EUROPP - European Politics and Policy at LSE

EUROPP - European Politics and Policy at LSE LSE European Politics is LSE's multi-disciplinary blog covering European Politics and Policy. More information: www.europp.eu

Posting articles every day, EUROPP is a multi-disciplinary blog covering all aspects of European life, governance and politics. We seek to contribute to a better informed public debate, to facilitate the sharing and exchange of knowledge between experts within and outside universities, and to open up the full richness of contemporary academic research so as to increase its perception by and impact

with citizens and readers outside academia. Contributions come from
- academics and researchers at LSE;
- European policymakers, MEPs, Brussels observers;
- national governments and politicians across the continent;
- academics and researchers at other European universities,
- think tanks, NGOs and ‘policy influentials’ across Europe. We have no editorial ‘line’ except a commitment to communicating social science research and commentary, across a wide range of disciplines, in ways that enhance public debate and understanding of European issues.

Russia occupies a unique position between Asia and Europe, but how has this hybrid position shaped the country's history...
30/04/2026

Russia occupies a unique position between Asia and Europe, but how has this hybrid position shaped the country's history?

Despite differences in religion, culture and ethnicity, Russia shared a number of structural similarities with early modern Eurasian empires.

Like other Eurasian empires, Russia belonged to the great Eurasian steppe, emerging as a frontier society with most of its resources directed toward ceaseless warfare.

Russian history can perhaps best be understood as the development of a militarised society that, having formed on the steppe frontier, grew into a vast multiethnic empire.

✍ Michael Khodarkovsky | Loyola University Chicago

Having formed on the steppe frontier, Russia developed into the most European empire in Asia and the most Asian empire in Europe.

Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary has deprived illiberalism of one of its central figures.Many illiberal actors drew insp...
23/04/2026

Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary has deprived illiberalism of one of its central figures.

Many illiberal actors drew inspiration from the apparent success of building and sustaining an illiberal regime in the heart of Europe.

Modern illiberalism relies on democratic rhetoric. It requires demonstrable popular support.

In Hungary, external support and resources were abundant – but, ultimately, public support was not.

✍ Zsolt Enyedi | Central European University

Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary has deprived illiberalism of one of its central figures. But can Péter Magyar revive Hungarian democracy?

Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria won a clear victory in Bulgaria’s election on 19 April.Coming just a week after Vikto...
21/04/2026

Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria won a clear victory in Bulgaria’s election on 19 April.

Coming just a week after Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary, there are fears one awkward partner in Brussels has now been replaced by another.

But while Radev has pro-Moscow leanings, he is unlikely to become Putin’s puppet in Brussels.

He is more likely to play a pragmatic line, recognising that his victory was built on mobilising a coalition of voters with very different foreign policy orientations who were united in their opposition to corruption.

✍ Emilia Zankina | Kevin Deegan-Krause | Tim Haughton (University of Birmingham)

Rumen Radev has capitalised on anti-corruption sentiment to win power in Bulgaria, but it remains to be seen whether he can deliver on his promises in office.

What happens when EU funding reaches places where local governments collude with organised crime?New research from Italy...
21/04/2026

What happens when EU funding reaches places where local governments collude with organised crime?

New research from Italy finds that colluding local governments appear to have tailored their behaviour to avoid triggering the stricter anti-mafia checks that come with larger and more visible EU funded projects.

On the one hand, this demonstrates that anti-mafia regulations can be effective in limiting the scope of organised crime.

Yet it also shows that while fighting corruption can successfully deter crime, it cannot conjure integrity.

As long as the underlying collusion persists, it will continue to undermine the effectiveness of EU investment.

✍ Marco Di Cataldo | Elena Renzullo | Andrés Rodríguez-Pose | Department of Geography and Environment, LSE | Cañada Blanch Centre at LSE

New research from Italy shows what happens when EU funding reaches places where local governments collude with organised crime.

