Dr. Sabina Lange
Director
In addition to leading Think Europe, Dr. Sabina Lange is associate professor of international relations at the University of Ljubljana and senior lecturer at the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA). read more...
Her main research area is EU decision-making and inter-institutional relations, particularly in the field of external action and in connection with delegated and implementing acts.
Since 2009, she has trained officials from member states in programs to prepare for future rotating Council presidencies and regularly trains the staff of European institutions and European External Action Service (EEAS) on decision-making processes and working methods. She has also worked as a consultant for the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions and the EEAS.
Prior to joining EIPA, she was at CEPS in Brussels and at the IBEI of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She was also (Senior) Associate Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, focusing on the institutional aspects of EU’s External Action and on the Western Balkans.
Dr. Lange has published books, scientific articles, book chapters, and think-tank contributions on the EU Council, the role of the rotating Council presidency, delegated and implementing acts, and institutional issues of EU external action. She also works on security and foreign policy related to the Western Balkans, as well as on Slovenian foreign and European policy.
Zoran Nechev
Policy analysis and Advocacy
Zoran Nechev leads activities related to the Western Balkans at the Think Europe Institute. His research primarily focuses on the relationship between the region and the EU, enlargement policy, and the influence of external actors. read more...
Since July 2021, he has been an associate at the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at DGAP, where he researches the external dimensions of justice and home affairs, corrosive and constructive capital, and harmful influences.
Additionally, he collaborates with the Center for EU Integration at the Institute for Democracy, a think tank based in North Macedonia, and is an active member of the Europe’s Future Alumni Network at ERSTE Stiftung/Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen and the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG). Previously, as an academic guest at ETH Zürich, he studied the effects of the EU’s conditionality policy, and at the EU Institute for Security Studies, he participated in projects related to global strategy, resilience, and the future of the Balkans. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the Institute for European Studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.
Špela Majcen Marušič
Strategic Communication
Špela Majcen Marušič leads strategic communications for the Think Europe, ensuring the right audience receives key messages at the right time and in a format they best understand. read more...
She also advises Slovenian public and private organizations on EU policies and relations with key stakeholders at the EU level.
In the past, she has worked on communicating broader European topics, from general EU policies, migration issues, and environmental problems to digitalization. Among other roles, she worked as an advisor to a Member of the European Parliament on energy efficiency, research, and innovation, as well as EU external relations. Until recently, she led EU-level activities for the Login5 Foundation, which focuses on sustainable agriculture.
Advisory board
Dragan Barbutovski
Dragan Barbutovski is one of the founders of Think Europe. He has over two decades of experience in EU and political communication, public diplomacy, EU public affairs, campaign design and stakeholder engagement, as well as EU project management. His career spans roles in Slovenia and internationally, including postings in Brussels, Kosovo and Georgia.
In December 2022, he joined the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs as Head of the Strategic Communication Service, following his tenure as Government Communication Director. He is currently serving as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Slovenia in Manila, having previously acted as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. for six months and overseen the opening of Slovenia’s only diplomatic mission in South-East Asia.
Dr. Denis Mancevič
Dr. Denis Mancevič is the director and co-founder of the consulting and communications company NC3 d.o.o. He earned his doctorate in social sciences in 2013 and completed an Executive MBA program in 2018. In his professional career, he has worked in diplomacy and business, holding leadership positions within the SIJ Group from 2014 to 2017. Later, he co-founded and served as director of the integrated communications agency Herman & partnerji (2019–2022). He has experience in managing complex strategic communication projects, serving on supervisory boards, and is a regular columnist, mentor, and lecturer.
Dr. Sabina Lange
Dr. Sabina Lange leads the Think Europe Institute. She is Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana and Senior Lecturer at the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA). Her work focuses on EU decision-making and interinstitutional relations. She has published on the EU Council, rotating presidencies, EU institutional affairs, and EU foreign and security policy, particularly related to the Western Balkans and Slovenia’s European policy.