EBS: Congratulations, Luisa! What does it mean to you to have been accepted as a Friedrich Naumann Foundation scholarship holder?

Luisa Zöllner: Thank you very much! I am overjoyed and also very proud to have made it. Over 1000 students and doctoral candidates apply in each selection round, of which only around 100-150 receive funding in the end. I am therefore aware that the funding is a great privilege, and I am very grateful that I can once again be part of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

EBS: What makes the Friedrich Naumann Foundation sponsorship special? What advantages does it offer you?

Luisa Zöllner: The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is a liberal political foundation that is committed to political education, political dialogue and political consulting in Germany and around the world. The foundation is in contact with more than 60 countries and is also represented locally in some of them with foreign offices. It is particularly committed to promoting democracy at home and abroad. Young people are also encouraged to play an active role in shaping political events, which is why students and doctoral candidates are supported as part of the scholarship programme.

EBS: Why did you apply for this scholarship and what particularly appealed to you?

Luisa Zöllner: I had already been a student scholarship holder at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and was keen to apply there again for my doctorate. The support and values of the foundation have enriched me both academically and personally. I really enjoyed the fascinating seminars and the great network of scholarship holders. You get a lot of support and the opportunity for personal and academic development. You can also become active yourself and get involved in the foundation.
 

EBS: Can you tell us a little about the application process? What were the most important milestones?

Luisa Zöllner: Firstly, you have to submit a written application. This mainly includes an exposé of the doctoral project, reviews from university lecturers and answers to various questions about your motivation for the application. If you are successful, you will be invited to a selection interview before a selection committee for 30-45 minutes. In preparation for this, I worked intensively on my exposé and possible questions about my dissertation topic. I also analysed current events in law and politics.

EBS: Who supported you during the application process?

Luisa Zöllner: Primarily, the active support given to me by my great team at the Chair, consisting of my doctoral supervisor Prof Dr Goldhammer and my colleague Nicholas Lorenz. They helped me both emotionally and professionally throughout the entire application process, for which I am extremely grateful! In addition, Mrs Nolte, the head of EBS funding, was able to give me valuable tips for my application and selection interview. Finally, my friend Daniel Verres always encouraged me and supported me during the long preparation period.

EBS: Can you briefly explain your research topic "The normativity of the informal" for a non-legal audience? 

Luisa Zöllner: My topic "The normativity of the informal" deals with organisational and procedural rules of the constitution, which by their nature lie between law and politics. These rules cannot be regulated by laws because they are too inflexible and cannot adapt quickly to the realities in parliament. On the one hand, informal rules cannot be legally enforced in court; on the other hand, they have a certain politically binding effect between the parliamentary players. They are therefore complied with on a voluntary basis because there is a basic parliamentary consensus. This can be, for example, political agreements, proportional representation rules or coalition agreements. My research focuses on where there has been a change in this "constitutional culture", especially since the election of the AfD to the Bundestag. I want to work out the conditions under which informal rules function and present solutions on how to deal with a possible end to the principle of consensus.

EBS: What social or political relevance does your research topic have?

Luisa Zöllner: The party-political landscape has changed considerably in recent years. More parties are represented in the Bundestag than in the past and their programmes are extremely divergent. This reflects society, in which there are now many different opinions and political currents. The question now is how to deal with this politically, but also socially, and whether cooperation and a "common denominator" is still possible at all. My research may also be able to provide answers to this.

EBS: How did the Foundation support you during your studies, and how does this support look now in your doctoral phase?

Luisa Zöllner: During my studies, I already took advantage of many of the programmes offered by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, especially by participating in seminars and workshops and networking in the regional groups. I was also able to spend time abroad at the Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia thanks to the Foundation's support and was always very well looked after by the staff and liaison lecturers. As with the degree programme, there is financial support for the doctorate. The doctoral programme also includes extensive non-material support through workshops, training courses and seminars on current scientific and skills-oriented areas such as scientific writing, presenting scientific results, career planning and project management. In addition, grants are awarded for stays abroad for research, field and archive work as well as conference participation. The foundation also offers a special programme for doctoral students, such as writing workshops, doctoral seminars and a doctoral network.

EBS: What advice do you have for students who would like to apply for a doctoral scholarship?

Luisa Zöllner: Don’t hesitate to do it! In my experience, many people underestimate their own possibilities and potential. If you have a doctoral topic that you are convinced of, you can be confident about it. Find out which scholarship programme suits you personally, because there really are countless different foundations that offer such a programme. Besides, you have nothing to lose - after all, nothing more can happen that being rejected. The foundations are happy to receive every application - especially for doctoral funding.

EBS: What are your next steps in your doctorate and beyond?

Luisa Zöllner: Of course, my primary goal is to make progress with my dissertation. I'm trying to see the small successes and make progress every day. I'll soon be presenting the results I have reached so far at the EBS doctoral colloquium, which will certainly give me more helpful input. I would also really like to complete a research stay abroad. At the same time, I would like to become actively involved in the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom's network of scholarship holders in the near future. I don't yet know exactly what I want to do after my dissertation. I would prefer to start by travelling and then probably start my traineeship.

EBS: Thank you very much for the interview and all the best!