals for Germany in just 41 games.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Gerd Mueller scored his first 50 goals for Germany in just 41 games.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
October 8, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This is a new pattern, also that in general population density is now strongly correlated with party system fragmentation, as shown below (in that case colour coding indicates the constituency winner).
That is a pattern that never existed in Germany to such an extent before, if at all.
12/
That is a pattern that never existed in Germany to such an extent before, if at all.
12/
October 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
This is a new pattern, also that in general population density is now strongly correlated with party system fragmentation, as shown below (in that case colour coding indicates the constituency winner).
That is a pattern that never existed in Germany to such an extent before, if at all.
12/
That is a pattern that never existed in Germany to such an extent before, if at all.
12/
This is in sharp contrast to the rest of Germany, the North and West, from the North sea to below Frankfurt, and including Berlin. All of these parts are a lot more colourful. With sometimes the AfD, often the SPD, on a couple of occasions the Greens challenging the dominant CDU in rural areas.
7
7
October 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
This is in sharp contrast to the rest of Germany, the North and West, from the North sea to below Frankfurt, and including Berlin. All of these parts are a lot more colourful. With sometimes the AfD, often the SPD, on a couple of occasions the Greens challenging the dominant CDU in rural areas.
7
7
A wee 🧵about the new electoral geography of Germany (2025 Bundestag election).
Basically, the rich South is now a mirror image of what was formerly Eastern Germany.
The below charts show the two largest parties (by list vote), with constituencies ordered by population density.
1/
Basically, the rich South is now a mirror image of what was formerly Eastern Germany.
The below charts show the two largest parties (by list vote), with constituencies ordered by population density.
1/
October 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
A wee 🧵about the new electoral geography of Germany (2025 Bundestag election).
Basically, the rich South is now a mirror image of what was formerly Eastern Germany.
The below charts show the two largest parties (by list vote), with constituencies ordered by population density.
1/
Basically, the rich South is now a mirror image of what was formerly Eastern Germany.
The below charts show the two largest parties (by list vote), with constituencies ordered by population density.
1/
He probably means this. But that suggests to respondents national ancestry background that could be related to white ethnicity.
October 1, 2025 at 10:46 AM
He probably means this. But that suggests to respondents national ancestry background that could be related to white ethnicity.
Will I get deported because I don't have a smart phone?
September 26, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Will I get deported because I don't have a smart phone?
In Glasgow ist der Unterschied 15 Jahre fuer Maenner und 11 fuer Frauen. Da koennt ihr in Deutschland doch einfach nicht mithalten.
September 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
In Glasgow ist der Unterschied 15 Jahre fuer Maenner und 11 fuer Frauen. Da koennt ihr in Deutschland doch einfach nicht mithalten.
Say what you want about mixed systems but they are a nice laboratory for finding out what happens to FPTP under serious fragmentation.
The average winning vote share in German constituency has fallen below 33% for the first time this year. 127 winners won with less than 30% vote share in 2025.
1/
The average winning vote share in German constituency has fallen below 33% for the first time this year. 127 winners won with less than 30% vote share in 2025.
1/
September 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Say what you want about mixed systems but they are a nice laboratory for finding out what happens to FPTP under serious fragmentation.
The average winning vote share in German constituency has fallen below 33% for the first time this year. 127 winners won with less than 30% vote share in 2025.
1/
The average winning vote share in German constituency has fallen below 33% for the first time this year. 127 winners won with less than 30% vote share in 2025.
1/
On the BBC scores and fixtures page, the Scottish Premiership has now been dropped below the Championship.
August 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
On the BBC scores and fixtures page, the Scottish Premiership has now been dropped below the Championship.
Who knew that Hollande has a wicked sense of humour.
August 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Who knew that Hollande has a wicked sense of humour.
Did this lovely recipe tonight, just with venison instead of pork (because).
At this point, I got the B52s in my silly head, singing "dill if you want to".
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
At this point, I got the B52s in my silly head, singing "dill if you want to".
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
August 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Did this lovely recipe tonight, just with venison instead of pork (because).
At this point, I got the B52s in my silly head, singing "dill if you want to".
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
At this point, I got the B52s in my silly head, singing "dill if you want to".
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
These two maps do not look like good evidence for holding cannabis responsible for the descent into Trumpland.
August 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
These two maps do not look like good evidence for holding cannabis responsible for the descent into Trumpland.
Welcome to Bermana.
August 8, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Welcome to Bermana.
Ah, the utter wisdom of Phil Tufnell.
August 1, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Ah, the utter wisdom of Phil Tufnell.
If we are still allowed to treat Germany as having a mixed-member proportional system (which we really aren't), Germany has more in common with Lesotho than with any other MMP country.
July 29, 2025 at 5:41 PM
If we are still allowed to treat Germany as having a mixed-member proportional system (which we really aren't), Germany has more in common with Lesotho than with any other MMP country.
A German paper talks about the "permanent rivals" Spain and England, and specifies in the sub-header that is is a still young permanent rivalry.
We have just entered month 24 of that new permanence.
We have just entered month 24 of that new permanence.
July 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
A German paper talks about the "permanent rivals" Spain and England, and specifies in the sub-header that is is a still young permanent rivalry.
We have just entered month 24 of that new permanence.
We have just entered month 24 of that new permanence.