IMPORTANT : To register, send an email to alexis2025[at]contest.blue-europe.eu with “Registration for 2025-2026 competition” in the subject line, including a brief 250-500 word abstract and a provisional title for your paper, and proof of academic enrolment/recent degree. We’ll send you the URL for registration once the theme is accepted.
Blue Europe, a think tank focused on fostering connections between Western, Central and Eastern Europe, is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 “Alexis de Tocqueville” contest. This year’s competition honours Alexis de Tocqueville a French political thinker, historian, and statesman, best known for his profound analyses of democracy and society. Born into an aristocratic family in 1805, he lived through the turbulent years of post-revolutionary France, which deeply shaped his intellectual curiosity about liberty, equality, and political institutions. His most famous work, De la démocratie en Amérique (Democracy in America, 1835–1840), remains one of the most influential studies of modern democracy. Based on his travels across the United States in the early 1830s, Tocqueville observed the workings of American democracy at the local, regional, and national levels. He highlighted both its strengths — civic engagement, local self-government, and the balance of liberty with equality — and its dangers, such as the “tyranny of the majority” and the potential erosion of individual freedoms. Tocqueville’s analysis went far beyond America: he used the U.S. experience as a lens to understand the broader future of democratic societies in Europe and beyond.
Alexis de Tocqueville
Objective
In the spirit of de Tocqueville’s legacy, the contest will be opened to US and Canadian students for the first time. We aim to encourage scholarly exchanges and deepen understanding of Central-Eastern Europe (CEE). This contest is open to all EU/EEA, UK, US and Canadian Bachelor, Master and Doctoral students,[1] as well as recent graduates who obtained their degree in the last three years (up until 2023).
We invite scholars from the selected countries to submit papers that explore the dynamic relationships between European regions – particularly with CEE – focusing on industrial, technological, political, or cultural exchanges. Selected works will be featured on Blue Europe’s website, contributing to our mission of enhancing public awareness of European issues and fostering dialogue and cooperation. We believe it is a great opportunity for scholars and young researchers to showcase their knowledge and increase their visibility.
Award
Authors of papers that are successfully accepted into the competition will receive a certificate of participation, which will include the evaluation of their work. As mentioned above, selected papers will also be published on the Blue Europe website and will be eligible for a cash prize. This year, we are offering two cash prizes to the authors of the two best papers that receive the highest marks from the jury. We will award:
- A prize of 2000€ for the article with the highest score from the jury;
- A prize of 500€ for the article with the second highest score from the judges.
Papers will be evaluated by a panel of experts based on originality, clarity, depth of analysis, and relevance to the mission of Blue Europe.
Please make sure you read the full rules here.
Conditions
As mentioned, this contest is open to all European, US and Canadian students, as well as recent graduates who obtained their degree after 2023. Proof of academic enrolment is required. While not compulsory, scholars from Western Europe and North America are invited to write about continental and intercontinental relations with a focus on CEE, while scholars from Central and Eastern Europe are encouraged to engage specific topics related to CEE.
Individuals may submit more than one paper to the competition, but only one will be eligible to be promoted to the final round. Submissions must be original, unpublished works that have not been submitted to other competitions or journals. Authors must ensure their submissions do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.
To be admitted to the contest and be eligible for the award, contributions must have a minimum of 3,000 words, written in either English, French or Polish. All contributions must also adhere to a formal academic style, with proper citations and references according to the Chicago Manual of Style (both Author-Date and Note-Bibliography stiles are accepted).
Original articles may be submitted on any subject among the following areas: Economy and Trade, Industry and Business, Political Science and Governance, International Relations and Cooperation, Geopolitics, Sociology, Law, Environmental Studies and Climate Policy, Innovation and Technology, Energy and Sustainability, Demographic Studies, Public Policy and Administration, Regional Development and Urban Planning. Nevertheless, contributions must deal with – at least partially – Central and Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, contributions must deal with – at least partially – Central and Eastern Europe.[2]
For more information, make sure to check the full rules here.
Dates and Registration
Key deadlines for Blue Europe 2025-2026 “Alexis de Tocqueville” contest include:
- 01/09/2025 Contest beginning
- 31/03/2026 DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
- 31/06/2026 Deadline for paper submission
- 31/08/2026 Winners’ announcement
To register, send an email to alexis2025[at]contest.blue-europe.eu with “Registration for 2025-2026 competition” in the subject line, including a brief 250-500 word abstract and a provisional title for your paper, a brief presentation of yourself, and proof of academic enrolment/recent degree.
Disclosure
Blue Europe is an independent, non-profit and privately funded think tank based in Luxembourg, France and Poland made up of several organization and experts working together. It has no political stance and refuses to take any, preferring to offer data-driven expert opinions and analyses.
Endnotes
- The contest is also open to citizens and residents of the United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus*, Russia*, Georgia, Armenia* and Azerbaijan* (* = Special conditions apply, see the full rules for more information). ↑
- By Central and Eastern Europe, Blue Europe indicates these countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Georgia. ↑
