Professor Desrosiers, together with co-author Nic Cheeseman, was recognized for their paper, “Executive Aggrandizement in Africa: Presidential Rule, Term Limits and Democratic Erosion”, which examines the mechanisms by which presidential power is expanded and its effects on democracy. The paper is set to be published in the Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée.
The Robert Elgie Best Paper Prize honors the best paper presented in the ECPR Standing Group on Presidential Politics at the ECPR General Conference. This year’s award highlights work inspired by the late Robert Elgie’s influential research on presidential and semi-presidential politics, including term limits.
The announcement, made in January 2026, underscores the paper’s significant contribution to the study of democratic challenges in Africa, particularly in understanding how executive power can erode institutional checks and balances.
This recognition affirms Professor Desrosiers’ leadership and scholarship in the field of political science, particularly in the study of governance, democracy, and political movements in francophone Africa.