Blanche Leridon

Blanche Leridon is Director of French Studies at Institut Montaigne, specializing in democratic and institutional issues.

She first joined Institut Montaigne in 2015. Between 2018 and 2021, she held several positions within ministerial offices: working with the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, where she dealt withr parliamentary issues, equal opportunities, and culture; or the President of the National Assembly from 2018 to 2020, where she advised the President on culture and education issues.

At Institut Montaigne, she leads several initiatives on democracy and populism in France and Europe. Her research focuses on democratic transformations, the future of intermediary bodies, political communication, and political discourse. On Expressions, she publishes a new episode of “Decoding France” every month, analyzing French political news for an international audience. At Institut Montaigne, she has authored several policy papers and reports (notably: "L'après 2024 : crépuscule ou renouveau démocratique ?", "Union européenne : portée et limites des nationaux-populistes", "Corps intermédiaires : accords perdus de la démocratie ?"). She regularly contributes to several media outlets and makes occasional appearances on Arte's 28 Minutes, France Culture L'Esprit Public, and France 5 C ce soir.

Blanche Leridon lectures at Sciences Po on the evolution of political discourse under the Fifth Republic. At the Institut Montaigne, she leads several initiatives on democracy and populism.Her research themes include democratic mutations, the future of intermediary bodies, political communication and discourse. She is the author of two essays: Odyssées Ordinaires, published by Éditions Bouquins in February 2022, and Le château de mes sœurs, published by Éditions Les Pérégrines in August 2024, which won the 2024 Psychologies Essay Prize.

She holds a master's degree in Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris. Before joining Sciences Po, she studied literature in a preparatory class and history at UCL (University College London).