Born and raised in Montevideo (Uruguay), Daniel received Ph.D at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he taught the courses “Legitimacy in International Relations” and “Introduction to IR”, while serving as general-secretary of the Israeli Association for International Studies. His research agenda includes legitimacy studies, conflict resolution, regional cooperation, and populist foreign policies, focusing on their interplay in Latin America and the Middle East. His articles were published in International Studies Quarterly, Foreign Policy Analysis, Journal of International Relations & Development, Latin American Research Review, Regional & Federal Studies, and Diplomacy & Statecraft.

Research Interests

• Legitimacy / Legitimation in International Relations
• Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
• Regional Cooperation and Integration
• Populist Foreign Policies
• Latin American and Middle Eastern Politics

Current Research Projects at Scripts
He is currently working on the research project “Delegitimizing International Institutions: How Global Populism Challenges the Liberal Order Script”, seeking to contribute to the growing debate about the patterns of contemporary global populism and its potential implications for the legitimacy and performativity of the liberal script (Börzel & Zürn 2020:12-6). Drawing on his previous work on the dynamics of international legitimation, populist foreign policies, and the transnational sources and patterns of legitimization of contemporary populism, for this new research he explores the impact of the populist (de)legitimization of the ‘international institutions’ of the liberal world order established after World War II and consolidated in the Post-Cold War era. To this end, he compares several current cases of populist (de)legitimation strategies around the world and scrutinize their political and institutional effects on the 'international society'. In addition, he is developing a secondary postdoctoral project called “Contested Regional Legitimizers: Latin American ROs 'Battling' for Venezuela.”

Monographs

• Kacowicz, AM, Lacowsky, E, Sasson, K & Wajner, DF Unintended Consequences of Peace? Peaceful Borders and Illicit Transnational Flows, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (forthcoming).

Peer-reviewed Articles

• Wajner, DF 'Exploring the Foreign Policy of Populist Regimes: (Latin) America First', Journal of International Relations and Development (forthcoming).
• Haftel, Y, Wajner, DF & Eran, D 'The Short and Long(er) of It: The Effect of Hard Times on Regional Institutionalization', International Studies Quarterly (forthcoming).
• Kacowicz, AM, Lacowsky, E & Wajner DF 'Peaceful Borders and Illicit Transnational Flows in the Americas', Latin American Research Review, vol. 55, no. 4 (forthcoming 2020).
• Wajner, DF 2019, ' ‘Battling’ for Legitimacy: Analyzing Performative Contests in the ‘Gaza Flotilla’ Paradigmatic Case'. International Studies Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 1035-50.
• Wajner, DF 2019, 'Learning for Legitimacy: The Gaza Flotilla Case of Meaningful Learning in Foreign-Policy Strategic Planning'. Foreign Policy Analysis, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 548-569.
• Wajner, DF & Roniger, L 2019, 'Transnational Identity Politics in the Americas: Reshaping ‘Nuestramerica’ as Chavismo’s regional legitimation strategy'. Latin American Research Review, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 458-475.
• Wajner, DF & Kacowicz, AM 2018, 'The Quest for Regional Legitimation: Analyzing the Arab League’s legitimizing role in the Arab Spring'. Regional and Federal Studies, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 489-521.
• Wajner, DF 2017, 'Grassroots Diplomacy in Battles for Legitimacy: The Transnational Advocacy Network for the Brazilian Recognition of the Palestinian State', Diplomacy and Statecraft, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 128-51.

Chapters in Edited Volumes

• Wajner, DF 'Populism and Legitimacy: Exploring the International Legitimation Strategies of Contemporary Populist Governments', In: Wiesehomeier, N, Hawkins, K & Chryssogelos, A (eds.) The Ideational Approach to Populism: Consequences and Mitigation.
• Kacowicz, AM & Wajner, DF 'Alternative World Orders in an Age of Globalization: Latin American Scenarios and Responses'. In: Acharya, A & Tussie, D (eds.) Latin America in Global International Relations, London: Routledge (forthcoming).
• Kacowicz, AM, Lacowsky, E & Wajner, DF 'Israel-Latin American Relations: What Has Changed in the Last Decade and Why'. In: Gardini G-L (ed.) Extra-hemispheric powers in Latin America, London: Routledge (forthcoming February 2021).
• Wajner, DF 2019, 'Making (Latin) America Great Again: Lessons from Neo-Populist Foreign Policies in the Americas'. In: Nabers, D, Stengel, F & MacDonald, DB (eds.) Populism and World Politics: Exploring Inter- and Transnational Dimensions, Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 195-225.
• Haftel, YZ & Wajner, DF 2018, 'Economic Growth and the Institutionalization of Regional Economic Organizations'. In: Fine, R, Kacowicz, AM & Press-Barnathan, G (eds.) The Relevance of Regions in a Globalized World: A Multi-disciplinary Approach, London: Routledge, pp. 32-48.
• Wajner, DF 2016, 'The 'Responsibility to Protect': Philosophical Foundations, Competing Norms and New Challenges' [Spanish]. In: Bonilla Saus, J & Isern Munne, P (eds.) Libertades, Derechos, Contratos y Ciudadanias, Biblios, pp. 249-274.

Other Articles and Policy Papers

• 2017, 'The populist threat: Interview to Daniel Wajner', [Spanish] Diálogo Político, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 8-13.
• Wajner, DF 2016, 'The negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur towards an Association Agreement: Time to (finally) formalize the relationship?' [Spanish], Tribuna SEGIB (Ibero-American General Secretariat), September.
• Wajner, DF 2016, 'The Imminent Era of Latin-American Neo-Progressivism' [Spanish], Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica, January 28.