Clever minds, new input: We are happy to welcome four new Fellows, two Scientific Advisory Board Members and reinforcement to our office team. Among them are new faces and old acquaintances of our progressive network.
Sophie Pornschlegel currently works as a Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre (EPC) and as a Project Manager for Connecting Europe, a joint initiative of the EPC and Stiftung Mercator. From 2017 to 2019, she was Project Manager in the programme “Future of Democracy” and is now back at Das Progressive Zentrum as a Policy Fellow.
Lucie Kretschmer supports the DPZ as a Visiting Fellow in the area “Future of Democracy” in questions of religious politics and social plurality. She is doing her doctorate at the Humboldt University of Berlin on Federal Constitutional Court cases on Islamic freedom of religion and is a Heinrich Böll Stiftung Fellow. Previously, Lucie Kretschmer worked as a managing director in the area of international relations and as a manager of a foundation.
Since July 2020, Ophélie Omnes has been a Visiting Fellow in the “International Dialogue” programme. At DPZ, she wants to contribute to the Franco-German friendship and strengthen a joint European public sphere. She is President of the French Section of the European Federalists and works full-time as a lawyer for French and European litigation and public affairs at Alinea Avocats Associés.
Dr. Claudia C. Gatzka works as a Visiting Fellow in the “Future of Democracy” programme, where she focuses on political campaign cultures. Together with Andreas Audretsch, she published a book on the political history of the so-called “New Right” (DE). She is an author and historian at the University of Freiburg and deals with the history of democracy, political communication and participation.
New members of the Academic Council
We are happy to welcome Erika Mezger and Peter Siller to the Academic Council. Erika Mezger works as a Senior Adviser on Social Dialogue, Employment Relations & Welfare Reforms in the “Social Europe and Well-being Programme” at the European Policy Center (EPC) in Brussels. Peter Siller had previously been a member of the Council of Friends of Das Progressive Zentrum.
Two personnel changes on Werftstraße
She worked as a Project Assistant in the programme area “International Dialogue”, and now we are thrilled that Gesche-Maren Siems will continue to support us as an Assistant to the Management.
Lukas Schwemer has made a major contribution to the communications work of the think tank as a Communications Assistant. In December, he will become an Advisor. Among other tasks, he will coordinate our activities for the 2021 German Federal Elections.