Matteo Mecacci is an international policy and diplomacy expert with more than twenty years of senior executive experience in geopolitics, democracy, human rights, and multilateral affairs, with a particular focus on European security, transatlantic relations, Eurasia, and EU integration processes.
I am honoured to join EPIK at such an important moment for Ukraine and for Europe. EPIK has the ambition and the potential to become a leading platform for serious, innovative and independent policy-oriented analysis and dialogue on Ukraine’s future, European integration, and regional security. I look forward to working with the team and partners across Ukraine, Europe and beyond to help build an institution that is credible, agile, and relevant to decision-makers at a time of profound geopolitical transformation with major implications for Europe’s future. Matteo Mecacci, Director of EPIK
Mecacci also serves as Scientific Advisor at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome. Previously, he led the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), overseeing the organisation’s work on democracy, elections, human rights, and Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Earlier in his career, he worked with international civil society organisations in New York on human rights and international justice advocacy, served as President of the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, D.C., and was a Member of the Italian Parliament.
I am pleased and delighted that Matteo Mecacci has agreed to take up the important position as Director of EPIK. Jakob Hallgren, Director of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Mecacci succeeds Fredrik Wesslau, EPIK’s outgoing director, who led the establishment of the institute in 2025–2026. During his tenure, Wesslau oversaw the institute’s launch, strategic development, partnerships, and policy engagement at a pivotal moment for Ukraine and European security.
It has been a true honour to be EPIK’s founding director and build up an amazing team in Kyiv. Our experts have already demonstrated how EPIK will be at the centre of critical policy discussions about Ukraine’s and Europe’s future. I am sure that EPIK will continue to grow and flourish, in these challenging times. Fredrik Wesslau, Former Director of EPIK
About EPIK
European Policy Institute in Kyiv (EPIK) was officially launched in March 2026. Being the first international think tank established in Ukraine, EPIK serves as an independent hub to bring together policy experts and decision-makers from Ukraine, across Europe, and beyond. The institute aims to add Ukrainian perspectives to pan-European public debates on European security, Ukraine’s EU accession and reforms, and post-war recovery.
Established by the Swedish Institute of International Affairs through Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), EPIK operates as an independent European think tank. EPIK is co-funded by the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
