News

Firewall (Brandmauer) under Pressure

How often do established parties cooperate with the AfD on a local level? WZB researchers Wolfgang Schroeder, Daniel Ziblatt and Florian Bochert have analyzed this question comprehensively for the first time and found that the political firewall (Brandmauer) in Eastern and Western Germany is similarly stable.

Change – New Issue of the WZB-Mitteilungen

The March 2025 issue of WZB-Mitteilungen, published in German, has a dazzling topic: our quarterly journal is entitled “Veränderung” – “Change”. The breathtaking speed at which power relations, societies, economies, and technology are developing offers cause for both optimism and concern as well as resistance. The articles analyze the manifold upheavals and how they are becoming a stress test for democracy and geopolitics.

Conspiracy Beliefs Fuel Xenophobia

Conspiracy narratives have a demonstrably negative impact on social relations. People exposed to such narratives develop more negative attitudes towards outgroups, including Muslims, Chinese, or Russians. This is the key finding of a new study by Eylem Kanol, guest researcher at the WZB, and Rebecca Endtricht (University of Hamburg).

New Research Brief: Do Climate Protests Matter?

In a research brief on the political effects of climate protests, WZB researchers Daniel Saldivia Gonzatti and Swen Hutter show that sustained mobilisation can positively shape public perceptions and policy outcomes. 

Outrage. Eva Illouz and Hartmut Rosa on Emotions in our Democracy