Postdoctoral Researcher (MSCA-PF 2026)

Hosting Research Group

In recent years, we have witnessed a democratic decline that has provoked a crisis of values in the European Union. The European project is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. The rise of extremist parties and coalitions, increasing polarization, and the concentration of power are only some of the threats that place the European Union in a dangerous democratic drift. Together with internal factors, external hybrid threats are also undermining and destabilizing European democracies. Though hybrid threats are very difficult to define, they usually take the form of information manipulation, sabotage, lawfare, cyberattacks, instrumentalization of migration, economic coercion, terrorist attacks, organized criminality…

To study, analyze, and seek political and legal solutions to this crisis of the EU, researchers from Spain, Italy, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, and Portugal have developed the research project Crisis of the Rule of Law in the EU. Special reference to Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Estonia, Spain and Italy and the incidence of the pandemic, supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2021-126765NB-I00), and Crisis of values and identity of the European Union: Democratic resilience versus hybrid threats (CIAICO/2024/191), funded by the Valencian Community, both led by Professor Susana Sanz Caballero. In both projects, 25 researchers from 8 universities in more than six different countries are fully involved in analysing the increasingly questioning of the values on which the EU is based and which for decades we believed to be immovable.

Scientific keywords

rule of law crisis; hybrid threats; democratic decline

Relevant publications and projects

1. Sanz-Caballero, S. & Bar Cendón, A. (eds.). 2026. Overcoming the crisis of democratic values in the European Union, Vols. I & II. Aranzadi, Madrid.
2. Portela, C. & Hoesch, A. 2024. “Article Money Talks? The Effectiveness of Sanctions in the 'Rule of Law' Conflict in the European Union, Clara Portela; Journal of Common Market Studies, https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13693
3. Pérez Gabaldón, M. & Nicasio, B. 2023. Communication strategies in divergence: between rigor and manipulation. A comparative analysis of the political communication of the United States and Spain during the initial stage of the COVID-19 crisis, Revista Latina de Comunicación Social (81), 2023. https://www.doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2023-1899
4. García Ruiz, 2023 L. Seguridad, libertad y algoritmos. Reflexiones sobre tecnocracia y derechos humanos en la era digital. Ferrando Nicolau, E. y Pascual Serrats, R. (eds.), El Derecho y las humanidades ante el reto de la tecnología, Tirant, Valencia
5. Sanz-Caballero, S. 2023. The concepts and laws applicable to hybrid threats with a special focus on Europe, 06/202, Susana Sanz Humanities and Social Science Communications 10, 360 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01864-y

Research Project Description

The postdoctoral researcher will fully integrate in the team, take part in the scientific seminars and outreach activities scheduled and actively participate in their organization. This scholar will also address a scientific seminar on their topic of specialization and will organize one event for the host academic community. The postdoctoral fellow with secure as a lecture to MA students. They will also contribute to feed the group’s database on rule of law decline and contribute the experience from their country in terms of rule of law. The scholar will contribute with at least one international publication to the results of the team, provide feedback to at least two doctoral candidates on their PhD projects and contribute with insights and ideas to the scientific growth of the project. The postdoctoral scholar will also assure at least two short posts of scientific content on the project’s blog during the stay.

Research Area

Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC)

Application profiles

Dynamic proactive postdoctoral candidates of any nationality, willing to work on the area of rule of law backsliding in Europe. Good at team-work, soft skills and capacity of autonomous work while, at the same time, being able to contribute to team-building. Good command of English, preferably also of Spanish. Good at IT and at blog posting.

PhD in Law, Political Sciences, International Relations, European Studies, Philosophy, History or Sociology, preferably.

Strong background on publications in areas related to that of the group’s interest, participation in European or other competitive research projects, and participation and/or organization of international conferences and other scientific events.

An expression of interest shall be sent to ssanz@uchceu.es (Attn.: Susana Sanz Caballero), before 06/05/2026.

Your file should contain the following elements:

• A short CV (Max. 2 pages).
• A one-page research proposal.
• A short statement explaining why CEU would be the best host institution for your research.
• Two letters of reference.

For MSCA-PF 26 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (09/09/2026) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.

Those files received before 15th of June will be considered for MSCA-PF 2026 call. Applications received after this date, will be considered for other calls after discussion with the candidate.