Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Simon Hix

@simonhix.bsky.social

11K followers 3.6K following 460 posts

Stein Rokkan Chair in Comparative Politics, EUI. President-Elect, @epssnet.bsky.social. FBA, FRSA. Democracy, parties, elections, electoral systems etc. Live music. COYI

Simon Hix is a British political scientist, holder of the Stein Rokkan chair in comparative politics at the European University Institute in Florence. His main areas of research are voting in parliaments, democratic institutions, and EU politics. .. more

Political science 79%

Economics 10%

more

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 9h

Calvin’s Geneva?

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 15h

Thank you Lauren. It was a joy and a privilege to supervise you. Good luck with the new projects.

Reposted by Simon Hix, Michael H. Whitworth

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 16h

What with all this the UK should emulate Dubai stuff, following hot on the heels of Singapore model, are there any other niche authoritarian city states we could go for? Brunei? Machiavelli’s Florence? Ancient Sparta?

Reposted by Simon Hix

Lauren Leek @laurenleek.eu · 17h

What’s next? Living my life in London: combining being an academic postdoc with getting some industry experience. But I’ll also keep up the many side quests on my data Substack open.substack.com/pub/laurenleek - keep an eye out for some stuff that’s currently in the pipeline👀

Lauren’s data Substack | Lauren Leek | Substack

My (mostly not too serious) personal data Substack in which I share data visualisations and insights linking to current world events or trends. Click to read Lauren’s data Substack, by Lauren Leek, a ...

open.substack.com

Reposted by Simon Hix

Lauren Leek @laurenleek.eu · 17h

I have to thank many people (see my thesis for a very long multiple page list), but most importantly my amazing supervisor @simonhix.bsky.social and co-supervisor Waltraud Schelkle. And also my fantastic committee @carogarriga.bsky.social and @kenbenoit.bsky.social

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 18h

Groundhog Day in Paris 🤦‍♂️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Macron reappoints Lecornu as French PM after days of turmoil

Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday after 26 days in the job and he said two days later his

Reposted by Lisa Dellmuth

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 1d

Bravo! 👏
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...

Nobel Peace Prize 2025 live updates: Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado wins

Nominations closed in January but US President Donald Trump had led a public campaign to win the award.

Reposted by Simon Hix, Stefan Müller

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 2d

▶️ Political Methodology

👉🏽 Section chairs:
Andy Eggers
&
@stefanmueller.bsky.social

📢 Our section welcomes submissions for lightning rounds, author-meets-critics panels, and topical roundtables on political methodology.

/end

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 2d

▶️ Political Communication

👉🏽 Section chairs:
Ken Benoit
&
@kgattermann.bsky.social

📢 Our section welcomes submissions on contents & effects of political communication, broadly conceived, & media-politics relations.

Submissions: papers, panels, topical roundtables, or author-meets-critics.

/3

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 2d

Submissions: papers, panels, topical roundtables, or author-meets-critics.

/2

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 2d

▶️ Public Opinion

👉🏽 Section chairs:
@charlottecavalie.bsky.social
&
@ronjasczepanski.bsky.social

📢 Our section welcomes individual papers and panels that engage with: 
- Dynamics of public opinion 
- Measurement & analysis 
- Role of public opinion in politics, policy, & public debate

/1

Reposted by Simon Hix, Sara B. Hobolt, Fabrizio Gilardi

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 2d

📢 Call for Papers for EPSS 2026 conference in Belfast is out: epssnet.org/belfast-2026...

This week we’ll feature three sections to provide more information about the conference.

🔝 This time: Public Opinion, Political Communication & Political Methodology

🧵

Call for Papers | EPSS Belfast 2026 Conference

Submit your abstract or full paper for EPSS Belfast 2026. Share cutting‑edge political science research, network with peers & contribute to academic impact.

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 2d

The @europarl.europa.eu just made a fool of itself with this ban. Is there evidence that consumers think a "veggie burger" contains meat? Utterly ridiculous, and just (further) undermines the credibility of the institution (at the behest of the EPP).
www.bbc.com/news/article...

EU parliament votes to ban meat names for plant-based foods

Pressure to ban meat labels for plant-based products comes from Europe's livestock farmers.

Reposted by Simon Hix, Nicolai von Ondarza

Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 2d

Latest poll of polls from the Netherlands with elections in 3 weeks:

- PVV/ Wilders in the lead
- CDA and Greens/Social democrats close
- VVD, D66, JA21 close as 3-5th largest

Little movement in past weeks. But >50% voters still in doubt 📈 📉

🗳️ #TK2025

Source: @peilingwijzer.bsky.social

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 3d

An excellent (although deeply depressing) piece by Thomas Edsall, with some great interviews with top US political scientists.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Simon Hix, John Hogan

Efrén Pérez @efrenpolipsy.bsky.social · 4d

👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

Tiago Ventura @tiagoventura.bsky.social · 4d

How common are “survey professionals” - people who take dozens of online surveys for pay - across online panels, and do they harm data quality?

