Visitor Researcher and Program Director of the Democracy Institute Leadership Academy. 

Before joining the CEU Democracy Institute Zsuzsanna was Richard von Weizsäcker fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy and Fellow of the IWM’s Europe’s Futures program conducting research on autocratization within the European Union.   

In 2014-2018 Ms Szelényi was a liberal Member of Parliament in Hungary, covering foreign policy, migration and constitutional affairs.  

Between 1996-2012 she served at the Council of Europe for fifteen year and worked with international organizations in North Africa.  

Ms. Szelenyi started her career as member of Fidesz at the régime change in 1988, served as Member of Parliament but left politics in 1994 for a professional career.  

Ms Szelenyi completed GMAP of International Politics and Economics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, holds an MA of Psychology of the University of Eotvos Lorand, and an MA of International Relations of the Corvinus University.