Biography

I am a researcher and reader in Comparative Politics, University of Munich. My research interests are in comparative politics, social movements and political parties.

I studied political science at the Universities of Zurich and Växjö (Sweden) and hold a Ph.D. from the University of Munich.

I defended my dissertation, Protest politics and the right-populist turn: A comparative study of six West European countries, 1975-2005, in January 2011. Studying the relationship between protest and electoral politics is one of the key contributions of my dissertation, which aims to link research on the populist radical right with research on social movements.

Currently, I am coordinating a comparative research project on the politicization of European integration. Again, we look at different political actors and arenas to obtain a comprehensive picture of the conflicts over Europe since the 1970s (including election campaigns, public debates, and protest events). The differentiation and interaction between various forms of mobilization in conflicts over Europe and beyond is also what I want to concentrate my research efforts on in the coming years.

I give seminars for B.A. and M.A. students in Munich. The courses are mainly related to my own research dealing with social movements, political participation and the politicization of European integration. In addition, I teach introductory courses on German and Swiss politics.