Fernando Casal Bértoa – The Conversation

Donald Tusk holding a sign that reads “it’s time for a happy Poland”. EPA/Marian Zubrzycki

October 17, 2023

Poland votes for change after nearly a decade spent sliding towards autocracy – but tricky coalition talks lie ahead for Donald Tusk

Simona Guerra, University of Surrey and Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham

Law and Justice emerges as the biggest party but without a majority, leaving the door open for a large coalition led by the former president of the European Council.

Benjamin Netanyahu won his fifth term as the Israel’s prime minister. EPA/Jim Hollander

April 12, 2019

Israel election: four key factors that led to Netanyahu’s historic victory

Anna Bagaini, University of Nottingham and Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham

A major swing to the right and the abstention of a key demographic have bolstered the Israeli leader’s position.

Tunisians take to the streets to rail against austerity. EPA/Mohamed Messara

May 24, 2018

How populism can be turned into an opportunity, not a threat

Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham; Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham; Lise Storm, University of Exeter, and Susan Dodsworth, University of Birmingham

Populism gets a bad rap for fuelling the rise of authoritarianism. But it can also be a shot in the arm for liberal democracy.

Beata Szydło: nothing to see here, I swear. EPA/Patrick Seeger

January 27, 2016

Europe wades into debate over Poland’s constitutional crisis

Simona Guerra, University of Leicester and Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham

The EU is investigating concerns that the national government is breaching shared values as it pushes through constitutional reforms.

Reuters/Pascal Rossignol

January 1, 2016

2015: the year in elections

Stephen Chan, SOAS, University of London; Afif Pasuni, University of Warwick; Andrew Fagan, University of Essex; Bahar Baser, Coventry University; Catherine Gegout, University of Nottingham; Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham; Juan Pablo Ferrero, University of Bath; Louise Thompson, University of Surrey; Marco Aponte-Moreno, UCL; Martin Vinæs Larsen, University of Copenhagen; Neil Pyper, Coventry University; Oliver Walton, University of Bath; Paul Kennedy, University of Bath; Simona Guerra, University of Leicester; Sotirios Zartaloudis, University of Birmingham; Steve Hewitt, University of Birmingham, and Yoav Galai, University of St Andrews

For better or for worse, various countries around the world charted a new course last year. What lies ahead for 2016?

Law and Justice’s (PiS) candidate for prime minister, Beata Szydlo. Reuters/Pawel Kopczynski

October 27, 2015

How Poland’s political landscape was redrawn overnight

Simona Guerra, University of Leicester and Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham

Poland has weathered the economic storm that engulfed Europe, but its centrist government has nonetheless been booted out. Why?

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