AAU Senior Lecturer Pelin Ayan Musil Published in Journal of Democracy on Why Opposition Coalitions Fail

Pelin ayan musil headshot

AAU Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Diplomacy Pelin Ayan Musil, together with Edgar Şar, recently published Why Oppositions Lose Together and Win Alone in the prestigious Journal of Democracy, one of the world’s leading publications on democracy, democratic movements, and political change. 

In their article, Ayan Musil and Şar explore a question that challenges conventional political thinking: Why did broad opposition coalitions fail to unseat long-ruling governments in Hungary and Turkey, while later single opposition parties achieved significant electoral success?

“In both Hungary in 2026 and Turkey two years prior, therefore, large single opposition parties succeeded where broad-front coalitions had failed. What can explain this pattern? The dominant view among scholars and opposition strategists alike had been that broad-based alliances, formed before the election, were the only hope for unseating dominant parties in competitive authoritarian systems such as Hungary’s and Turkey’s.“

Drawing on the cases of Hungary and Turkey, the authors examine how coalition dynamics, party organization, and differing political environments shaped electoral outcomes. Their findings contribute to ongoing discussions about democracy, opposition strategy, and political competition in contemporary Europe.

Read the full article in the Journal of Democracy here.