5X����

Guest Editors: Yixuan Shi and Afiq bin Oslan
(Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance)

Theme Overview
Politics often brings together unlikely partners. The enemy of my enemy is my friend—and political compromise sometimes unites even long-standing rivals. Under what conditions do adversaries set aside their differences? What determines whether an “unlikely partnership” succeeds or collapses?

This special issue seeks contributions examining how and why political rivals with little common ground cooperate, in both domestic and international contexts. We welcome work from all methodological approaches, regions, and levels of analysis.

We also welcome comparative studies contrasting successful and failed partnerships, or exploring the conditions under which collaboration among rivals emerges, endures, or breaks down.

For more details:

For all queries, please contact: deputy.politikon@iapss.org

Eligibility and Submission Guidelines

Submissions from scholars at all career stages are welcome. As a student journal, Politikon particularly encourages submissions from students broadly defined—including advanced undergraduates, recent graduates, Master’s students, and early PhD candidates.

Please submit:

• An extended abstract (minimum 500 words) or a more developed draft manuscript (preferred).
• Optional: brief CV and/or cover letter.

Submission deadline: 19 December 2025 (earlier submissions are encouraged).

Email to: deputy.politikon@iapss.org
Subject line: Submission for Strange Political Bedfellows
Format: PDF preferred

Workshop in Berlin (8–9 April 2026)

Successful applicants may be invited to an in-person workshop at the Harnack-Haus, Berlin, hosted by the .

Accommodation and major travel expenses (flights and long-distance trains) will be covered, in accordance with German federal regulations.

The workshop aims to help polish manuscripts before peer review and will proceed if sufficient high-quality submissions are received.

Notifications of acceptance: mid-January 2026 (rolling early acceptances possible).