The Far Right – Do We Have a Resilient Democracy?

The Peaceful Revolution Foundation, in collaboration with the Forum Recht Foundation and the Bürgerrecht.Akademie at VHS Leipzig, invites you to a panel discussion on Thursday, May 16, 2024, on the constitutional means of protecting democracy.

Leipzig. Do extreme political parties threaten our freedom and the rule of law? Following the publication in January 2024 of Correctiv’s investigative report on the close ties between the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the far-right scene, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Germany. Calls for proceedings to ban the AfD grew louder and louder as the spring progressed.

The panel discussion „Extreme Right! Do We Have a Resilient Democracy?“ does not focus on the pros and cons of banning a political party, but rather addresses the underlying questions: What threats to the rule of law and democracy could extreme parties pose? How does the process of banning a political party work? What legal hurdles are involved? What political and societal risks are associated with it?

Experts from the fields of law, academia, and civil society will discuss how to protect our democracy through legal means. The public in Leipzig is invited to learn more and join the discussion.  

Speaking on the podium:

Johannes Kieß, the Else Frenkel-Brunswik Institute (EFBI) for Democracy Research in Saxony. His research focuses on political attitudes, particularly regarding right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism, and other anti-democratic attitudes.

Steven Hummel, chronik.LE, a project dedicated to documenting and analyzing extremism in Leipzig and Northern Saxony. For years, he has been active in civil society initiatives against right-wing extremism in rural Saxony.

Marie Müller-Elmau, Verfassungsblog. She is a research associate with the Thuringia Project, a research initiative focused on the resilience of democracy and the rule of law in Germany. Using Thuringia as a case study, the project investigates the power and scope of action an authoritarian-populist party would have at the state level.

Moderated by: Sarah Ulrich, investigative reporter.

The discussion event „Extremely Legal! Do We Have a Resilient Democracy?“ is a joint event organized by the Peaceful Revolution Foundation, the Civil Rights Academy of the Leipzig Adult Education Center, and the Forum Recht Foundation. Admission is free. Registration is not required.