Speaker

Catherine E. De Vries is a leading scholar of European politics, specializing in democratic politics, political economy, and the European Union. She serves as Vice-Dean at IE's School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs and is Professor of Political Science at IE University. Catherine holds an Honorary Professorship at Queen’s University Belfast, and was elected to the Leopoldina, the German Academy of Sciences. Catherine previously held positions at Oxford and Bocconi University. The author of several award-winning books, Catherine's work appears widely in top academic journals as well as outlets such as the Guardian and Financial Times. Her latest book, How Europe Survives (Oxford University Press, 2026 with Alexandros Kentikelenis), explores how Europe defies predictions of its demise by turning flexibility, compromise, and cooperation into sources of resilience. Her research informs policymakers on populism, EU governance, and democratic resilience, contributing directly to contemporary policy debates across Europe.