You are here: Institute People Academic Staff et al. Feisel, Franca Maria
Current Position
| 11/2025 - present | Senior Research Fellow, MPIL |
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Max Planck Law Fellow Group Independence and Democracy in the European Union (PI Prof. Antoine Vauchez, Université Paris 1-Sorbonne) |
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Coordinator of the MPIL Agora discussion forum for guest researchers |
Education
| 09/2020 - 12/2025 | European University Institute, Doctor of Laws |
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Thesis: The EU’s Democratic Self-Defence: A Reflexive Approach Examining board: Prof. Martijn Hesselink (EUI, supervisor), Prof. Gráinne de Búrca (EUI, internal examiner), Prof. Neil Walker (University of Edinburgh, external examiner), Prof. Anthoula Malkopoulou (Uppsala University, external examiner) |
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| 01/2023 - 03/2023 |
University of Edinburgh, Visiting Researcher |
| 09/2020 - 08/2021 |
European University Institute, LL.M. in Comparative, European and International Law |
| 09/2018 - 11/2019 |
University of Edinburgh, LL.M. in European Union Law (Distinction) |
| 09/2014 - 11/2017 | Maastricht University, B.A. in European Studies (cum laude) |
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Honours Programme for the best 5 percent Exchange Semester: University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) |
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| 2005 - 2013 | Max Planck Gymnasium Dortmund, Germany |
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German Abitur with an average of 1.0 (equivalent to A*) French Baccalauréat with a moyenne of 18 (equivalent to A*) |
Academic Activities
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Research Assistance |
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| 09/2024 - 03/2025 |
Prof. Patrizia Nanz, President of the EUI |
| 01/2023 - 03/2023 |
Prof. Claire Kilpatrick, EUI |
| 09/2019 - 02/2020 |
Prof. Neil Walker, University of Edinburgh |
| 09/2019 - 02/2020 |
Prof. Niamh Nic Shuibhne, University of Edinburgh |
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Other |
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| 09/2023 |
Faciliator, Horizon Europe Project ‘REGROUP’ |
| 2021 - 2023 |
Member of the Scientific Committee, State of the Union Conference, EUI |
| 2023 - present |
Peer Reviewer: Global Constitutionalism, European Constitutional Law Review, Res Publica, ICON |
| 12/2021 |
Co-Facilitator, Conference on the Future of Europe |
| 2020 - present |
Senior Editor, European Journal of Legal Studies |
| 09/2015 - 06/2016 |
Student Representative & Vice Chair of the University Council, Maastricht University |
Other Professional Experience
| 03/2020 - 07/2020 | Blue Book Trainee in the Cabinet of Justice Commissioner Reynders |
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European Commission, Brussels, Belgium |
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| 04/2018 - 07/2018 | Intern at the German Permanent Representation to the WHO |
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German Federal Foreign Office, Geneva, Switzerland |
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| 10/2017 - 03/2018 | Junior Policy Advisor for EU Trade, Industrial Policy and Sustainability |
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Evonik Industries AG, Brussels, Belgium |
| 2026 |
| emergEU Workshop, Maastricht University |
| Jean Monnet Seminar Reinforcing the Union of Values, Dubrovnik |
| European Society Conference, MPIL |
| Transition 2.0: Hungary Conference, MPIL |
| Seminar El Ius Constitutionale Commune en América Latina como eje para la transición democrática en Venezuela, MPIL |
| 2025 |
| EU Law and Its Disconnects from Society, University of Copenhagen |
| ELU-S (European Law Unbound) Annual Conference, Prague |
| 2024 |
| ICON:S Annual Conference, IE Madrid |
| ECPR Standing Group on the European Union Conference, NOVA University Lisbon |
| Law, Critique and Justification – A workshop with Rainer Forst, EUI, Florence |
| State of the Union Conference, Bolstering Democracy in Europe: A Progress Report, EUI, Florence |
| Event Series on Democratic Constitutionalism (guest speaker), University of Vienna |
| 2023 |
| Civica Summer School Challenges to Transnational Democracy (co-organiser), EUI, Florence |
| Democratic Innovations: Citizens Assemblies and Beyond, Bard College, New York |
| ENROL Project Workshop The Political Theory of Democratic Backsliding, University of Oslo |
| State of the Union Conference, Governing, Fast and Slow (and Democratically?), EUI, Florence |
| EUI-EU3D Workshop Transformative Transnational Governance |
| Turin Spring School on European funds and conditionality, University of Turin |
| 2022 |
| Political Science Faculty Seminar (guest speaker), Comenius University Bratislava |
| Plenary Meeting of the Club of Venice on Deliberative Democracy (guest speaker), EUI, Florence |
| State of the Union Conference, Deliberate! Taking Stock of the Conference on the Future of Europe, EUI, Florence |
| European Constitutionalism and the Virus of Distrust, Charles University, Prague |
| European Parliament Former Members Association Conference (guest speaker), EUI, Florence |
| 2021 |
| ICON:S Annual Conference, online |
| ECPR Joint Sessions Workshop Militant Democracy, online |
| NOVA-EU Workshop EU Democracy and the Rule of Law, Maastricht University, online |
| The Dust of Time? Towards 21st Century Constitutionalism (co-organiser & speaker), EUI, Florence |
| 2020 |
| Young Researchers Workshop by the United Kingdom Association for European Law (UKAEL), King’s College, London |
2026 Mauro Cappelletti Award for the Best Dissertation in European Law
2025 Common Market Law Review Prize for Young Academics
PhD Scholarship, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Ole Due Award "Best Pleader of the Regional Final", European Law Moot Court (2019)
Permanent Scholarship for undergraduate & graduate studies, Foundation of the German Economy (2014-2019)
Co-founder and coordinator of the civic engagement initiative Ponte Europa - Bridging Academia and Civil Society (2021-2024)
Projects: Information events and roundtables on European law and politics around the municipality of Florence, various political education and empowerment projects with local youth (high school to undergraduate level)
