ProfLoc

2026-2028
Mapping Professionalisation and Politicisation in European Local Government 


I am the coordinator of the Italian team.
The PROFLOC project examines the tensions between the professionalisation and politicisation of local government across Europe in comparative perspective. Drawing on a framework developed by Filipe Teles and Hubert Heinelt, the project explores about 20 national case studies to assess how professionalisation and politicisation play out at the local level across countries.
The project will result in two joint publications bringing together country contributions within a shared analytical structure in the first book, and a cross-country survey of key actors in the second book. 
PROFLOC follows previous research, the 1998 first-ever survey-based comparative research on the professionals at the local level: The Anonymous Leader: Appointed CEOs in Western Local Governments. 

The project is conducted by the LocGov Research Network, a European network, which, over the last few decades, has conducted comparative research on the attitudes and behavior of key actors in and around local government, such as chief executives, mayors, councillors, and local state-society relations, in 30 countries in comparative perspective (e.g., The European Mayor; Political Leaders and Changing Local Democracy; Local Councilors).
 

The launching meeting was held in Darmstadt (Germany) in November 2025, while the first operational research meeting of the LocGov Research Network on this project took place in Madrid 7-10 May, 2026. The next one will take place in Belgrad.