Political science mourns the loss of Leonardo Morlino

On 17 June 2025, the political science community lost Leonardo Morlino, a leading comparativist in the Italian and European political science communities. Leonardo served as President of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) from 2006−2009.

A remarkable career

Born on 28 June 1947, Leonardo earned his PhD in political science from the University of Naples in 1970 and went on to study at Yale University, the Cini Foundation in Venice, and the Centro di Studi Economico e Sociali in Milan.

He held faculty positions at the University of Florence and LUISS Guido Carli University, and visiting posts at Stanford, Oxford, the Juan March Institute in Madrid and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris.

At the time of his death he was Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Director of the Research Center on Democracies and Democratizations at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome.

Leonardo is the author of over 45 books, including Political Science: A Global Perspective; Comparison: A Methodological Introduction for the Social Sciences and Equality, Freedom, and Democracy: Europe after the Great Recession. 

A pioneer in the field

Leonardo’s research spanned Southern and Eastern Europe, with a focus on democratisation, the quality of democracy, and the role of international actors in democratic transitions. In 1992 − a time at which perspectives from Northern and Western Europe dominated ECPR scholarship − he founded one of our first Standing Groups, in Southern European Politics. More than three decades on, this thriving Group has built a durable network of more than 350 scholars working in the field.

Leonardo Morlino leaves an impressive and multi-dimensional academic legacy, of which ECPR’s SG-SEP is proud to be part.

ECPR extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.