Democracy under pressure: MLU starts project week on the political future

Democracy under pressure: MLU starts project week on the political future

At a time when democracy in Germany is under more pressure than ever, the project week “In Defense of Democracy” starts next Tuesday, October 29, 2025, at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). This initiative is organized by the Institute of Political Science and aims to analyze the challenges facing democracy and develop new perspectives for strengthening it. The dangerous rise of right-wing populist and extreme right-wing movements is a central issue that influences both the political landscape and public debate.

The project week takes place in the context of the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, which is seen as a possible turning point. Extreme right-wing parties could assume government responsibility here, which poses a serious threat to the existing democratic structures. The opening event on October 29, 2025 at 6 p.m. at the Steintor campus will start with a panel discussion about the possible effects of the success of a right-wing party on democracy. This is seen as an important opportunity to discuss the current status and future challenges affecting democracy in Germany. So reported dubisthalle.de.

Critical debates and events

The program will continue on November 3rd with the event “Omnibus for Direct Democracy”, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steintor campus, followed by a lecture by Johannes Stüttgen, which begins at 10 a.m. and deals with the topic “Overcoming democracy fatigue”. The “Hoffnung Ost” event on November 4th will also be a highlight. This will take place at 6 p.m. in Lecture Hall II, in cooperation with the Future Center for German Unity and European Transformation, and will present a civil society alliance in Nordhausen, Thuringia.

Finally, on November 6th, the discussion “Attack on Science” is on the program in the Audimax. Here MLU Rector Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker and numerous other professors and rectors are expected. The moderator is Prof. Dr. Petra Dobner, who will speak with the panelists about the role of science in today's political landscape. This variety of events aims to stimulate public debate and find solutions to counter the growing challenges, such as those presented defensederdemocracy.de be sketched.

Right-wing populism in focus

Analyzing the shift to the right in society is essential. The rise of right-wing populism is not only evident in Germany, but also in many other countries. Right-wing populist parties like the AfD are gaining support in the polls, despite competition from Sahra Wagenknecht's alliance. The spread and acceptance of right-wing populist views and parties can also be seen across Europe. In France, Marine Le Pen could win future elections, while in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders was victorious in the general election. Such developments not only question democratic norms, but could also lead to a normalization of these trends in the long term, as stated in a report by the Federal Agency for Civic Education, available at bpb.de.

The project week at MLU is therefore a timely and important step to promote public discourse and create awareness of the dangers that currently threaten democracy. Only through committed participation and critical discussion can we succeed in securing and strengthening the values ​​and principles of our democratic society.