News
Article on the BSW published in the journal INDES
In the forthcoming issue 02/03 of 2025 of the political science journal INDES. Journal of Politics and Society, Benjamin Höhne's article entitled "A national niche party with an East German stronghold? The development of the BSW" will be published. The contribution analyzes the emergence, programmatic orientation, and regional anchoring of the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) within the German party system. INDES is published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht and serves as a forum-oriented journal for political and societal debate.
“united / divided” – Exhibition and event series featuring Prof. Dr. Benjamin Höhne
From 24 October to 20 November 2025, students and graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (HGB) will present the exhibition and event project “united / divided” in cooperation with Chemnitz University of Technology. The artistic works address social transformations since 1989, questions of social cohesion, and the defence of democratic values. As part of the accompanying programme, organised in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Chemnitz University of Technology, the Chair of European Government Systems in Comparison will also take part. On 5 November 2025, Dr. Benjamin Höhne will join Dr. Thu Nguyen (Jacques Delors Centre, Berlin) and Kristin Hansen (MDR) for a panel discussion at Chemnitz Open Space on East German attitudes towards the European Union in light of current trends of autocratisation. The exhibition will be shown at three venues in Chemnitz – the University Library, the central bus station, and the Chemnitz Open Space – accompanied by lectures, talks, and a film programme. Further information on opening hours and side events is available on the TU Chemnitz website.
1–2 October 2025: REXKLIMA Workshop "The Fourth Wave of the Far Right. New Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives"
Under the title "The Fourth Wave of the Far Right. New Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives", the REXKLIMA Workshop will take place on 1 and 2 October 2025 at TU Dresden (Zeuner Building). The event is organized by Manuela Beyer and Manès Weisskircher, with the opening given together with Uwe Backes from the Hannah Arendt Institute for Totalitarianism Studies. The program features new theoretical and empirical perspectives on the fourth wave of right-wing populism and extremism, with contributions covering a wide range of topics. The central focus is on how radical and populist movements evolve in different contexts and what consequences this has for democracy, society, and politics. On the afternoon of the first day, Wednesday, 1 October, Prof. Benjamin Höhne (TU Chemnitz) will contribute to Session 3 ("The Far Right and the Subnational Level", chaired by Steffen Kailitz) with his presentation "Geography of Shrinkage: Local Population Decline and Electoral Support for the Anti-establishment Parties AfD and BSW in East German State Elections".
Older Articles
September 13, 2025: Panel Discussion “Well Represented in Electoral Democracy?”
Well Represented in Electoral Democracy? – Under this title, Mehr Demokratie e. V. invites you on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. to the Alte Börse Leipzig (Naschmarkt 1). The starting point is the observation that, even in 2025, parliaments in Germany represent only part of society: men, lawyers, and West Germans dominate, while women, people with a migration background, East Germans, and those with vocational training remain significantly underrepresented. This raises pressing questions about representation gaps, political trust, and the consequences for democracy and lawmaking – particularly in light of major challenges such as climate change, demographic shifts, social inequality, and infrastructure problems. The discussion features Ralf-Uwe Beck (Mehr Demokratie e. V.), Prof. Benjamin Höhne (TU Chemnitz), Tina Trompter (State Parliament of Saxony, CDU), and Donata Vogtschmidt (Member of the Bundestag, The Left). The event will be moderated by Nine-Christine Müller, with a keynote by Prof. Benjamin Höhne (TU Chemnitz).
07/2025: Dr. Benjamin Höhne in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung
On July 21, 2025, Süddeutsche Zeitung published an in-depth interview with Dr. Benjamin Höhne titled “For some in the AfD, power seems within reach.” In the conversation with journalist Peter Laudenbach, Höhne analyzes the current strength of the AfD and the strategies of right-wing actors in Germany. The focus is on the growing political compatibility of the AfD and potential cooperation scenarios with the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). Höhne warns against the normalization of far-right positions through discursive rapprochement between the two parties. He highlights ideological overlaps, particularly in socio-political areas such as opposition to immigration, gender politics, and climate protection. In contrast, there are clear differences on economic policy. In addition to strategic power options ahead of upcoming state elections in eastern Germany, Höhne discusses the AfD’s role in shaping political milieus and explains why the populism of both parties reflects deep societal tensions rather than mere protest. According to Höhne, distributional conflicts over wealth, representation, and political participation are particularly contentious and are met by populist parties with a backward-looking societal vision.
07/2025: Dr. Benjamin Höhne featured in the podcast "Das Politikteil"
On July 11, 2025, Dr. Benjamin Höhne was a guest on the ZEIT podcast "Das Politikteil" in the episode titled "AfD Etiquette Rules: Hate with Manners." In conversation with journalists Ileana Grabitz and Peter Dausend, Höhne analyzes the strategic thinking behind the AfD’s proposed code of conduct and puts this initiative into political context. He also discusses the increasing rapprochement between the AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), and what this could mean for potential coalition scenarios in Eastern Germany. Another focus of the episode is the internal tensions within the AfD. While deradicalization strategies are more accepted in Western Germany, they are largely rejected by the Eastern party base. Höhne argues that the AfD is no longer merely a protest party but the political expression of an entrenched far-right milieu. He warns that the adoption of right-wing populist positions by established parties is more likely to strengthen the AfD than weaken it—particularly in migration policy.
06/2025: Call for Papers: World Order in Transition – Political Science in Times of War
In January 2026, the first DVPW Impulse Conference will take place as part of a collaboration between scholars from TU Chemnitz, Leipzig University, and the University of Freiburg. Abstracts can be submitted until September 30 by researchers from all career stages and political science subfields.
