From our CBE member, @dralbertazziuk.bsky.social! Note the call for papers for the next Annual Conference of the Political Studies Association in Oxford!

As the convenors of @psa-italian.bsky.social, @dbonansinga.bsky.social and l are looking forward to your submissions in advance of PSA26 in Oxford. Note our CFPs below!

Only one candidate has managed to attract the 500 signatures necessary to stand for election as the next M5S President.

I am not expecting Meloni to follow Macron's & Starmer's lead on a Palestinian state anytime soon. - She sees Italy as France's competitor in Africa and the Middle East and will not be in a great rush to look like Italy is sticking to Macron's plans on this.

Christmas has come early for Lib Dems & Greens... Labour sticking to its usual strategy of criticising Farage just because his policies have not been thought through...

Nail. Head.

I am not expecting Meloni to follow Macron's & Starmer's lead on a Palestinian state anytime soon. - She sees Italy as France's competitor in Africa and the Middle East and will not be in a great rush to look like Italy is sticking to Macron's plans on this.

This has now happened, as the annual League's gathering in Pontida was turned into a pro-MAGA, pro-Kirk event today.

Whisper it softly - as it really doesn't fit the narrative - but the AfD has markedly underperformed in a series of recent mayoral elections in Germany's eastern states. Often where the rival candidate was a dynamic local figure commanding broad "popular front" support.

This has now happened, as the annual League's gathering in Pontida was turned into a pro-MAGA, pro-Kirk event today.

Clearly an unexpected finding: Trump's claims are not backed up by the available data. edition.cnn.com/2025/09/20/p...

Clearly an unexpected finding: Trump's claims are not backed up by the available data. edition.cnn.com/2025/09/20/p...

As League activists converge on town of Pontida for their traditional annual gathering tomorrow, it's worth reflecting on the journey of party from regionalist populism to populist radical right. This is a journey we discussed back in 2018 (free to read): www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

As League activists converge on town of Pontida for their traditional annual gathering tomorrow, it's worth reflecting on the journey of party from regionalist populism to populist radical right. This is a journey we discussed back in 2018 (free to read): www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Perceptions are shifting fast, with a little help from some media organisations. Soon Badenoch will conclude that co-opting Farage's policies & arguments may still be too "woke" for her shrinking electorate...

Starmer trying to out-Reform Farage... Your Party going down in flames before holding its first conference... Polanski cannot believe his luck since becoming Green party leader. And his brand of left-wing populism is well attuned to the times...

The Italianisation of UK politics reaches new levels.. Let's see if the UK's political elite will take up with gusto a very Italian habit: hammering new generations as "slackers" and "unmotivated", when all evidence shows that it is much harder for them than it ever was for those doing the talking

The Italianisation of UK politics reaches new levels.. Let's see if the UK's political elite will take up with gusto a very Italian habit: hammering new generations as "slackers" and "unmotivated", when all evidence shows that it is much harder for them than it ever was for those doing the talking

It's certainly a coincidence that he puts this out as Trump arrives for his second state visit...

It's certainly a coincidence that he puts this out as Trump arrives for his second state visit...

It fought the 2022 election against both Meloni & Conte's M5S under one Enrico Letta (a move that inevitably helped Meloni gain a clear majority). Now Italy's centre-left Democratic Party is led by someone (Schlein) who's constantly calling for unity among the left, particularly btw her party & M5S.

It fought the 2022 election against both Meloni & Conte's M5S under one Enrico Letta (a move that inevitably helped Meloni gain a clear majority). Now Italy's centre-left Democratic Party is led by someone (Schlein) who's constantly calling for unity among the left, particularly btw her party & M5S.

I often get asked why Meloni's govt still appears to be so stable & solid. Has Italy fundamentally changed? The answer is in fact dead simple.

I often get asked why Meloni's govt still appears to be so stable & solid. Has Italy fundamentally changed? The answer is in fact dead simple.

