Ilke Toygür

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program
Ilke Toygür

Ilke Toygür is a senior associate (non-resident) with the Center of Strategic and International Studies' Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, director of the Global Policy Center, and professor of European politics at the School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs at IE University. She also serves as an elected board member of the Trans European Policy Studies Association in Brussels, has been a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations Council since April 2025, and has served as a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges since September 2025. Dr. Toygür began her professional career in 2008 at the Economic Development Foundation, a leading research institute specializing in European Union affairs, and completed her PhD in political science at the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2016. Her doctoral research examined the impact of European integration on voting behavior and party system change in Western Europe during periods of crisis. In 2015, she was awarded a Mercator-IPC Fellowship at the Istanbul Policy Center, followed by a Mercator Fellowship in Germany in 2024. She has held positions at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Brussels, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, the European University Institute, the University of Mannheim, and the Brookings Institution. She holds BA and MA degrees in economics and an MA in democracy and government. Her work focuses on European integration, geopolitics, democracy in Western Europe, and transatlantic relations and has been published in outlets including Carnegie Europe, GMF, the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Der Spiegel, and El País.

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Unpacking the European Parliament Election Results

Europeans in 27 countries just elected a new European Parliament in one of the world’s largest democratic exercises.  After far-right parties saw big gains and rattled several national governments, CSIS experts unpack the implications for Europe and transatlantic relations.

Event — June 17, 2024

Audio Briefs

What’s at Stake with the 2024 European Parliament Elections

An audio version of “What’s at Stake with the 2024 European Parliament Elections,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Donatienne Ruy, Sissy Martinez, Federico Steinberg, R. Daniel Kelemen, Ilke Toygür, and Mathieu Droin. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Donatienne Ruy, Sissy Martinez, Federico Steinberg, R. Daniel Kelemen, Ilke Toygür, and Mathieu Droin — June 5, 2024

Audio Briefs

What’s at Stake with the 2024 European Parliament Elections

Europeans will soon head to the polls to cast a vote for their representatives in the European Parliament. The makeup of the body will determine the direction of several key areas of EU policy: security and defense, rule of law, economic security, and foreign policy.

Commentary by Donatienne Ruy, Sissy Martinez, Federico Steinberg, R. Daniel Kelemen, Ilke Toygür, and Mathieu Droin — June 4, 2024

The Granada Summit of the European Political Community: Ambition or Oblivion?

The third summit of the European Political Community in Granada might not deliver spectacular outcomes and is held amid a very tense context in the wider Europe, but this informal platform for leaders remains relevant to build strategic convergence on shared challenges.

Commentary by Mathieu Droin and Ilke Toygür — October 4, 2023

The European Union's Enlargement Conundrum

Please join the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program on 7/6 at 1 p.m. EDT for a discussion on the European Union's enlargement policy and the prospect of Ukraine's accession.

Event — July 6, 2023

The Chisinau Summit: A Litmus Test for Moldova and the EPC

The stakes are high for the upcoming Summit of the European Political Community, which is being held in Moldova on June 1. It is a political blessing but a logistical challenge for the small country, and the platform must confirm its added value and strategic role.

Commentary by Mathieu Droin and Ilke Toygür — May 26, 2023

A Continent Forged in Crisis: Assessing Europe One Year into the War

Europe's response to the war in Ukraine has been strong and unified. However, comprehensive structural changes to Europe's economy and security architecture have yet to materialize. Significant changes lie ahead for Europe and its allies in the years to come. 

Report by Max Bergmann, Ilke Toygür, and Otto Svendsen — February 16, 2023