🎓✨ Officially Dr. Reuse! ✨🎓

After 4 years of hard work, I defended my PhD on ideology in local politics.

It was an unforgettable night. Grateful to my supervisors @nicolasbouteca.bsky.social & Kristof Steyvers, colleagues, family & friends for making this possible. ❤️

After four years of hard work, I’ve officially submitted my PhD dissertation. 🎓

288 pages about the role of ideology in local politics - the best research topic in the world. 😍

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the journey. 🙏

Back from LoPaPol in Leiden - two incredible days of local party politics research! 🤩

Cutting-edge papers, a keynote of @martingross.bsky.social and a large group of amazing colleagues - this community keeps growing since our Ghent kickoff.

Huge thanks to the organisers! @simonotjes.bsky.social

De verwarming in de Gotische Zaal is kapot, dus wijkt de gemeenteraad eenmalig uit naar de provincieraadszaal 😊

Vanochtend vroeg uit de veren voor de jaarlijkse Valentrein-actie van @groenbe.bsky.social 💚

We deelden kaartjes én appels uit in het station om de trein- en busreizigers te bedanken voor hun duurzame keuze.

We find that while all types of chairs strive to empower the council within government, the non-executive chairs act less partisan and emerge as the council’s spokesperson.

Based on a new typology of the office, we consider the chair’s role along three dimensions: (1) inside empowerment of the council, (2) partisanship and (3) outside empowerment of the office to the local community.

Appointing a non-executive councillor as chair has become a common practice. The number has been on the rise consistently, going from 29% after the introduction in 2007 up to 86% in 2022.

🚨 PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨

In a new open access article in @plc-journal.bsky.social Tom Verhelst and I examine the local council chair in Flanders.

For the fans: there are Game of Thrones references in the article 😃

👇🧵

Last week, we hosted the first LoPaPol Workshop in Ghent.

What a brilliant group of scholars presenting amazing research on local party politics 😍

Very proud to organise this together with @christinajuen.bsky.social @martingross.bsky.social @simonotjes.bsky.social

Thrilled to announce the full program of the LoPaPol workshop 😃

📃 18 promising papers
👩‍🔬 Researchers from 11 countries
🗳️ Local party politics all the way!

Check it out: www.ugent.be/ps/politieke...

Our LoPaPol Workshop guarantees:

🧐 Local party politics research at its best
🗣️ Profound discussion of papers
💸 No fee
🏛️ Welcome drink & guided tour in Ghent's City Hall
🥣 Free lunch

Last chance to submit your abstract: www.ugent.be/ps/politieke...

Doing research on local party politics?

Mark your calendars for the first LoPaPol workshop, taking place on the 4th and 5th of April 2024 in wonderful Ghent.

More information & abstract submission: www.ugent.be/ps/politieke...