#49 The republic on all viruses – how much fear can democracy tolerate?
Livestream from the theater
49th Römerberg Talks
The pandemic is becoming a stress test – not only for the individual, but also for the political system. Fundamental rights are restricted, laws are shortened to regulations. The government is staging itself as an efficient crisis manager, drawing conclusions from scientific findings with no alternative. In the face of the viral threat, relapses into seemingly authoritarian state action and nationalism that was thought to have been overcome are becoming visible across borders.
Are citizens left with nothing but fear and powerlessness when experts are in charge? What long-term consequences will the continued lockdown have – psychologically and politically? What will happen to individual freedom, mutual trust and civic sovereignty? How will the relationship between the state, science and society change? How can civil society once again become the site of a critical public sphere? How much trust do we have to place in government action and scientific truth; how much can we question it – without playing into the hands of unfounded conspiracy beliefs?
In times of crisis, the limits and possibilities of politics are redefined – with what risks and side effects? This is the question posed by the Römerberg Talks in the super election year 2021 and four months before the Bundestag elections.
10:00 – Welcome Angela Dorn / Ina Hartwig
Hessian Minister of State for Science and Art / Head of the Department of Culture and Science of the City of Frankfurt am Main
10:15 – Armin Nassehi
The infected society and its immune reactions
11:00 – Thomas Brussig – Günter Frankenberg
Dare more dictatorship? Democracy and the rule of law in the pandemic
12:00 – Birgit Aschmann – Valentin Groebner
Death and disease – political and social history of the pandemic
13:00 – LUNCH BREAK
14:00 – Romy Jaster – Rudolf Stichweh
Madness and method – What remains of the truth in Corona times?
15:00 – Christiane Eichenberg – Nico Dragano
Pandemic stress test – psychological suffering in lockdown
16:00 – Klaus Günther
“Just walk through life defenceless and fear nothing!” – Fear and trust in a democratic constitutional state.
17:00 – END