Data on party support at the settlement level shows the scale of the Fidesz collapse - and Tisza's victory - in the 2026...
16/04/2026

Data on party support at the settlement level shows the scale of the Fidesz collapse - and Tisza's victory - in the 2026 Hungarian election.

Fidesz experienced a complete collapse across the country, from large cities to smaller rural villages.

While the Fidesz "turnout machine" gave it an advantage in previous elections, Tisza managed to match this using tens of thousands of volunteers.

There is also little evidence that local patronage networks shielded Fidesz from losses, with uniform losses in support regardless of local economic conditions.

✍ Aliz Tóth | LSE Department of Government

🔗

Hungarian election results at the settlement level show that Fidesz’s collapse happened everywhere across the country, from large cities to rural villages.

Is it time for a more pragmatic EU-China trade relationship? Closer relations could allow the EU and China to jointly up...
15/04/2026

Is it time for a more pragmatic EU-China trade relationship?

Closer relations could allow the EU and China to jointly uphold an open global trade and investment environment amid pressure from the United States.

But achieving this would require moving beyond the current focus on national security, which continues to frame EU-China engagement.

✍ Lorenzo Codogno | LSE European Institute

Rather than being led by national security concerns, the EU and China should build a pragmatic trade relationship and commit to maintaining open global trade.

What should we expect from the next Hungarian government?The rise of Péter Magyar’s Tisza is partly attributable to the ...
14/04/2026

What should we expect from the next Hungarian government?

The rise of Péter Magyar’s Tisza is partly attributable to the catch-all character of the party, which is yet to take clear stances on sensitive economic questions.

But it is expected Tisza will attempt to repair Hungary's relations with the EU, commit to NATO and reinforce cooperation with the Visegrád 4.

Given its historic mandate, Tisza is also expected to pursue constitutional changes, but restoring Hungary's democratic institutions could prove a daunting task.

✍ Zsófia Barta | Jan Rovny | Sciences Po

After winning a historic election victory over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz on 12 April, how will Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party govern Hungary?

Immigrants are often assumed to be natural allies of progressive politics. Yet parties with pro-immigration policies do ...
13/04/2026

Immigrants are often assumed to be natural allies of progressive politics. Yet parties with pro-immigration policies do not always attract the support of immigrant voters.

New research finds that the features of the country a person has migrated from play a key role in this puzzle.

People who grew up in established democracies were found to be more likely to support progressive parties than those who grew up in authoritarian or post-authoritarian regimes.

This underlines that even after moving to new countries, immigrants continue to be influenced by the contexts they were socialised in.

✍ Korinna Lindemann (Mannheim Centre for European Social Research) | António Valentim (LSE European Institute)

New research shows political socialisation can help explain why not all immigrants vote for progressive parties with pro-immigration policies.

Europe has become a strategic spectator in the Iran war.European governments have responded quickly to the conflict, but...
30/03/2026

Europe has become a strategic spectator in the Iran war.

European governments have responded quickly to the conflict, but within carefully defined boundaries.

Several European governments have ruled out taking part in military operations and there has been little appetite in Brussels to expand existing EU naval missions.

Yet while this approach may be sustainable in the short term, it raises long-term questions about whether Europe can reconcile its economic exposure to the Gulf with its limited strategic agency.

✍ Kristian Alexander | Rabdan Academy

Despite being deeply invested in the stability of the Gulf, European states have so far operated on the margins of the conflict in Iran.

New research shows that when citizens are prompted to think about AI, they become more aware of the limitations of human...
27/03/2026

New research shows that when citizens are prompted to think about AI, they become more aware of the limitations of human decision-makers.

Respondents were asked whether they believed they would face discrimination in hiring decisions made either by AI systems or by human recruiters.

When they were asked about AI systems first, they judged human decision-makers more critically.

This suggests that as AI becomes more visible, citizens may become less willing to accept inconsistencies in human decisions and more open to AI decision-making.

✍ Florian Stöckel | University of Exeter

New research shows that when citizens are prompted to think about AI, they become more aware of the limitations of human decision-makers.

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