This is now happening, as Italy's Health Minister (not an MP) confirms there will be no change to Italy's vaccination policies. Meloni gets to look "reasonable" & guided by science, Salvini has owned the topic for two weeks, nothing else comes out of it, everyone is happy.

This week I spoke to The Economist about the positions of Italy's governing parties towards Russia. www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

"Trump moves the goalposts on sanctioning Russia again so he can justify doing nothing". There, l fixed the headline.

This week I spoke to The Economist about the positions of Italy's governing parties towards Russia. www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

Dismantle your state apparatuses and destroy your research power. Makes perfect sense, they are hardly needed nowadays.

Elon Musk's lobbyist in Italy attacks Meloni for being too soft on illegal migration and gets reposted by Musk himself. Yet Meloni will sleep tight tonight.

Elon Musk's lobbyist in Italy attacks Meloni for being too soft on illegal migration and gets reposted by Musk himself. Yet Meloni will sleep tight tonight.

Really nice to see the members of the Populism in Action team being so busy lately...

It's since the Occupy Movement of 2011 that the rallying call "We are the 99%" resurfaces from time to time. It's interesting to see a UK party openly embracing left-wing populism, after this happening again & again in so many European countries.

It's since the Occupy Movement of 2011 that the rallying call "We are the 99%" resurfaces from time to time. It's interesting to see a UK party openly embracing left-wing populism, after this happening again & again in so many European countries.

After reforming the European convention of human rights & dismantling the Good Friday Agreement there would literally be nothing left for this government to concede to Reform for the next four years.

Dear American friends, I am probably showing my age here, but my humble opinion is that this is not normal. Push back.

Farage's proposals are a moving target. & that's why poor old Starmer will never be able to Out-Reform Farage.

The Economist again making the mistake of treating what they call "hard right" as a unitary actor pursuing broadly consistent policies. Yet this is only true (to an extent) about "wokeness" & migration. On everything else they are very divided. www.economist.com/leaders/2025...

Farage's proposals are a moving target. & that's why poor old Starmer will never be able to Out-Reform Farage.

The Economist again making the mistake of treating what they call "hard right" as a unitary actor pursuing broadly consistent policies. Yet this is only true (to an extent) about "wokeness" & migration. On everything else they are very divided. www.economist.com/leaders/2025...

If Starmer keeps chasing the radical right vote & Polanski secures a stand down agreement with Corbyn/Sultana in key constituencies (a lot of "ifs", l know...) the next election could be, well, interesting...

If Starmer keeps chasing the radical right vote & Polanski secures a stand down agreement with Corbyn/Sultana in key constituencies (a lot of "ifs", l know...) the next election could be, well, interesting...

Spot on.

Bagehot makes good point. In rejoining, UK would have to give up even more sovereignty than before. EU has already changed a lot since referendum, & direction of travel is more integration. These are not things Rejoiners will be eager to focus on any time soon... www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Bagehot makes good point. In rejoining, UK would have to give up even more sovereignty than before. EU has already changed a lot since referendum, & direction of travel is more integration. These are not things Rejoiners will be eager to focus on any time soon... www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Very strong criticism of the actions of the Israeli govt by Giorgia Meloni at the traditional Annual Meeting of the powerful Catholic organisation Comunione e Liberazione. www.lastampa.it/politica/202...

Very strong criticism of the actions of the Israeli govt by Giorgia Meloni at the traditional Annual Meeting of the powerful Catholic organisation Comunione e Liberazione. www.lastampa.it/politica/202...

I still remember a time when very few nationalists would have embraced the idea of sending A LOT of money to the very regime their army had fought against for many years... But that's so last century!

Gone are the days when the Labour party had some sort of line on most issues. Now they are reduced to repeating the same thing again and again: "Farage is right, but he cannot make it happen. We can". What an inglorious end.

Never mind the fact that with Le Pen legally frozen out for the moment having to take responsibility for France's delicate fiscal position would hammer Bardella and the next generation of RN leaders among their base. Bayrou's move comes at a bad time for everyone in French politics.