ECoD Experts’ Jury

Bruno Kaufmann
Chair of the Experts’ Jury

Democracy International

Bruno Kaufmann is a political scientist who has served in local governments, advised national governments and international organisations.

He is also author of various publications about direct democracy and as correspondent and editor-in-chief he is covering democratic affairs around the world.

As President of the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe (IRI Europe), Bruno leads the organisation towards its mission of researching and educating on procedures and practices of modern Direct Democracy.

Antonella Valmorbida,
Deputy Chair of the Experts’ Jury

ALDA Europe

Antonella Valmorbida serves as Secretary General of ALDA since 1999, has a senior experience in promoting local democracy, empowerment and participation of civil society, and good governance in Europe, in the Balkans, in Eastern Europe, and in the Mediterranean area. She is a senior consultant on local development with a focus on the implementation of participatory processes for urban regeneration. She manages a network of 350 members mainly composed of local authorities and civil society groups, in over 40 countries in Europe and beyond.

Antonella is President of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and Member of the Advisory Board of Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development, Armenia.

Sanja Bojanić

University of Rijeka

Sanja Bojanić holds a PhD in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Paris 8.

Her research spans experimental art, queer studies, and Affect Theory. She has worked at prestigious institutions like the Louvre and the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme.

Sanja has mentored gender, education, and poverty projects supported by the Swiss Agency for Higher Education.

In 2014, she initiated a Family-School Partnership project in Serbia and Vojvodina, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of CAS SEE at the University of Rijeka.

Paulina Fröhlich

Bertelsmann Foundation

Paulina Fröhlich is Senior Expert for Democracy and Cohesion at the German Bertelsmann Foundation, covering Democratic Resilience, Democracy Reforms, Democratic Policy and Dealing with Radical Populist Forces.

After studying geography, Islamic studies, and water management, Paulina Fröhlich co-founded and served as press spokesperson for the Kleiner Fünf initiative – a civil society movement that uses “radical politeness” to empower people to respond decisively and respectfully to radical populist slogans. Since 2018, she has worked at the Berlin-based think tank Das Progressive Zentrum, heading the Resilient Democracy program area and, for the past three years, also served on the management board. From 2019 to 2025, she was responsible for the major conference “Innocracy” on democratic resilience.

Dr. Haris Piplas

Drees & Sommer, Switzerland

Dr. Haris Piplas is an expert in urban and architectural projects, including initiatives in Zürich, Mannheim, Jakarta, Ukraine, and Berlin. He leads Drees&Sommer’s “Integrated Urban Solutions” division, focusing on urban planning, energy, mobility, and public spaces.

Haris holds a Dr.sc. in Architecture from ETH Zurich, where he lectures on Spatial Transformations, and teaches at Stuttgart Technical University. He co-authored Global Urban Toolbox and City Action Lab, addressing urban challenges.

He curated the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale pavilion, served as ULI Switzerland’s Young Leader Chairman, and is a juror for the New European Bauhaus and ULI Awards. Haris advises organizations such as WEF, GIZ, and UN-Habitat.