The Intelligence from The Economist Brave New whirl: Turkey’s opposition overhaul
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Jul 29, 2026 
Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent, on a splinter New Party and the uphill fight against Erdogan. Vendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondent, on a surrogacy scandal that rattled Merkel-era successors and reshaped coalition politics. Tom Wainwright, culture correspondent, on why traditional career advice fails Gen Z and what young graduates should rethink.
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New Party Rapidly Reshapes Turkish Parliament
- The New Party quickly became Turkey's second biggest parliamentary force with at least 91 defecting MPs from the CHP.
- Polls put the New Party above 30% and sometimes ahead of Erdogan's AK Party, signalling rapid voter migration.
Courts And Laws Clear Path For Erdogan
- Erdogan has used constitutional and judicial changes to extend power and clear rivals, making elections harder for credible opponents.
- Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as the strongest challenger, was arrested and now faces thousands of years in prison on corruption charges.
New Party Must Broaden Beyond CHP Base
- The New Party inherits CHP's secular social-democratic base easily but struggles to attract centre-right, secular nationalists and Kurdish voters.
- Polling shows transfer of CHP support but limited success broadening the coalition so far.
