Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 10/10/2026this livestreamed execution is one of the most not going to happen things that has ever not happened. 0122
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Another crazy-ass day in a German Landtag election, another day where I am utterly baffled that such votes are conducted via a secret ballot 3172
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 05/10/2026"The European hope is that China’s leadership will refrain from further retaliation to avoid emboldening Europe’s hawks just as Germany has joined their flock." Our take on today's extraordinary Franco-German letter, with @codendahl.bsky.social www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comGermany and France want EU storm gates for China’s trade surgeAn astonishing joint letter suggests confrontation looms with China 0114
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Compare & contrast: in March a state branch of Germany's Die Linke approved a resolution condemning "Zionism as it actually exists today," earning the party a whopping shitstorm. The leadership condemned it. Today the full conference of Britain's Green party backed a "Zionism is racism" motion. 072
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 03/10/2026According to INSA, at least, the CDU/CSU has shed almost one third of its support in just six months. 060
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Here we are: AfD at 30% nationally for the first time, while the Union drops to 18%. On the Day of German Unity, no less. 486
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Nice to have some #impact (from this morning's German Politico Playbook; auto-translated) 050
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 28/09/2026RIP the Mighty Sparrow. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWed...youtube.comAh Fraid Pussy Bite MeYouTube video by Mighty Sparrow - Topic 000
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Friedrich Merz may have had his execution stayed, but ultimately there can be no comeback from this. My piece on Germany's zombie chancellor. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comFriedrich Merz, the zombie chancellorHe cannot recover, but no one wants to finish him off—yet 262
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 25/09/2026I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that some elements of the German discourse around Die Linke in Berlin are...completely demented? 2133
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The CDU/CSU has shed one quarter of its voters in six months. 2114
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Here's where we are tonight. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comFriedrich Merz rues “disaster” as populists win state electionsGerman politics is fragmenting, fraying and radicalising 051
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Stop trying to make "Berlin's Mamdani" happen I beg you 2132
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Merz: "Our reforms are the means to combat the poison that is penetrating deeper and deeper into our society through the allure of authoritarianism". Says he's going nowhere - neither as CDU leader or federal chancellor. 272
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Early days, but looks like we may be heading for red-red-green governments in both M-V and Berlin - albeit with different parties on top. That's going to be difficult for the CDU to swallow. Merz due to speak shortly. 2387
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Angela Merkel's consistent, decades-long ability to drive men absolutely insane remains unmmatched. 110016
Reposted by Tom NuttallNico Lange @nicolange.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Wenn Deutschland heute die erste F-35 bekommt, nutzen 13 europäische Staaten das amerikanische Flugzeug. Die Ironie: Europäische Vereinheitlichung und Interoperabilität sind offenbar machbar, allerdings in diesem Fall ohne Europäische Souveränität über die Technologie. 1124849
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I went all the way to Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania and didn't even use the Bismarck joke about everything there happening 50 years late. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comThe AfD could stumble in another state electionA late surge by the ruling Social Democrats in an eastern state could slow the far right’s momentum 1122
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Fantastic column. www.economist.com/business/202...economist.comOlympiad Man has displaced Davos ManHow maths geeks became market gods 010
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Operation "Die Frau gegen Blau (with a little help from Schwarz)" seems to be on track. 070
Reposted by Tom NuttallEnough Of That Now @andygilder.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Trump becomes the first orange man to support a united Ireland 682126574
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Friedrich Merz's extraordinary Bundestag appearance on Wednesday only served to highlight the extent to which German politics now revolves around the AfD. My latest. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comThe AfD is making the weather in German politicsAfter the Saxony-Anhalt result, Friedrich Merz is on the ropes 071
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Heroic instances of "Why the election in Saxony-Anhalt proves all my political prioris were correct" from every part of the political spectrum this morning, hats off all round. 1231
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Amusing clash of political cultures as Channel 4 journalists bellow Britishisms to a bemused-looking Sven Schulze quietly making his way through the CDU election party - "ARE YOU GOING TO RESIGN MR SCHULZE!" "A WORD FOR BRITISH TV MR SCHULZE!" 3152
