Francesco Trupia is Adjunct at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, and postdoctoral researcher at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest. His research focuses on the intersections of democracy, memory politics and minority groups in Southeast and Eastern Europe. After obtaining his PhD in Political Philosophy from the Sofia University Saint Kliment Ohridski, he has conducted his postdoctoral research at the Centre for Migration Research at the University of Warsaw, the Centre of Political History at the University of Antwerp, and at Humboldt University in Berlin. Francesco has also worked as a policy analyst for the Institute of European Democrats in Brussels, the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society in Pristina, the Caucasus Resource Research Centre in Yerevan. He is the author of “Islamophobia in European Cities: Solidarities, Responses and Dilemmas for Young Balkan Muslims” (Routledge 2025), “The Balkans and Palestine: Old Frictions, New Convergences” (Palgrave 2025) and “Rethinking Subalternity in Central-East Europe” (Transnational Press London).
This policy study highlights the intersection of gentrification and the rise of the far right in gentrified and contested cities, departing from the observation that the current housing crises play a critical role in the rise of far-right sentiments in urban areas. It explores how broader urban challenges facing the EU are played out at the junction of gentrification, socio-economic inequalities and social fragmentation.
These dynamics have disproportionately impacted marginalised communities by shrinking their spaces of political participation while simultaneously creating fertile ground for support for far-right actors.
To address these issues, the policy study advocates for local, national and European Union level policy interventions aimed at counteracting the adverse effects of gentrification, improving the availability and accessibility of housing, and revitalising communities.
Academic Mentor: Carlo D'Ippoliti, professor of political economy at Sapienza University of Rome
Political Mentor: Irene Tinagli, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the EP HOUS Sub Commitee
