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Im Sport wie in der Politik entscheiden oft Details über das Gelingen oder Scheitern eines Vorhabens. Wir haben uns in dieser Folge mit der Verbindung aus beidem beschäftigt: Der Sportpolitik. Über die Frage, wie Sportpolitik aussieht, was ihre Ziele sind und wie eigentlich das Verhältnis von Sport und Politik ist, haben wir mit Aydan Özoğuz (SPD), der Vorsitzenden des Ausschusses für Sport und Ehrenamt und Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mittag von der Deutschen Sporthochschule Köln gesprochen.

When it comes to decision-making within parliamentary groups, there are often preconceptions about so-called „backroom deals“
or involve protracted procedures. The Blickpunkt by Christian Ignorek and Oliver Kannenberg focuses in particular on the question of how political decisions are reached within parliamentary groups in the Bundestages and how these processes are perceived by the MPs involved.

Following the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Prof. Dr Jochen Müller (University of Greifswald) and Oliver Kannenberg spoke, at the invitation of the SWuD, about voting behaviour, coalition options and the implications of the three elections for federal politics. A recording of the event is available on YouTube.

Danny Schindler spoke to the *Münchner Merkur* about the crisis facing the Christian Democrats, the role of internal party retreats and the significance of the „firewall“. In an other articles The question of when a coalition dispute turns into a full-blown crisis has already been discussed.

Presentation of the dissertation project by Raphael Juma Akeyo (Data Research Analyst, freelance) at the IParl Research Colloquium, Berlin.

The second round of the mayoral election took place in Strausberg on 20 September. This had been preceded by irregularities in the postal vote. The district administrator initially prohibited the run-off elections. The Administrative Court nevertheless ordered that the run-off take place. However, following the run-off, the town councillors declared the entire mayoral election invalid. Daniel Hellmann sets out the background to these events in a report for rbb.

Lecture by Oliver Kannenberg at the conference of the DVPW Working Group on Comparative Parliamentary Studies, University of Greifswald.

Lecture by Dr Danny Schindler at the conference of the DVPW Working Group on Comparative Parliamentary Studies, University of Greifswald.

Keynote talk by Oliver Kannenberg, followed by a discussion with Prof. Dr Jochen Müller (University of Greifswald), moderated by Julia Jamila Werner, Foundation for Science and Democracy, Kiel.

Following the Left Party’s election victory in Berlin, the debate over a red-green-red coalition is in full swing. The SPD and the Greens are setting out their conditions, but there is also support for an alliance with the Left Party. In this interview, Oliver Kannenberg explains how the talks will unfold over the coming weeks and what could cause them to fail.

What significance do the state elections in September 2026 hold for Chancellor Merz and the CDU? Danny Schindler discussed the situation within the party with the Spanish newspaper *La Voz de Galicia*.

Presentation of a research project by Prof Dr Thomas von Winter (until 2020 government director in the administration of the German Bundestages and professor at the University of Potsdam) at the IParl Colloquium, Berlin.

Paper presentation by Dr Danny Schindler at the ECPR General Conference, Jagiellonian University of Krakow.

Paper presentation by Prof. Dr. Franziska Carstensen in the panel „Decentralisation and Policy in Multi-Level Systems (I)“ at the ECPR General Conference, Jagiellonian University Krakow.

Following the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the balance of power in the state parliament is complicated. Consequently, there is already speculation about a snap election. Daniel Hellmann explains for MDR AKTUELL how a snap election might actually be brought about.

How did legislation and the use of the right to ask questions develop during the 20th Bundestag (2021 to 2025)? Were there fewer and shorter legislative procedures? Did the extensive use of the right to ask questions, particularly in the form of minor questions, continue? What questioning strategies did the opposition parties pursue? Franziska Carstensen addresses these questions in an article for the volume on the Bundestag election of 2025, edited by Schiffers, von Schuckmann and Korte.

Many citizens are not allowed to vote in the election for the Berlin House of Representatives because they do not hold German citizenship. They can now cast a symbolic vote in the so-called „symbolic election“. Daniel Hellmann gives his views on the prospects for electoral reform on rbb-Inforadio.

Ahead of the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, postal voting is once again the subject of false claims and uncertainty. The postal system and the security arrangements for received ballot papers, for example, are cited as potential points of vulnerability for electoral manipulation. Some are also concerned about the secrecy of the vote. Daniel Hellmann, amongst others, offers his analysis.