Divided Nations: The Cultural Foundations of Affective Polarisation. British Academy Small Research Grant, 2023–2025. Italian panel data on affective polarisation and cultural divisions; outputs in preparation.
Roula Nezi
Senior Lecturer in Political Science · University of Surrey Director of Postgraduate Research · Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy Chief Editor, Frontiers in Political Science · Convenor, ECPR POVB
My research examines public opinion and political attitudes, political parties and party systems, and electoral behaviour, with a methodological interest in survey design and quantitative methods. My work has appeared in the British Journal of Political Science, European Journal of Political Research, Party Politics, Acta Politica, Electoral Studies, the Journal of European Social Policy, and elsewhere.
Latest paper · April 2026
Multidimensional representation in the EU multilevel polity: The role of congruence in vote-switching
With Zoe Lefkofridi. Politics and Governance, vol. 14. We argue that cross-arena vote switching operates as a mechanism of representational adjustment in multilevel polities — using harmonised data from the 2024 European Election Study across 25 democracies.
Latest
2026 · Appointed Chief Editor, Frontiers in Political Science.|2026 · Multidimensional representation in the EU multilevel polity out in Politics and Governance — coverage in Surrey News.|2025 · Divided Nations (British Academy Small Research Grant) completed; Italian panel data collected.
Current research
Party systems and voter switching. Cartelisation and challenger parties in Southern Europe.
Survey methodology. Age–Period–Cohort models, mediation analysis, and experimental designs.
Service
Chief Editor, Frontiers in Political Science
Editor, Political Data Yearbook — ECPR Journals
PSA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group · Lead, Diverse Voices programme
Recent publications
Nezi, R., & Lefkofridi, Z. (2026). Multidimensional representation in the EU multilevel polity: The role of congruence in vote-switching. Politics and Governance, 14.
Germann, M., Mendez, F., Wheatley, J., Djouvas, C., Nezi, R., & Wall, M. (2025). Improving issue representation with candidate-level voting advice applications. European Journal of Political Research, 64(4), 2132–2145.
Nezi, R., & Lefkofridi, Z. (2025). Back to the future: New Democracy’s dominance and the left’s fragmentation in the June 2023 Greek parliamentary election. South European Society & Politics, 1–19.
Nezi, R., & Lefkofridi, Z. (2024). Still second-order in 2024?: National, nationalist and personalised issues in the Greek EP election. Politique européenne, 86(4), 122–129.
Nezi, R. (2024). A tale of two crises: Affective polarisation in Greece. Frontiers in Political Science, 6, 1256199.
Awards
PSA Innovation in Quantitative Methods Teaching Prize (2020)
FASS Early Career Teacher of the Year (2020)
Recent media & podcasts
Why millions of Europeans vote one way nationally — and the opposite in Brussels University of Surrey — Read →
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All media coverage → Full list of podcasts and press appearances.