“Check-up Democracy” with Science Minister Timon Gremmels at the “Normative Orders” Research Center

Democracy is facing increasing attacks from within and without, trust in democratic institutions is dwindling and social polarization and radicalization are on the rise. In light of these crisis diagnoses, the Hessian Minister of Science and Research, Art and Culture, Timon Gremmels, met with researchers and students at Goethe University’s Research Centre Normative Orders last Wednesday to discuss the state of democracy and, in particular, the expansion of democracy research in Hesse.

The event was introduced by three short impulses on the diverse projects that deal with these research questions at the research center “Normative Orders”, the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) and the Department of Social Sciences at Goethe University. Prof. Dr. Nicole Deitelhoff, Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst and Prof. Dr. Christopher Daase spoke on behalf of the institutions.

Gremmels then entered into a lively exchange with the students at Goethe University. The questions and discussions revolved around current challenges and threats to democracy as well as the students’ wishes and expectations of politics in Hesse. One major topic was the question of how to explain the increasing brutalization of public discourse – including in social media – and the decreasing willingness to engage with dissenting socio-political views. The role played by disappointment and frustration in the alienation from democracy and how anti-democratic positions in public debates can be countered on an emotional level were also discussed. At the end of the event, everyone agreed that democracy thrives on mutual listening, debate and cooperation.

To the follow-up report by Goethe University: Here…