Federica Grisoni
Born in Como, Italy, Federica has always had a deep passion for learning new languages, exploring different cultures, and travelling the world. These interests have not only shaped her personal life but also influenced her professional journey, driving her to seek meaningful connections across borders. With a background in tourism management and human resources, Federica began her career in the corporate world, where she gained valuable experience in both business operations and people management. Her work in human resources allowed her to focus on the human aspect of organizations, including talent management, employee engagement, and creating inclusive environments. This combination of skills has played a significant role in both her professional and personal endeavors.
Beyond her corporate career, she has been actively involved in community initiatives, particularly in supporting refugees. Through her family and associations such as RefugeesWelcome and Como Accoglie, she has been engaged in projects that support refugees in finding temporary housing and, more importantly, in connecting with local communities. These initiatives have allowed her to provide refugees with essential support while fostering connections that ease their transition and promote social cohesion. The values that drive Federica align closely with those of EFA, particularly the principles of linguistic and social justice. She is a strong advocate for restoring dignity and equality for all people, believing that these values should be at the core of social and economic policies.
Paul Butcher
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Paul has lived in several countries across Europe including England, Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Prior to joining EFA, he worked in the European Policy Centre (EPC), an independent Brussels-based think tank, for four years working on issues relating to EU enlargement, citizens’ participation and countering disinformation. In 2014, following the referendum on Scottish independence, he worked as a trainee for Alyn Smith MEP in the European Parliament.
Having studied European languages and cultures, with a particular focus on the Balkans and Central Europe, Paul has a strong interest in securing a diverse and respectful EU by representing the interests of stateless and minority peoples across Europe. He is also interested in the impact of digital technology on political campaigning, communication and public debate.
Marina Vinardell i Trota
Born in 1996 in the Catalan city of Girona, Marina is a journalist and political scientist. Before joining EFA, she worked as a local journalist for the newspaper Diari de Girona in her hometown. While studying a Master in Political Philosophy, she also became deeply interested in the topics of nationalism and identity and how to develop a cívic conception of the nation from progressive values. She speaks Catalan, Spanish, English and German.
She has also been involved in the Catalan self-determination movement. In this sense, she joined in 2014 Jovent Republicà, the youth organization of Esquerra Republicana political party, and also Esquerra Republicana in 2018. As Regional Spokesperson in the Girona area for Jovent Republicà, she has contributed to developing the self-determination movement in the region.
Llŷr Williams
Born in Haverfordwest, Wales ; Llŷr has been an active member of Plaid Cymru for many years, as a regional activist, an election candidate twice, and as a member of the executive of Plaid Ifanc, the party’s youth section. It was during his 4 years as International Officer of Plaid Ifanc that Llŷr gained an interest in self-determination and autonomy movements across Europe.
Prior to joining EFA, Llŷr was the Secretary-General of EFAY from 2019 to 2022 and was responsible for external communications. He has recently qualified with a Masters in Translation and Interpreting and has a keen interest in multilingual communication, linguistic rights, and campaigning. Llŷr speaks Welsh, English, French, German, Spanish and Catalan.
Nicolò Vernaci
Born in 1996 in Reggio Emilia, Nicolo' was involved from a young age in various projects and associations such as Libera against the mafias and Arte Migrante, an organization with the goal of helping foreign people in his city with economic and inclusion aids.
Nicolo' decided to study Economics and later International Cooperation and Development in Milan for five years. After his academic career, he started to work abroad for an NGO raising awareness of sustainability and environmental protection among teenagers first, and then to accept an opportunity at the European Parliament in the team of Sabrina Pignedoli, famous for her fight
against criminal organizations.
Nicolo' has always sought to combine his sociopolitical and economic skills, which is why he decided to join the EFA team in an economic role where he also shares EFA's values of self-determination and minority inclusion.
Pedro Moço
Born in Montijo, Portugal, Pedro has been involved since a young age in the political and cultural life of his city, Today he is an independent member of the Socialist Party Group of Montijo’s Civil Parish Council where he stands for young people and progressive ideas. He’s also a member of SCUPA, a fisherman and cultural cooperative association where he helps to keep traditions while supporting the community and helping them to have an important role in fighting river pollution.
He studied Art and History and therefore he has since been really interested in geopolitical events. He graduated with a specialization in Photography and Graphic Design and worked at the Monstra Lisbon Animation Festival and a local company, Aldeana Craft Beer, where his interest in culture and entrepreneurism grew. He holds a Master's Degree in Advertising where he studied the importance of color and design on Political Communication. He’s currently researching for a Communication PhD at ISCTE on the topic of how emotional triggers can boost the voting decision. In 2020 he moved to Brussels as a Schuman trainee at the European Parliament until 2021 when he worked as an external consultant for the European Commission and for the Joint Research Centre in Ispra.
In his demand to mix his studies with real-time problems and work for European citizens, he joined EFA as a Digital Content Creator where he stands up for a more progressive, democratic, and greener Europe.