Sielke Kelner currently works as researcher and advocacy officer for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT). She holds a PhD in International History and has completed her postdoc at Leiden University. Having worked on Romania's migration diplomacy during the Cold War and the role of local and international civil society in influencing the collapse of the Communist regime, her research interests include Central and Eastern Europe, and the role of transnational actors in promoting democratic processes and human rights. She cultivates a passion for public policy as well and was a Blue Book Trainee at the EU Commission in 2019. Since 2022, she has been an OBCT researcher and advocacy officer focusing on the Media Freedom Rapid Response mechanism.