This week’s episode of Sanity Check highlights the election results in Austria, where the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) received the most votes, drawing significant attention. Christoph Hofinger, pollster and forecaster, best known from Austrian TV election night coverage, where he presents election forecasts. head of the Austrian FORESIGHT institute and former president of the European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC), shares his insights into voter behavior and current political trends, including the role of inflation, dissatisfaction with mandatory vaccinations during the pandemic, and the anger driving increased support for populist parties like FPÖ.
The episode also explores the idea of “being a hedgehog or a fox” in political forecasting. The hedgehog focuses on a single core idea, which often leads to less flexible forecasts, while the fox adapts its approach by drawing on multiple ideas and theories for greater accuracy.

Click below to listen to the episode with Christoph Hofinger and Torbjörn Sjöström via Spotify or listen here.