Im not sure id call her that progressive, doesn't she badly punish the elves if they protest about their bann getting murdered by humans?
No, that's because of a food shortage if the slavers are shut down in Denerim, but that's why I see Queen Anora with King Alistair as the best solution - since they have their own strengths, and make up for the weaknesses of the other. Anora has ambitions to build a university and has plans to refill the royal coffers, while Alistair is willing to go the step further by naming the local elder to his personal court, despite the scandal it causes among the humans, which prevents any riot among the elves (likely because there's no food shortage as a result of the elves finally having a voice).
Shianni, as Bann, gets murdered, but the crackdown that ensues happens no matter who the ruler is. The most optimal choice is for the Elven Warden to become the new Bann of the Alienage: “With [The Elven Warden] as their new voice, the elves became prosperous in a way they had never known... enough to draw elves from nearby lands, desperate for real hope. The influx built ire among the human population and eventually resulted in a riot in Denerim, showing that as much as things change, they always stay the same.”