Biography

My research examines interest group mobilization focusing on the politicization of EU lobbying. I am particularly interested in the different facets of politicization and the role of interest groups in enhancing democratic legitimacy and representation.
I received my PhD from the School of Public Policy at University College London, where I taught MSc level seminars in public policy and public policy economics & analysis; I also served as the Deputy Director (acting) at UCL’s European Institute. My thesis titled ‘Politicizing the EU; Civil Society Lobbying the European Parliament’ draws from theories on legitimacy & authority, and offers an explanatory framework that permits a comprehensive study of civil society mobilization drivers at finer levels of analysis.

My most recent publication is a co-authored policy report (with Professor David Coen) for the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairstitled Institutional and Constitutional Aspects of Special Interest Representation(2015). This is the one of the most extensive analyses of interest group activity within the EP available at the moment.

During my period at the Max Weber ProgrammeI will expand on this work, focusing on the financing of EU-level political parties and foundations by interest groups. This research will visualize a time-series network that bridges parties and lobbyists, and aims to reveal the underlying dynamics of Brussels’ policymaking and political representation.