Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR)

Profile

My PhD-project examines the role of social democratic party networks in European Community agenda-setting and policy-making in the 1970s. This decade is often seen as a period of “Eurosclerosis” with limited institutional change. In contrast, my project argues that these years were a crucial phase as a take-off period for “network governance”. I test these assumptions in three empirical case studies: EC economic, development and enlargement policy. For all three policy fields I analyse the degree of integration of party networks and their relative importance in lager non-state actor networks including experts and non-governmental organizations.

My academic interests are mainly centred on the history and politics of European integration since 1945. Before coming to Portsmouth I studied Modern History, Political Science and Philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin and I worked for the German Council on Foreign Relations and the PSE-Group in the European Parliament.

Research CV

Current Research Projects

• Thesis on “Transnational Social Democracy in the 1970s: Party networks in European Community economic, development and enlargement policy”

Journal articles

• Die Sozialistische Fraktion, das Europäische Parlament und die Entwicklungshilfepolitik der Europäischen Gemeinschaft, in: Journal of European Integration History, 17 (2011) 1, 87-101. 
• ‘Regional or Global? Political Networks of Socialist Parties in European Community Development Policy’, in: Comparativ - Zeitschrift für Globalgeschichte und vergleichende Gesellschaftsforschung, 20 (2010) 3, 25-44.
• ‘Transition und Europäisierung in Spanien und Portugal. Sozial- und christdemokratische Netzwerke im Übergang von der Diktatur zu parlamentarischen Demokratie’, in: Archiv für Sozialgeschichte, (49) 2009, 259-282 (with Wolfram Kaiser).

Book reviews and website reviews

• Review of Jürgen Mittag, Politische Parteien und europäische Integration. Entwicklung und Perspektiven transnationaler Parteienkooperation in Europa, Essen 2007, in: Party Politics, 17 (2011) 2, 271-272.
• Review of Michele Affinito/Guia Migani/Christian Wenkel (Hrsg.), Les deux Europes. Actes du IIIe colloque international Richie, Brüssel 2009, in: Journal of European Integration History, 16 (2010) 2, 172-174.
• Review of European Navigator: the Authoritative Multimedia Reference on the History of Europe, in: Review in History, review no. 951, 2010 (with Matthew Broad). 
• Review of Maximilian Müller-Härlin, Nation und Europa in den Parlamentsdebatten zur Europäischen Integration, in: Dokumente - Zeitschrift für den deutsch-französischen Dialog, 1/2009, 74. 
• Review of Berthold Unfried/Jürgen Mittag/Marcel van der Linden (eds.), Transnationale Netzwerke im 20. Jahrhundert. Historische Erkundungen zu Ideen und Praktiken, Individuen und Organisationen/Transnational Networks in the 20th Century. Ideas and Practice, Individuals and Organisations, in: Archiv für Sozialgeschichte online, 2009.
• Review of Johannes von Karczewski, „Weltwirtschaft ist unser Schicksal“. Helmut Schmidt und die Schaffung der Weltwirtschaftsgipfel, Bonn 2008, in: Archiv für Sozialgeschichte Online.

Selection of given papers

• ‘Political Networks of Socialist Parties in the Transitions from Dictatorship to Parliamentary Democracy in Spain and Portugal’ paper given at the EUSA 12th Biennial International Conference, Boston, March 2011.
• ‘Das Potential von Ansätzen der Netzwerkforschung’ paper given at the 48th German Historikertag, panel on ‘Über Grenzen - Transnationale Parteikooperation in Europa’, Berlin 2010.
• ‘Regional or Global? Socialist party networks in European Community development policy’ paper given at the UACES 40th Anniversary conference, Bruges 2010.
• ‘Regional or Global? Shaping the new design of the European development policy’ paper given at the workshop of the Anglo-German “State of the State” Programme of the University Bremen and the University of Oxford, Bremen 2010.
• ‘Transnationale Sozialdemokratie in den 1970er Jahren: Parteinetzwerke in der europäischen Entwicklungs- und Währungspolitik’ paper given at the International PhD Workshop at the Centre for Comparativ European Studies/Zentrum für vergleichende Europäische Studien (ZEUS), Köln 2010.
• ‘Transnational Social Democracy: Party networks in European Community economic and development policy 1974-1983’ paper given at the workshop for young researchers of the European Union Liaison Committee of Historians, Aarhus 2010.
• ‘A Socialist Third World Policy for Europe? Transnational Socialist party networks and European Community development policy’ paper given at the UACES SF 10th Annual Conference, Manchester 2009.
• ‘The role of European Socialist networks in European policy-making in the 1970s’ paper given at the European Parliament Elections 2009 Symposium, British Library, London 2009.
• ‘Transition und Europäisierung in Spanien und Portugal: Sozial- und christdemokratische Netzwerke im Übergang von der Diktatur zur parlamentarischen Diktatur’ paper given at the workshop of Archiv für Sozialgeschichte, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Bonn 2008 (with Wolfram Kaiser).

Memberships

• UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies).
• HEIRS (History of European Integration Research Society, member of the steering committee).
• EUSA (European Union Studies Association).

Fellowships and grants

• CEISR (Centre for European and International Studies, University of Portsmouth), 2008-2011: full tuition fellowship, monthly maintenance grant, research grant.
• UACES Scholarship 2010 for archival research.
• Doctoral Fellowship of the German Historical Institute in Paris, June-July 2010.
• Doctoral Fellowship of the German Historical Institute in Rome, February to May 2010.
• PhD Grant of the Fonds National de la Recherche National Luxembourg, October 2009 to January 2010.
• Grant of £1,802 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for a two day conference on ‘European Integration and the Cold War, 1945-1989’, 2010.
• Francis Vals Scholarship, PSE Group in the European Parliament Brussels, February to July 2008.
• Erasmus Scholarship, University of Cantabria, Santander/Spain, October 2002 to June 2003.