Zarife Gagica

Zarife Gagica has been an advisor in the Executive Board Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and deputy head of the Executive Staff since December 1, 2024. She initially reported to the Deputy Secretary General and, since January 2026, to the Secretary General.

Prior to that, she spent four and a half years as an advisor for Central and Eastern Europe in the Europe/North America Division. From July 2019 to June 2020, she worked as a research associate and project coordinator in the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Rule of Law Program for Southeast Europe, based in Bucharest.

From 2008 to 2019, she worked as a staff member in the offices of members of the German Bundestag. There, she handled various policy areas and parliamentary committees.

Zarife Gagica studied linguistics, literature, and political science at the University of Konstanz, the Free University of Berlin, and Nipissing University in North Bay, Canada.

In addition to her professional work, Ms. Gagica is actively involved in civil society. She is the founder of several organizations dedicated to promoting democracy and youth development, as well as preventing extremism.