We are pleased to announce that three candidates are standing for election to the ECREA Political Communication Section Management Team for the 2026–2028 term:

• Rens Vliegenthart (Wageningen University) – Chair
• Delia Balaban (Babeș-Bolyai University) – Vice-Chair
• Kilian Buehling (University of Tübingen) – Vice-Chair and Communication Officer

The three candidates are running as a team and share the ambition to further develop the Political Communication Section as an open, inclusive, internationally connected, and intellectually vibrant community.

Their plans for the coming term include strengthening comparative and cross-national political communication research, further developing the section’s Mentorship Programme for early-career researchers, and building a more active online community that connects members throughout the year.  Delia Balaban would take the lead on the Mentorship Programme, while Kilian Buehling would focus particularly on the section’s communication infrastructure and digital presence.

The team also proposes an Interim Conference in Cluj-Napoca in 2027, hosted by Babeș-Bolyai University, subject to approval by the membership and ECREA.

The election will take place at the ECC 2026 Conference in Brno, Czech Republic, during the Political Communication Section Business Meeting on Thursday, 10 Sep 2026, 12:45 – 13:30, FSS | Aula. Only attending ECREA Political Communication Section Members are allowed to vote.

You can read the candidates’ full statements below and learn more about their plans for the Political Communication Section.