Our paper, FirstView at @politicalanalysis.bsky.social, tackles this question using browsing data from three U.S. samples (Facebook, YouGov, and Lucid):

Reposted by Simon Hix

Alvaro Oleart @alvarooleart.bsky.social · 4d

Building transnational parties seems to be a key ingredient for democratising the EU,but efforts have not succeeded so far. Looking at @diem25.bsky.social, @manesweisskircher.bsky.social & I just published this piece on why social movements struggle to change the EU link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Why social movements struggle to change the EU: the ‘EU mobilization package’ and the case of DiEM25 - Comparative European Politics

Social movement scholarship has emphasized that progressive ‘Europeanization from below’ may be a breeding ground for major EU reform and democratization. Empirically, however, activists have found it difficult to make gains when targeting the EU. To understand the challenges that activists face in the context of transnational EU mobilization, our article draws from agency-oriented approaches in social movement studies to propose an ‘EU mobilization package’, comprising three recurring strategic dilemmas that activists encounter: (a) the formulation of goals that both address the transnational level and appeal to national or local constituencies, (b) the building of a transnational political organization that is both inclusive and effective, and (c) whether and how to interact with EU institutions, particularly in the context of European Parliament elections. We apply this framework to the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), an organization founded by Yanis Varoufakis in 2016, which is a key example of social movement dissensus to EU politics. Methodologically, we rely on comprehensive interview data, the analysis of a large corpus of DiEM25 online and offline publications, and participant observation of three public events. A discussion of the group’s strategic challenges provides important general lessons for our understanding of social movement mobilization targeting EU politics as well as transnational activism.

link.springer.com

Reposted by Simon Hix, Robert Huber, Simon Usherwood

WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · 5d

What explains the rising turnout in recent EP elections?

@filipkostelka.bsky.social & @evakrejcova.bsky.social find that it's the strength of Eurosceptic parties at the national level. The more seats they hold in national parliament, the more mobilizing the EP election is

doi.org/10.1080/0140...

Abstract of the article "Awakening the sleeping giant: rising Euroscepticism and turnout in European Parliament elections" by Filip Kostelka and Eva Krejcova. Published online first in West European Politics.

Figure 1, displaying voter turnout in EP elections between 1979 and 2024.

Figure 2, displaying Euroscepticism in national elections between 1974 and 2024.

Figure 3, displaying predicted turnout at different levels of euroscepticism in national parliament.

Reposted by Simon Hix, Ben Crum

Jan Rovny @jrovny.bsky.social · 5d

Many are concerned about the return of Babiš to the top of Czech politics. While the results of this weekend's Czech legislative election poses its concerns, I am an optimist. I think Babiš's victory is rather Pyrrhic. Here are some thoughts: blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...

The 2025 Czech election – Andrej Babiš’s Pyrrhic victory

Andrej Babiš’s ANO won the 2025 Czech election on 3–4 October. Yet as Jan Rovny explains, Babiš will find it challenging to form a stable government.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 6d

Really thoughtful substack by Adam Tooze on Jean Pisani-Ferry's Legion d'honneur acceptance speech. Fascinating reflections on where the progressive/liberal left went wrong over the past 30+ years.
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...

Chartbook 411 The twilight of Macronisme: Jean Pisani-Ferry's cri de cœur.

A decoration ceremony is like a funeral oration with a right of reply.

adamtooze.substack.com

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 7d

Fantastic piece by Simon Schama on the debate between the US Founding Fathers about freedom of speech (and the Alien and Sedition Acts), that includes this wonderful final exhortation to us all:
on.ft.com/48b6rKt

Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · 7d

Go Zack!! bbc.com/news/videos/...

Zack Polanski: 'Migrants and refugees are welcome here'

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has delivered his first conference speech as leader and criticised the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform party.

Reposted by Simon Hix

Joni Lovenduski @jonilo.bsky.social · 7d

open.substack.com/pub/benansel...
Why Labour should stop chasing reform voters.

British Politics' Midlife Crisis

Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters

open.substack.com

Reposted by Simon Hix, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers , and 3 more Simon Hix, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Michael A. Clemens, Laurent Pech, Aaron Sojourner

Anil Kalhan @akalhan.bsky.social · 9d

Newsom: "If any California university signs this radical agreement, they’ll lose billions in state funding – including Cal Grants – instantly. California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom"

California vows to ‘instantly’ cut funding to universities that cave to Trump ‘compact’

Governor Gavin Newsom urges schools not to sign ‘radical agreement’ to cuts to departments, students and speech

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Cas Mudde, Simon Hix , and 4 more Diane Coyle, Cas Mudde, Simon Hix, Andrew Scott, Nick Pearce, Colm O’Cinneíde, Maria Sobolewska

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 9d

On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.

As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.

At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.

To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone.

We will not let hate or those who spread it win.

We stand with you.

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 9d

>>> The section welcomes submissions that make a clear contribution - theoretical, empirical or both - using qualitative or quantitative approaches.

Submissions: papers, panels, topical roundtables, or author-meets-critics, with diverse mix of topics, methods & scholars.

/end

Reposted by Simon Hix, Catherine E. De Vries

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 9d

▶️ Gender & Sexuality Politics

👉🏽 Section chairs: @anacweeks.bsky.social & @turnbulldugarte.com

📢 Our section section welcomes papers and panels that advance the study of gender, sexuality, and intersectionality in politics, broadly conceived. >>>

8/

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 9d

>>> It also covers work on receiving societies, such as citizenship, immigrant integration, political representation, and public attitudes toward migrants and minorities.

Submissions: papers, panels, topical roundtables, or author-meets-critics.

7/

Reposted by Simon Hix, Sara Wallace Goodman, Roman Senninger

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 9d

▶️ Migration Politics

👉🏽 Section chairs: @kristinabsimonsen.bsky.social & @aalrababah.bsky.social

📢 Our section section brings together research on the politics of migration, including migration flows, government policies to manage mobility, and the politics of forced displacement. >>>

6/

Reposted by Simon Hix

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · 9d

>>> We especially encourage contributions that employ rigorous empirical methods to deliver robust policy-relevant insights or advance groundbreaking fundamental research.

Submissions: papers, panels, topical roundtables, or author-meets-critics.

5/