Lenka Bustikova is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Florida. Previously, she held positions at the University of Oxford (Associate Professor in European Union and Comparative East European Politics) and Arizona State University. Her research focuses on radical right mobilization, democratic erosion, and illiberalism in Eastern and Central Europe. She holds a PhD from Duke University and advanced degrees from Charles University, Central European University, and Harvard University. Her book Extreme Reactions: Radical Right Mobilization in Eastern Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2020) won the Davis Center Book Prize. She edits East European Politics , the Cambridge Elements on Politics and Society , and Routledge Studies on Political Parties and Party Systems . Key research themes include polarization, party politics, and state capacity. Recent work addresses pandemic governance, migration politics, and the rise of illiberal regimes. Awards include the APSA Best Article Prize (2015) and Best Paper Prize (2017). She advises the Czech National Institute for Socioeconomic Risks and serves on multiple editorial and advisory boards.
