Zsuzsanna Szelényi is Director of the CEU Democracy Institute Leadership Academy. In 2020-2022 she was Richard von Weizsäcker fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy, in 2019 she was Fellow of the IWM’s Europe’s Futures Programme, where she was researching political polarization and autocratization in the context of the future of the European Union.
Between 2014-2018 Ms Szelényi served as Member of Parliament in Hungary, representing the liberal party ‘Together’. She covered foreign policy, migration and constitutional affairs.
Ms Szelényi served at the Council of Europe from 1996-2010 advising governments and NGOs on conflict management and human rights. In 2010-2013 she worked as human development consultant for international organizations in various Central European and North African countries.
Ms. Szelényi started her career in 1988 in Fidesz, a youth party at the régime change in Hungary and served as Member of Parliament until 1994.
Ms Szelényi completed her studies at the GMAP program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in International Politics and Economics, MA of Psychology of the Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, and an MA of International Relations of the Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary.