Nonna Mayer, Doctor Honoris Causa of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

On February 19, 2026, Nonna Mayer, CNRS Emerita Research Professor at the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the oldest and largest Greek University.

In his welcoming address, the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, stated:

“We are here to acknowledge a leading academic whose pioneering work has shaped the field of political sociology.

At a time when European societies face tension, uncertainty and growing polarisation, Professor Nonna Mayer’s work offers something of exceptional value: a sober, evidence-based and methodologically sound understanding of the phenomena that threaten – or reshape – our democracies. 

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Over the course of her professional life, Professor Mayer has devoted herself to studying voting behaviour and political participation, analysing the crucial dynamics that shape modern democracies. Her research sheds light on challenges to social cohesion and democratic resilience, including the rise of populism, the momentum of the radical right, the evolving forms of racism and antisemitism, social inequalities, and the complex relationship between minority and majority communities – phenomena so often oversimplified or ideologically charged. 

Here extensive career in research at the CNRS and Sciences Po’s Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, her leadership as President of the French Association of Political Science, her service on the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, and her active engagement in global scholarly networks and committees rank her among the most respected figures in the social sciences across Europe. 

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For the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens tonight’s conferment carries a deeper significance. Through this act, our institution highlights the vital role of the social and political sciences in understanding and strengthening modern democracies. At the same time, it reaffirms our University’s historic mission as a space for free thought and critical learning, affirming that academic knowledge must engage with the pressing issues of our time with courage, intellectual integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility. “

The Vice President of the Department of Sociology, Αssociate Professor Valia Aranitou, then presented the distinguished career and accomplishments of the honoree, emphasising that “she was among the first social scientists in France to study the electoral base [of the French far right], using both quantitative and qualitative data beyond opinion polls.”

The President of the Department of Sociology, Professor Emmanouil Spyridakis, and the Dean of the School of Economics and Political Sciences, Professor Nikolaos Ιreiotis then proceeded with the Conferring ceremony. 

The ceremony ended with a lecture by Nonna Mayer, entitled: "French Democracy in Distress", based on the content of her recent collective book.