Hubertus Buchstein: Against Vulgar Democracy!

By Hubertus Buchstein (Professor Emeritus for Political Theory and History of Political Ideas at the University of Greifswald)

Almost all established democracies are confronted with waves of protest and resistance from right-wing populist and farright political movements and parties. A crucial part of their propaganda is to hijack the term ‘democracy’ for their own political ends. In the name of the people, they attack the existing political system; the election slogan “Euer Wille geschehe!” [Thy Will Be Done!]—recently used by Austria’s FPÖ—is the most concise formulation of their vulgar democratic ambitions.

In my contribution, I will first draw a clear distinction between the concepts of ‘vulgar democracy’ and ‘democratic constitutional state’. Second, I will characterize the democratic constitutional state as a normativly historically developed, sui generis form of government. Thirdly I will outline the toolkit of “militant democracy”—as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic—and, considering this, advocate for greater political self-assurance in the deployment of repressive measures against enemies of the democratic constitutional state.

Lecture as part of the 2026 Annual Conference of the Research Program “Zeitenwenden. Normative Ordnungen im Umbruch?” (Turning Points. Normative Orders in Transition?) at the Research Centre Normative Orders at Goethe University Frankfurt, funded by Stiftungsfonds Commerzbank im Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e. V.

00:00 Introduction of the speaker
01:56 Lecture by Hubertus Buchstein

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