Andras Szalai is a research fellow at the Democracy Institute (DI). In parallel, he is also an associate professor at the Department of International Relations and European Studies of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE).

His current research at the DI deals with rightwing populism’s narrative construction of security threats, the symbolic use of borders in mitigating ontological insecurities, and the securitization of migration as a societal control mechanism. His general research interests include securitization theory, constructivist theories of European foreign policy, and epistemic power in security expertise. Szalai’s work has appeared in outlets such as International Relations, Millennium, and the European Review of International Studies.

Ongoing research projects:

BordEUr: Jean Monnet ‘New European Borderlands’ Network

Project duration: 2019-2022

Scheme: Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Networks. Total budget: EUR 299,693

Lead project researcher

Completed research projects:

MIGRATE: CTRL + EnterEurope Jean Monnet Migrant Crisis Network. 

Project duration: 2016-2018

Scheme: Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Networks. Total budget: EUR 299,497

Anti EU-rhetoric versus national interests? Nationalistic populism and its reception in Central Europe.

Project duration: 2017-2018

Scheme: Europe for Citizens, Total budget: EUR 147,750

Joint solutions for common challenges - How to deal with the refugee and migration crisis across borders.

Project duration: 2016-2017

Funded by the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria. Project ID: P15-2251

The changing world order and its implications for the "wider Europe". 

Project duration: 2011-2014

Scheme: Hungarian Science Fund K-type grant. Grant ID: OTKA 84079

Selected publications:

Szalai András, Kopper Ákos (2020). “Translating Security across Borders: Staging the Migration Crisis in Hungary and Transylvania”. Millennium. August 2020. doi:10.1177/0305829820937071 (online first)

Szalai, András (2020). “Securitizing Migration in Contemporary Hungary: From Discourse to Practice”, In: A. Prodromidou, M. Kmezic, F. Bieber, P. Gkasis, C. Krause (eds.): Migration, Integration, Disintegrarion. (Routledge, forthcoming)

Monsees, Linda; Slaven, Mike; Kopper, Ákos; Szalai, András; & Kroll, Stefan (2020). “The Politicisation of Security: Controversy, Mobilisation, Arena Shifting”, European Review of International Studies, 7(1), 105-122. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/21967415-bja10008

Szalai, András, and Gabriella Gőbl. "Securitizing migration in contemporary Hungary." CEU Center for EU Enlargement Studies Working Paper (2015).

Szalai, András (2015). "‘Essentially sound and fundamental’: Historicizing the logic of deterrence in the counterforce debate." International Relations 29.3 : 288-302.

Kopper, Ákos, Zsolt Körtvélyesi, Balázs Majtényi and András Szalai (2019). "Logiques d’(in) sécurité en Hongrie. Gouverner par le droit et par l’exclusion dans un régime illibéral." Cultures & Conflits 113: 99-123.