Current News

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After the repeat election to the Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus on February 12, the SPD has decided to negotiate a coalition with the CDU, the winner of the election, although a continuation of the previous red-green-red governing coalition is mathematically possible. However, the SPD party members have the final say. The course of events so far already demonstrates that coalition building is always also power politics - between and within the parties.

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On 22 February 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a "Zeitenwende" (turning point) in German foreign policy in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The seminar, organised by the GSA, the IASGP and the IParl, will explore the question of whether it is possible to speak of a turning point in German politics beyond foreign policy. Proposals can be submitted until 3 March.

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What role do parliaments, executive actors and citizens play in holding public authorities and agents of public service delivery accountable? This question will be addressed by the panel organised by IParl Fellow Sven T. Siefken and Eckhard Schröter at the 6th International Conference on Public Policy in Toronto, Canada. Paper proposals can still be submitted until 31 January.

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Three panels with IParl participation will take place at the IPSA Conference 2023 in Buenos Aires. Anyone interested in parliamentary party groups (PPGs), second chambers or parliamentarism in conditions of crisis can now apply with their paper. The deadline is 18 January 2023 and we are looking forward to receiving numerous proposals.

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The IParl will hold its first Berlin Spring Academy on Parliamentarism in March next year. With this offer, the IParl would like to support young academics with a focus on parliamentarism, parliamentarians and party research.

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The European Parliament has been active in supporting and strengthening parliaments around the globe. Looking back at 10 years of activities, the EP Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group organized a high-level-conference in Brussels to discuss experiences and the way forward, November 29 to 30, 2022. Sven T. Siefken participated as an academic commentator, his remarks can be viewed in the videocast below, starting at 16.37 min.

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After a corona-related cancellation last year, the 15th "Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians" organized by Lord Norton took place in July 2022. Participants from nearly thirty nations gathered at the venerable Wroxton College. Danny Schindler presented findings from the SOPiP Project showing that the institutional design of parliamentary groups varies considerably across countries.

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Oxford Handbooks provide relevant and up-to-date overviews of the state of research in various disciplines. In their contribution to the Oxford Handbook of German Politics, Suzanne S. Schüttemeyer and Sven T. Siefken examine the German Bundestag as a "core institution" at the center of the constitutional order of the German political system.

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Das Institut für Parlamentarismusforschung (IParl) möchte als Forum zum Parlamentarismus dienen. Regelmäßig wird deshalb ein Forschungskolloquium zu Themen des Parlamentarismus und „verwandter“ Gebiete wie der Parteien- oder Wahlforschung abgehalten. Interessierte sind herzlich eingeladen.

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Parliamentary Party Groups (PPGs) are the central institutional link between voters, parties, and parliaments. In its current composition, no less than 16 PPGs are present in the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), a peak value in European comparison. The trend towards fractionalization in Sabor has steadily increased in recent years. The article explores the causes, compares „PPG Thresholds“ internationally and outlines reform options.