Michael Bauer

Michael W. Bauer is a Full-time Professor at the Florence School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute (EUI). He holds a Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences from the EUI (2000) and has held academic positions at the University of Konstanz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and visiting roles at institutions across Europe. His research focuses on European and international public administration, multilevel governance, and democratic bureaucracy, with recent emphasis on populism’s impact on public administration and civil servants’ ethical responsibilities under illiberal rule. Bauer leads the Florence team in the EU-funded RADAR project. He has received the Christopher Pollitt Award (2023) and recognition for co-authoring the most downloaded Governance article (2023). His publications include works on European Commission dynamics and democratic backsliding. Bauer advises PhD students like Alexander Mesarovich and Moritz Wassum, and his research spans policy learning, regulatory governance, and transnational democracy.