Reposted by Tom NuttallLeonardo Carella @leonardocarella.bsky.social · 06/09/2026More generally, I think the pattern emerges where you have a dominant non-central party (Scandinavian social democrats, BE/LUX Christian Democrats, post-war FF in Ireland, Icelandic Independence Party) and a fragmented-but-contiguous opposition. 071
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Yes, I should perhaps have been clearer in first post. Baden W 2011 and a Bavarian election in the 1950s other comparable examples. 120
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Police taking no chances in Magdeburg. Vans everywhere. 1112
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026At 2pm turnout in Saxony-Anhalt (excluding postal votes) had already beaten the overall figure in several previous state elections. 2183
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026And ein Shitstorm followed! Ironically from today's perspective the thing that looks unusual about that election is the FPÖ willing to yield the chancellorship to the smaller party. (although from memory it was v close) 110
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Right, but PP only ahead by a nose. Tonight we're looking at the AfD with potentially double the vote share of the 2nd placed party and yet still locked out of govt. 100
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/20261979 result is v interesting. Not dissimilar to what we may get tonight, albeit that the centre-right coalition was presumably far more ideologically coherent than the Frankenstein government that Schulze would be obliged to cobble together 100
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026yes, with the FDP as kingmaker - but I don't think any of these cases resemble what we may get tonight: a party with 40%+, with double the support of the second placed party, and yet no prospect of entering government,. 110
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Political scientists: is there any European precedent for a party winning an election held under PR with over 40% of the vote—and still finding itself subsequently excluded from government? 961
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 05/09/2026The (presumably) final projection from zweitstimme.org gives the AfD a 22% chance of securing a majority tomorrow. The figure has trended downwards as the SPD and Green numbers have ticked up - perhaps evidence of tactical voting. 1111
Reposted by Tom NuttallTom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Sunday's election could see Saxony-Anhalt become the first state to be run by a far-right party since 1945. Buit how would the AfD govern? I spent the last few weeks travelling across the state, speaking to locals, politicians and experts. Here's what I found out. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comHow the Alternative for Germany would governIf it wins its first state, ideology in schools and broadcasting is just the start 0127
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Sunday's election could see Saxony-Anhalt become the first state to be run by a far-right party since 1945. Buit how would the AfD govern? I spent the last few weeks travelling across the state, speaking to locals, politicians and experts. Here's what I found out. www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comHow the Alternative for Germany would governIf it wins its first state, ideology in schools and broadcasting is just the start 0127
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Is he doing a Mötley Crüe, or is someone at Politico making a funny? 010
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Updated Sachsen-Anhalt predictions from zweitstimme.org - SPD almost certain to make it into parliament, BSW almost certain not to; AfD's chances of a majority slightly falling. 162
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Can't use taxi driver vignettes in copy so I'll save it for here: cabbie driving me to a CDU event in Dessau tonight proudly showed off some Bauhaus architecture en route to the venue, and when I told him the AfD had Bauhaus in their sights, he was so shocked that I think I may have swayed a vote. 1364
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Worthwhile Canadian initiative! www.politico.eu/article/cana...politico.euCanada’s Carney to attend EU’s State of the Union“In these challenging times, strengthening our relationships across the world is vital,” the European Commission told POLITICO. 3144
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Think I've nailed it: Twitter/X is where ppl lose their shit over Annalena Baerbock's career trajectory; Bluesky is where they are still for some reason extremely angry about lanyards . 1203
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Die Linke is surging in Berlin. Election in four weeks 64812
Reposted by Tom NuttallDan Davies @dsquareddigest.bsky.social · 19/08/2026It just seems to me that a question like "do you think we might have gone in a bit hard on that one?" Is the sort of thing a mature media industry would be able to talk sensibly about, and that it's really interesting to see which people and organisations are and aren't able to do so. 513720
Tom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 19/08/202628% chance AfD wins an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt according to this forecast. Die Zeit had it somewhat higher at 37%, albeit a couple of weeks ago. zweitstimme.orgzweitstimme.orgzweitstimme.orgzweitstimme.org: Die wissenschaftliche Vorhersage zur Bundestagswahl 020
Reposted by Tom NuttallTom Nuttall @tomnuttall.bsky.social · 16/08/2026The anti-AfD Brandmauer, or firewall, has begun to warp German politics. It may be too late to reverse course. My essay in @economist.com www.economist.com/europe/2026/...economist.comHow the anti-AfD firewall broke German politicsA policy designed to keep the far right from office has ended up strengthening it 3103
