Javier Anton Merino

Javier Anton Merino is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Private Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Burgos, specializing in Political and Administrative Science. He is a member of the Comparative Politics research group (POLCOM) and has established himself as a scholar focusing on nationalism, territorial politics, and electoral behavior.

Education:

• Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2021) with thesis 'La emergencia del nacionalismo secesionista en la Europa occidental del siglo XXI Escocia y Cataluña en perspectiva comparada'
• Supervised by Dr. Fabiola Mota Consejero and Dr. Luis Moreno Fernández

Research Focus:

Dr. Merino's work centers on comparative nationalism, particularly examining secessionist movements in Western Europe with emphasis on Scotland and Catalonia. His research has evolved to encompass decentralization processes, territorial politics, and electoral behavior in Spain and other established democracies. He employs mixed-method approaches combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to understand political representation in plurinational contexts.

Publication Trends:

His scholarly output demonstrates a clear trajectory from structural analysis of nationalist movements toward contemporary studies of political communication. Recent publications (2023-2025) increasingly focus on emotional appeals in electoral campaigns, social media strategies of political parties, and the evolution of radical right discourse in Spanish regional elections, particularly analyzing Vox party communications in Catalonia. This reflects his adaptation to emerging research areas while maintaining his core interest in comparative political dynamics.

Professional Engagement:

• Visiting researcher at University of Edinburgh
• Visiting researcher at Universidad Domingo Savio de Potosí
• Active collaborator with multiple researchers at University of Burgos