Elena Heinz

@elenaheinz.bsky.social

PhD Candidate at the University of Vienna & Pre-Doc within PARTISAN | Political Psychology Research | she/her

Why does democracy backslide even when most people say they support it? ⚖️🏛️ Senior Scientist Dr. Marta Vukovic @martav.bsky.social explains why citizens sometimes tolerate democratic violations and what it takes to protect liberal democracy in Rudolphina's newest article and video. ⬇️ @univie.ac.at

Democratic backsliding explained | University of Vienna

Democracy can backslide even when most people say they support it. University of Vienna political scientist Marta Vukovic explains why citizens sometimes tolerate democratic violations and what it tak...

rudolphina.univie.ac.at

Alle Demos nächste Woche: Wien: Mi, 27.05., 13 Uhr, Uni Wien Linz: Do, 28.05., 16 Uhr, Hauptplatz Graz: Do, 28.05., 14 Uhr, Wilhelm Fischer Allee Salzburg: Do, 28.05., 14 Uhr, Kapitelplatz Klagenfurt: Do, 28.05., 10 Uhr, Uni-Vorplatz www.oeh.ac.at/info/unisret... #UnisRetten @nuwiss.bsky.social

Sparkurs stoppen - #UnisRetten! - Österreichische Hochschüler_innenschaft (ÖH)

Milliardenkürzungen bei den Unis? Nicht mit uns! Gemeinsam mit den Universitäten gehen wir als Studierendenvertreter_innen auf die Straße.

oeh.ac.at

Nur zur Erinnerung: An Universitäten arbeiten schon jetzt rund 80 Prozent der Beschäftigten befristet und prekär. Den Mittelbau aka "Nachwuchs" werden diese Kürzungen am härtesten treffen. Aber im Hochschulbereich gilt offenbar: Schlimmer geht immer. @nuwiss.bsky.social #IchBinHanna

Julia Partheymüller@schnizzl.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Budget - Unis rufen zu Demos gegen Kürzungen auf 📅 Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2027 um 13.00 🏛️ Start am Ring vor dem Hauptgebäude der Uni Wien www.univie.ac.at/aktuelles/pr...

📢 New publication! 📢 So happy to see this paper finally out @epsrjournal.bsky.social ! Looking at public perceptions of party positions in 29 elections across 20 European countries, I test whether populist radical parties are seen as more moderate when they are part of a government coalition. 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

European Political Science Review@epsrjournal.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🆕 Ruling and reigning in? 👑 @sofiamarini.bsky.social looks at whether public perceptions of the moderation of #PopulistRadical parties change when in a #GovernmentCoalition and whether this is impacted by #Partisanship, allowing for better understanding of #PartyMainstreaming 🤷

I’d especially like to encourage women to apply. We’re a fantastic department with excellent scholars, in beautiful Vienna. Data shows that women are less likely to apply for positions than equally qualified men (Muriel Niederle & Lise Vesterlund 2011), so if you’re considering it, please go for it!

Reto Bürgisser@retobuergisser.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🚨 Job Alert 🚨 We have an opening for a 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗰 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 @stawi-univie.bsky.social starting Aug/Sep 2026! Focus: political representation, party competition, political institutions, political economy, political behavior, or related fields 📅Apply by 29 April 2026 jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...

Job vacancy announcement for a postdoctoral position at the University of Vienna Department of Government, starting August/September 2026. Research focus includes political representation, party competition, political institutions, political economy, political behavior, or related fields. Application deadline: 29 April 2026. Full details are also available through the shared link.

Are you a policymaker, teacher, practitioner, academic in political science, psychology, education or related field? We’re inviting experts to complete a short survey on youth political participation: tinyurl.com/ywnseae3 For every completion, we’ll donate €1.20 to UNICEF. Please share!

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You have to read this. Firsthand affidavit from one of the women who was there and recording the video. She talks about how Alex Pretti was directing traffic when she arrived. She watched him be killed in front of her. She's afraid to go home, worried she'll be arrested.

1. I am a resident of the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am over 18 years of age. I am a children's entertainer who specializes in face painting.
2. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at about 8:50 am, I was getting ready to go to work when I heard whistles outside. I knew the whistles meant that ICE agents were in the area, so I decided to check it out on my way to work. I've been involved in observing in my community because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors. Connecting to your local community and knowing who your neighbors are is something I profoundly value.
3. I drove to Nicollet Ave. and 26th where I could hear the whistles coming from. I turned south onto Nicollet. There were already several ICE agents there and they'd set up a sort of vehicle convoy on Nicollet and 28th. There were also about 15 observers there, recording and observing ICE.
4. I saw ICE agents surrounding cars and punching car windows. I also saw them stopping vehicles further down Nicollet, so I backed up because I didn't feel safe continuing on.
5. I noticed a man sort of acting to help traffic move more smoothly. He helped me find a place to park. I got out with my whistle and my camera. I went over to him and said something like, "I'm going to film and use my whistle."
6. It seemed like most ICE activity was happening a little farther down the street from us, near 27th. Someone was being thrown to the ground.7. I started recording. There was an agent by a car across the street. Two observers were a few feet away from the agent, blowing their whistles. One was wearing a backpack.
8. I and the man who was observing and helping direct traffic were standing in the street. There was a phone in the man's hand recording a video.
9. An agent approached and asked us to back up, so I moved slowly back onto the sidewalk.
10. The man stayed in the street, filming as the other observers I mentioned earlier were being forced backward by another ICE agent threatening them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support them as they got threatened, just with his camera out. I didn't see him reach for or hold a gun.
11. Then the ICE agent shoved one of the other observers to the ground. Then he started pepper spraying all three of them directly in the face and all over. The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him.
12. Then the man tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying. More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up. All three of the observers looked to have been badly affected by the pepper spray. I could feel the pepper spray in my eyes.13. The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn't see him touch any of them-he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times.
14.1 don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him.
15. The video I recorded of what happened accurately depicts the events leading up to the agents shooting him and several minutes afterwards. The video is attached as Exhibit 1.
16. I have read the statement from DHS about what happened and it is wrong. The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground.
17. I feel afraid. Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me. I don't know what the agents will do when they find me. I do know that they're not telling the truth about what happened. I've heard that other witnesses might have been arrested and taken to the Whipple Building.
18. I am disgusted and gutted at how they are treating my neighbors and my state. I keep alternating between crying and feeling determined it is important to remember the value of documenting injustice. We show up for the people who need us to bearwitness, because it can't just be one group of people bearing the brunt of their tyranny. This is a struggle to protect our freedom and democracy, those things are on the line. He lost his life for those values.
I declare under penalty of perjury that everything I have stated in this document is true and correct.

Dated and signed on Jan 24, 2026 in Hennepin County, State of Minnesota.
Josh Gerstein@joshgerstein.bsky.social · 8mo ago

JUST IN: Lawyers file declaration in federal court from first-hand witness to immigration agents' shooting of a US citizen onlookers today. Minneapolis Mayor Frey said details would be used to bolster case for ousting ICE from city. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Mamdani: "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant."

And just like that, the 2025 #ISPPAcademy has wrapped! 🎉 Huge thanks to our incredible fellows for their engagement, enthusiasm, and vibrant energy throughout. My sincere gratitude also goes out to our dedicated instructors, and to my amazing assistant Sofia Jesus and the event team. 🙂 #ISPP2025

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The story of this election really is BSW and Linke. When Sahra Wagenknecht finally split off in 2023, the Linke was thought to be dead. In line with every pundit's favorite narrative, the new left-authoritarian version (BSW) would do well, while the left-progressive Linke that remained was doomed 1/