06/2025: Dr. Benjamin Höhne at the Passau Politics Days
In an article published by the Passauer Neue Presse on June 17, 2025, the Passau Politics Days were covered, including the participation of Dr. Benjamin Höhne. In his talk, Höhne emphasized the importance of internal party readiness for reform. According to him, three key conditions are necessary for real party change: "a shock moment through an alarming election result, a leadership change, and the replacement of a dominant party faction at the top."
06/2025: Panel contribution at the conference "Under Pressure from National Populism: Shaping the Future of Democracy in the Weimar Triangle"
On June 5 and 6, 2025, Benjamin Höhne participated in the conference "Under Pressure from National Populism: Shaping the Future of Democracy in the Weimar Triangle" organized by the Genshagen Foundation. In the panel discussion on "How is the rise of right-wing national populist parties changing liberal representative democracy in Europe?" the following questions were discussed: What appeals do right-wing national populist parties make to citizens during emotionally charged political debates? What concepts of democracy do these parties promote, and what challenges does this pose for liberal, pluralist, and representative democracy? How does the understanding of the tension between rule of law and authoritarian dynamics within democracy change?
05/2025: Article on right-wing populist mobilization topics at the Federal Agency for Civic Education by Benjamin Höhne and Manès Weisskircher
Concepts of democracy, migration, anti-genderism, and climate policy. These central topics reveal not only key content-based positions but also the argumentative strategies employed and their potential for political mobilization.
05/2025: Article on BSW in the digital magazine The Outlook
The German party system, historically considered extremely stable, has recently undergone a profound transformation. This shift is marked by the dwindling electoral success of the catch-all parties (Volksparteien), the emergence of the right-wing populist and increasingly far-right AfD since 2013, and, since 2024, the rise of a new political party that is blurring traditional ideological boundaries. This new party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), was founded by Sahra Wagenknecht, a former leading figure of the extreme left-wing party Die Linke. BSW aims to give a voice to voters who feel left behind by globalization, economic policies, and cultural change, with a particular emphasis on pacifism.
05/2025: Benjamin Höhne as visiting professor at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
From May 11 to 17, 2025, Benjamin Höhne served as a visiting professor at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. This teaching and research visit to our partner university in Poland was financially supported by the EU ERASMUS+ program. The focus of the stay was a seminar on "The Rise of a New Populist Party in the German Party System After the 2025 Federal Elections" and working meetings at the Institute of Political Science and Public Administration. A return visit by Prof. Kosienkowski to TU Chemnitz was agreed upon for June 2025, as well as cooperation on an international summer school for doctoral students in July 2025 in Lublin. Topics will include "De Facto States in Eastern Europe" and "The Populist Radical Right in Europe."
05/2025: Opinion articles by Dr. Benjamin Höhne in Tagesspiegel
In May, the newspaper Tagesspiegel published two opinion pieces by Dr. Benjamin Höhne. On May 6, an article was released on the topic: "Friedrich Merz before taking office – how should he, as Chancellor, deal with the AfD?" A second contribution on May 14 focused on: "First party convention as opposition – how can the FDP regain political relevance?"
03/2025: Digital Exchange with the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning on the Topic: "The Shift of Coordinates"
On March 20 at 5:00 PM, Dr. Benjamin Höhne will be a guest at the second digital exchange of the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning on the topic "The Shift of Coordinates." He will focus on the spectrum of right-wing governments in Europe. Other guests include Aljoscha Begrich and Regula Lüscher. The discussion will be moderated by Marta Doehler-Behzadi.
02/2025: Radio panel discussion on Deutschlandfunk about the new federal government
On February 26, Benjamin Höhne will be a guest on the Deutschlandfunk program Zur Diskussion and will discuss the topic "After the Election – Before the Coalition: Will the CDU/CSU and SPD Come Together?" together with Silvia Breher (CDU) and Holger Mann (SPD)."
02/2025: On Sunday evening and Monday, Benjamin Höhne will analyze the federal election results on MDR.
On the Sunday evening of the federal election and the following Monday, Dr. Benjamin Höhne will analyze the election results and their political implications on MDR. On Sunday evening, he will participate as an expert in MDR JUMPs special election broadcast. On Monday, he will appear in several MDR radio programs in the morning. He will be interviewed at the beginning of MDR um 2, the tri-national magazine, and again in the evening news..
12/2024: Stellenausschreibung
Ab dem 01.04.2025 ist an der Philosophischen Fakultät, Professur Europäische Regierungssysteme im Vergleich, vorbehaltlich der haushaltsrechtlichen Verfügbarkeit, eine Stelle als teilzeitbeschäftigte/r Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in (m/w/d) (50 %, Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L) befristet bis 31.03.2028 zu besetzen. Bewerbungen können bis zum 22.01.2025 eingereicht werden.
12/2024: Article "Caring and Dividing" in the Verfassungsblog
On December 13, 2024, an article by Acting Professor Dr. Benjamin Höhne and Dr. Anna-Sophie Heinze on the role of the AfD in local politics was published in the Verfassungsblog. The article discusses the partys harmful influence on the culture of debate and political work in East German municipalities while also exploring ways to counteract this dynamic..
11/2024: Election Night
On November 5, an exclusive "Election Night" event for members of TU Chemnitz will take place in the central lecture hall building, focusing on the 2024 U.S. presidential elections..
10/2024: Annual Conference of the AKPF at TU Chemnitz
On October 10 and 11, 2024, numerous researchers gathered at the Alte Heizhaus of TU Chemnitz for the annual conference of the Working Group on Party Research (AKPF) of the German Political Science Association (DVPW). Under the theme "Parties in Multi-Level Systems: Parliamentary and Governmental Implications of Recent Elections", participants discussed various topics across five panels, focusing primarily on recent state and local elections and their impacts. The event was organized by the Chair of European Government Systems in Comparison..