Populism as an opportunity? Greater public participation strengthens democracy
Election results and opinion polls leave no room for doubt. The party system in Germany, which has been the norm for decades, is disintegrating: the long-standing, stable structure, with the CDU/CSU and SPD setting the tone, is a thing of the past. Profound social, societal, economic and environmental changes are taking place in Germany.
Fear of a ‘future of disasters’ is spreading. More and more citizens are doubting that the parties which have set the tone until now have the right answers to these challenges. The former belief in prosperity through growth is rapidly waning. At the same time, fears of loss are on the rise. ‘We can do it’ – those days are gone. The AfD’s successes are the striking result of this prevailing mood across society.
However: there is no need to fear populists. Democracy is certainly resilient. Faith in its ability to steer the country can be revived. But this can only be achieved through tangible experiences of progress. And that requires greater closeness to the public and greater public participation.
Political scientist Prof. Frank Brettschneider will analyse and contextualise the political mood in Germany using recently collected data, incorporating the results of the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. He will explain the latest figures from his ‘Democracy Monitor 2026’, a representative, nationwide survey.
Moderator: Rudolf Rauschenberger, journalist and former head of the ZDF regional studio in Baden-Württemberg.
Registration
If you are interested in attending, please register at anmeldung@neuer-montagskreis.de