Theresa Gessler

Theresa Gessler serves as a Junior Professor of Comparative Politics at the Institute for European Studies (IFES) within Viadrina European University, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. Her academic role centers on political science research and teaching with a focus on contemporary European governance structures.

Her research expertise spans Comparative Politics, Democracy, Populism, Digitalisation, and Gender Issues in Europe. She investigates how digital transformation impacts democratic resilience, the socio-political drivers of populist movements, and intersectional gender dynamics within European political systems, emphasizing empirical analysis of institutional responses to these challenges.

As a core member of the Institute for European Studies (IFES), Dr. Gessler contributes to interdisciplinary research initiatives examining European integration, democratic backsliding, and policy innovation. Her work aligns with IFES's mission to address pressing European societal transformations through collaborative academic inquiry.