Catherine De Vries

IEP@BU President
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Catherine De Vries
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Catherine De Vries is Dean for International Affairs and Professor of Political Science at Bocconi University. She is passionate about academic service and leadership. In addition, she cares deeply about political science research and teaching. She examines some of the key challenges facing the European continent today, such as Euroscepticism, political fragmentation, migration and corruption. Currently, she is working on research project (LOSS), funded through a Consolidator grant by the European Research Council, which examines the conditions under which economic hardship affects support for socially conservative political agendas. 

Throughout her career, she has published several books in addition to a large set of research articles. Next to research, she regularly provides commentary in newspaper outlets and is a columnist for the Dutch Het Financieele Dagblad. She also serves as the scientific advisor for eupinions funded by the Bertelsmann Foundation, as a member of European Integration Committee of the Dutch Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.  For her societal impact, she was selected a Young Global Leader in the World Economic Forum in 2013. In 2014, she was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award from the Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion Section of the American Political Science Association, and in 2015, the Sophonisba Breckinridge Award for Best Paper in Women and Politics of the Midwest Political Science Association.

European Policies 

Old Habits Die Hard: Remaking the Transatlantic Partnership in EU and US Public Opinion 
2024

In a nutshell, we see that 80 years of prime partnership have created a solid base of mutual appreciation and similar sensitivities. Europeans and Americans still see in the other their most valuable ally, NATO is highly regarded and cooperation trumps competition. However, eight years of American hyper-polarisation at home and mixed messaging abroad have taken their toll. In 2024, 63 percent of Europeans agree that it is time for Europe to go its own way. 

How Can the New Labour Government Win a Second Term? Fix the NHS
2024

A key area of frustration for voters on both the left and the right is the poor performance of the NHS. With ever-longer waiting lists for hospital appointments and declining local services, voters are deeply concerned about the state of their beloved health service. 

What do Italian and European Voters Think of EU Policies Towards Ukraine?
2024

These findings stem from a survey conducted in December 2023, encompassing nearly 13,000 EU citizens. Our dataset is representative of the EU as a whole and, more specifically, of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. In Italy, we interviewed 1,325 citizens. 

Governance

What Trump’s Re-Election Reveals about the Nature of the European Union
2024

The narrative of the EU as a peace project is that it allowed Europeans to reject military investments on the basis of the excuse that we were living in a post-war society. This is not true

The Agenda-Setting Nature of Draghi’s Report for the New European Commission
2024

While the focus of the new Commission will be crystallizing over the months and years to come, this short analysis of the mission letters for the future Commissioners suggests that the recent intervention of Mario Draghi on Europe’s competitiveness has been agenda-setting for the policy priorities as defined by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

Von der Leyen's Second Term Should Deliver Reforms that the EU so Desperately Needs
2024

European politics has become more fragmented which makes governing a tall task, but also makes the EU more political. After decades of being perceived as too technocratic and distant, the fight for the European Union’s top jobs became more highly anticipated and much more political. 

A Second Term for Ursula Von der Leyen? The Rocky Road Ahead
2024

After decades of being perceived as too technocratic and distant, the fight for the European Union’s top jobs has become highly anticipated and much more political 

The New Dutch Government Might Be Heading Towards a Collision Course with Brussels
2024

Whatever one thinks of the European project, a collision course with Brussels is not only a waste of time, but will also likely undermine the Dutch position in the world.

A Political Earthquake in the Netherlands and What It May Mean
2023

Whatever comes out of this election result, Dutch politics has become more volatile and complex in the coming years. This will likely have consequences not only for the Netherlands but also for the EU

wEUbinars

Trump is Back: What Future for the EU-US Relationship?
20/01/2025 - 20/01/2025
ONLINE

On the inauguration day of Donald Trump’s second presidency, IEP@BU will host a digital event to discuss the findings of a recent Eupinions survey on the EU-US relationship and their implications. With Catherine De Vries (IEP@BU), Isabell Hoffmann (eupinions, Bertelsmann Stiftung), and Stefano Feltri (IEP@BU)

The War and The Vote: How Italian Residents Are Approaching the EP Elections
15/05/2024 - 15/05/2024

How has European voters’ attitude, and more specifically Italian voters’, evolved in the last few months? What impact will the war have in Ukraine on the June 2024 European Parliament elections?

With Catherine De Vries, Isabell Hoffmann, and Stefano Feltri.

Lobbying the EU: How Corporations Shape EU Policies in an Electoral Year
10/04/2024 - 10/04/2024
WEBINAR

Do firms gain from lobbying at the European level? And, if they gain something, what do they exactly get? Which role do European companies and their lobbyists play in European elections? 

With Alberto Alemanno (HEC), Catherine De Vries (IEP@BU), Ernesto Di Giovanni (Utopia), Nilanjana (Nel) Dutt (IEP@BU).

Conferences

IS THE EU FIT FOR A FRAGMENTED WORLD? IEP@BU ANNUAL EVENT
14/10/2024 - 14/10/2024
Aula Magna - Via Roentgen 1, Bocconi University, Milan

Save the date for the upcoming IEP@BU Annual Event and register here

From Data to Action: Homelessness Policies and Perspectives in the EU
04/10/2024 - 04/10/2024
Morning session: Alesina Seminar Room (5.E4.SR04) - Roentgen Building
Afternoon session: Room N05 - Groundfloor, Velodromo Building

In preparation for the international day for the eradication of poverty, in October, the Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University is preparing a focus on poverty and social inclusion, focusing in particular on homelessness. The goal is to bring together academia, policymakers, civil society and the very individuals experiencing poverty, in order to confront the issue from a wide range of perspectives. This way Bocconi hopes to share knowledge more effectively in order to develop more robust and evidence-based solutions.

European Parliament Elections: What the Result Might Mean for Europe's Future
22/04/2024 - 22/04/2024
AULA FRANCESCHI - BOCCONI UNIVERSITY, VIA SARFATTI 25

As Europe prepares for the 2024 elections to the European Parliament in June, this panel brings together European thought leaders to discuss the implications of the elections for the EU's future.
With: Catherine De Vries, Sylvie Goulard, Isabell Hoffmann, Eleanor Spaventa.

Political Dynamics and Consequences of Climate Policy
14/03/2024 - 14/03/2024
Room N08, Ground Floor of Velodromo Building

To achieve climate mitigation goals under the Paris Agreement and EU legislation, more ambitious climate policies are being discussed and implemented, bringing climate change to the center of the political arena. Therefore, investigating the interplay between climate change mitigation efforts and political dynamics becomes crucial. 

Crisis, Risk, and European Governance
21/09/2023 - 22/09/2023
via Roentgen 1, room 4-e4-sr01

This workshop aims to bring together a diverse group of scholars working on crisis, risk, and European governance. It is motivated by questions about how crises have shaped institutions and their policies and how European institutions, in turn, imagine, anticipate, manage, and sometimes even exacerbate a wide range of challenges, from growth and climate to security and conflict.

The European Commission In The Making: Lessons Learned Over The Last 5 Years
18/06/2024 - 18/06/2024
@ Rome

European Policies

The von der Leyen Effect: Does Visibility Lead to Accountability?

In an eupinions poll (supported by the Bertelsmann Foundation and IEP@BU) ahead of June’s European election, most voters – three in four – were able to identify Ursula von der Leyen as head of the EU executive, showing decisively how the Commission president has managed to cut through national media filters to become far more recognisable than her predecessors.