Biography
Theofanis Kakarnias is a political scientist, specialising in Europeanisation, EU enlargement, democratic backsliding, and the rule of law. He earned his PhD (Excellent cum laude) from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, where he focused on the Europeanisation process in EU candidate states in Southeastern Europe and the role of EU conditionality. His work has been published in European Political Science, the Journal of European Integration, and Comparative European Politics.
During his Max Weber fellowship, Theofanis aims to further develop the concept of strategic compliance, examining how domestic leaderships in Southeastern, Central, and Eastern Europe often formally adopt EU-driven reforms while avoiding meaningful implementation. He also intends to explore how geopolitical considerations have transformed EU enlargement into a policy instrument that contributes to European security.
He has taught courses and seminars on Theories of International Studies, Research Methods in International Development, EU Democracy Promotion, EU Expansion in the Western Balkans, and the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU. Prior to his PhD, Theofanis worked as an EU public affairs consultant in the private sector in Brussels on a range of policy issues, while also having experience at the European Parliament and the Hellenic Parliament. He holds an MSc in European Public Policy from University College London and a BA in Political Science and Public Administration from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.