Sean Hanley

Dr. Sean Hanley is an Associate Professor in Comparative Central and East European Politics at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London (UCL). He specializes in political science, comparative government, and democratization processes in post-communist Europe. His research focuses on political parties, Euroscepticism, and authoritarian successor parties. Hanley holds a BA in Russian and French from the University of Leeds, an MA in Social Science from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD in Political Science from the same university. Prior to joining UCL in 2003, he was a Lecturer in Politics at Brunel University.

His research interests emphasize the dynamics of political systems in Central and Eastern Europe, including the evolution of centre-right parties, democratic backsliding, and populist movements. Hanley is fluent in Czech, Slovak, French, and Russian, and actively contributes to policy debates through media commentary, grant evaluations, and advisory roles. He is engaged in collaborative projects and mentoring, reflecting his commitment to academic rigor and societal impact.

Notable contributions include analyses of Czech political developments, the transformation of communist successor parties, and the interplay between EU integration and domestic politics. His work often bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical case studies, offering insights into the resilience and challenges of democracies in transitional contexts.