Lucas van Straalen

I had the privilege to attend the LSE in 2021 and 2022 as part of the dual degree programme in European Affairs with Sciences Po Paris. I was immensely looking forward to diving into the theoretical and empirical intersection between politics and economics during the MSc Political Economy of Europe at the LSE. It was a dream come true to submerge myself in the academic and cultural powerhouse of the LSE and London, learning more about the political economic drivers and consequences of our European project. The amazing diversity, wit and grit of the city and people have made my time at the European Institute truly unforgettable: profoundly and positively changing my life.

From the onset of my undergraduate studies in Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, the dialectic between politics and economics has always fascinated me, even more so at a European level. Twenty-seven national cultures - similar and different in so many ways - coming together in a massive collective effort to address the key challenges of our time, from the climate crisis to demographic change and a shifting geopolitical balance. While writing my LSE dissertation on the European and national drivers and obstacles to Capital Markets Union, I decided to apply for a job that would allow me to work at the intersection of European policy, economics, and cultures.

Since September 2022, I have been working with great pleasure at FleishmanHillard Brussels, now as a Senior Account Executive connecting policymakers and financial sector stakeholders over European banking and sustainable finance policy and regulation. Living and working in the capital of the EU allows me to remain in touch with the many different cultures that Europe and the world has to offer - and, let's face it, of course live very close to Amsterdam, Paris, and London :).