Call for Papers

The workshop brings together scholars from East and West to analyze political situations in Central and Eastern Europe through various comparisons.

The Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) at the European University Institute is pleased to announce the third edition of the workshop on political behaviour in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The workshop understands political behaviour broadly and is open to papers studying public opinion and attitudes, voting, elections, political parties, inter-group relations, and political participation. The goal of this event is to bring together scholars, both from the East and the West, who empirically study political realities in CEE through within-country, between-country, or between-region (e.g., East-West) comparison. Papers investigating general research questions that are not specific to CEE are also very welcome as long as they comprise a significant empirical component from the region (e.g., half of the studied cases are from CEE). The workshop embraces all methodological approaches, but submissions that employ quantitative or mixed methods will be given priority. Each accepted paper will be thoroughly discussed, and the workshop will offer ample opportunities for establishing professional connections and collaborations.

The provisional programme includes an evening roundtable on democratic erosion in Europe featuring, among other speakers, Hanspeter Kriesi (University of Zürich), Milan Svolik (Yale University), and Natasha Wunsch (University of Fribourg).

Submission Guidelines

To apply for the workshop, use the following link: https://apps.eui.eu/EventRegistration/?eventId=584555. You will be asked to paste the title and abstract of your paper and report your gender, academic status, affiliation, and citizenship information. You should also indicate whether you apply for financial support (see the Costs section below).

The submission deadline is Monday, March 30, 2026, at 12:00 CET

Selected participants will be informed by Monday, April 20. Scholars from Central and Eastern Europe, women, and PhD students are particularly encouraged to apply. The selection will aim to strike a balance in terms of gender, geography, and seniority. Any participant can be asked to chair a session and/or discuss up to two papers. The best paper presented by a junior participant will receive the Jacques Rupnik Prize. More information is available on the workshop’s website

Costs & Financial Support

The workshop is entirely free of charge and all participants will receive complimentary meals and coffee during the event. Participants who are academically based in selected countries* are eligible for full reimbursement of their travel and accommodation costs (of up to 750 euros).

*In the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Organising Team and Contacts

Academic questions can be addressed to the workshop convenor Professor Filip Kostelka (filip.kostelka@eui.eu). EUI current and former faculty members such as Professors Elias Dinas, Hanspeter Kriesi, and Simon Hix will participate in the workshop as discussants.

Logistical questions can be sent to Mr Marco Pistolesi (marco.pistolesi@eui.eu) and Ms Olena Shcherbatiuk (olena.shcherbatiuk@eui.eu).

Scholars from Central and Eastern Europe, women, and PhD students are particularly encouraged to apply. The selection will aim to strike a balance in terms of gender, geography, and seniority.

Want to know more about the 2026 call for papers?