Das Progressive Zentrum elected a new board. Wolfgang Schroeder, professor of political science, has been appointed as board chair. Judith Siller will remain second chair. Joachim Knodt has joined the board and Anke Hassel, professor for public policy, will take over as head of the scientific council. Paulina Fröhlich has been named deputy managing director.
Wolfgang Schroeder has accompanied our think tank for many years, most recently as head of the scientific council. He brings with him many years of professional experience in academia and politics: Schroeder has been professor at the University of Kassel since 2006, specializing in the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany. He has also researched at the Berlin Science Center. In 2022, he joined the “Rat der Arbeitswelt” (council for the working world) founded by the Germany Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. From 2009 to 2014, he was state secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women, and Family for the federal state of Brandenburg and from 2003 to 2006, head of the Social Affairs in the board of IG Metall. His research focuses on the future of the welfare state, the transformation of labour relations, the structural change of politics and political parties in Germany as well as right-wing populism in Europe.
Joachim Knodt has also been closely involved with Das Progressive Zentrum for many years. He joined the European External Action Service in Brussels as head of sector for the relations to the Council and Member States in the summer of 2022. In the ten years prior, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin, Brussels, and Moscow. From 2006 to 2011, he worked at Roland Berger Consulting, the Roland Berger Foundation and Google.
Michael Miebach is stepping down as chair due to new professional challenges. The co-founder of Das Progressive Zentrum will – along with Katharina Niewiedzial – continue working with the board.
We are very excited to welcome Anke Hassel, professor for public policy at the Hertie School of Governance, as the new head of the scientific council. She has supported Das Progressive Zentrum since its founding in 2007. As an expert on the labour market and political economy, she is co-director of the Jacques-Delors-Centre and was scientific director of the WSI at the Hans-Böckler-Foundation. She was also a member of the Hightech Forum of the federal government from January 2019 to the summer of 2021.
The operative team has also undergone some changes: Paulina Fröhlich, head of “Resilient Democracy”, has joined the management of the organisation and will support Dominic Schwickert as deputy managing director. Florian Ranft, head of “Green New Deal”, has also been promoted to management.
The economist Carsten Jung will join our team as economic advisor. In addition to his position at Das Progressive Zentrum, Carsten is senior economist at the British think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).