Prof. Zoe Lefkofridi, founding Professor of Politics and Gender, Diversity & Equality at the University of Salzburg and Director of the ATHENA Centre for Intersectional Research at the University of Salzburg, and Dr. Matilde Ceron, Postdoctoral Researcher in the ActEU project and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, have secured Horizon Europe funding for the project EDGE – Enhancing Democratic Support under Conditions of Geographic and Intersectional Inequalities in Europe. Both researchers are affiliated with the ATHENA Centre and the Department of Political Science at the University of Salzburg.

With Dr. Alexia Katsanidou (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany) and Dr. Sofia Vassilopoulou (King’s College London, United Kingdom) in coordinating roles, the EDGE project investigates how economic inequalities shape democratic support across Europe, with a particular focus on the intersectional dimensions of political resentment.

The University of Salzburg is responsible for the project component that focuses on how to address and counteract intersectional inequalities and prejudices. Concretely, this involves the development, testing, and evaluation of interventions and policy measures aimed at reducing intersectional disadvantages.

As Prof. Zoe Lefkofridi explains: “Intersectionality is a key innovation of EDGE because we move beyond the study of single inequalities to examine how overlapping social identities—particularly gender, age, and social class—interact with geography in shaping citizens’ democratic attitudes. We capture how resentment operates among distinct social profiles and how these groups differently attribute blame. Based on this understanding, we develop and test a typology of policy interventions—from taxation and pensions to housing, care, and strategic communication—that specifically address these different dynamics and can strengthen democratic support.”

In addition, the University of Salzburg will play a central role in the communication and dissemination of the project’s findings. It will lead the work package on intersectionality interventions and assume a key responsibility for the project’s dissemination strategy.

This is the team’s third consecutive Horizon Europe grant within four years, following PUSH*BACK*LASH and ActEU—a remarkable achievement that demonstrates sustained international excellence in Europe’s most competitive research funding landscape. The continued success underscores the team’s leading expertise in addressing core challenges related to inequality, intersectionality, and democratic resilience.

Contact: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. MA. MAIS Zoe Lefkofridi | Political Science
Address: Sigmund Haffner Gasse 18 | 5020 Salzburg | Austria
E-Mail:
Phone: +43 662 8044 6602