Jan Philipp Thomeczek is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Potsdam, chair for Comparative Politics. In his research, he focuses on voting behavior, political parties, voting advice applications, and populism. He is currently a principal investigator for the DFG-funded EtaPPP project on the establishment of the BSW (the party established as Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, now Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft, or Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason). He was among the first scholars to systematically study BSW and its potential. Shortly after the BSW was officially founded, he developed the website “BSW-O-Mat,” an application that allowed voters to explore their alignment with BSW’s policies. The tool was visited more than 50,000 times, and its data built the foundation for many of Thomeczek’s recent publications. Thomeczek is a regular commentator for the national news. His expertise has been featured on Tagesschau, Heute, Deutschlandfunk, Deutsche Welle, Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, FAZ, and other prestigious outlets.
Photo: Thomas Roese
Episode 141: Germany’s Other Populist Party
The BSW (formerly the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, now Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason) had early successes after its founding in 2024, winning seats in the European Parliament and …
