Progressive Governance: Rise or Demise – How Democracies Can Withstand Authoritarian Attacks

Summary

How can Germany live up to its security policy responsibilities in the Zeitenwende? Tune in to hear German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s pledge to continue helping Ukraine and journalist Anne Applebaum and Head of the German Federal Chancellery Wolfgang Schmidt discuss the fundamental ways in which we now have to rethink foreign, security and economic policy.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has been nothing short of a turning point for Europe and the world. An authoritarian attack with the goal of dismantling democracy in Europe, progressive administrations are now tasked with supporting democratic allies at the global level while delivering on climate and justice domestically.

„Ukraine represents that aspiration for democracy and for open society that some Russians would like and that Putin feels the need to crush.“

Anne Applebaum, Staff Writer at The Atlantic

Now led by a progressive coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals, Germany is redefining its global role in light of the attacks on democracy in Ukraine, Europe and beyond. The Scholz administration is now taking generation-defining decisions on energy partners, defense spending, trade, and its role as the de facto leader of Europe. What is clear: How Germany supports democratic allies in need and how it allies with value-aligned democracies globally will ultimately play a determining role if democratic projects around the world rise or demise.

This episode is a conversation between Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum and Head of the German Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks Wolfgang Schmidt, moderated by the Editor-in-Chief of the Guardian Katharine Viner on Germany’s role in preserving democracy in Europe and beyond. With an address by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The discussion is the fifth part of our Progressive Governance podcast series. We recorded this conversation as part of the Progressive Governance Summit, which took place on October 13th 2022.

Post-production and additional recordings done by Emma Gasster and Das Progressive Zentrum. This session was designed in cooperation with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Autor:innen

Florian Ranft

Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung und Leiter | Green New Deal

Florian Ranft ist Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung und verantwortet den Schwerpunkt „Green New Deal“ des Progressiven Zentrums.

Diego Rivas

Alumnus

Diego war Projektmanager und koordinierte vor allem den jährlichen Progressive Governance Summit sowie den transatlantischen Dialog New Urban Progress. Diego ist derzeit auch der Get-Out-the-Vote-Coordinator für Europa, den Nahen Osten und Afrika für Democrats Abroad.

Emma Gasster

Alumna

Emma hat bis März 2024 als Junior Kommunikationsanagerin im Progressiven Zentrum gearbeitet. Ihren Bachelor in Politik-und Rechtswissenschaft absolvierte sie an der Universität Bremen, wo sie jetzt auch im Master Sozialpolitik studiert. Dabei forscht sie vor allem zur Entstehung und Entwicklung öffentlicher Meinungen, besonders in Relation zum Sozialstaat, und deren Einfluss auf politische Entscheidungsfindung. Zuvor war sie bereits als Lokaljournalistin tätig, unterstützte das Forschungszentrum Ungleichheit und Sozialpolitik (SOCIUM) und absolvierte Praktika im Repräsentantenhaus der USA und bei der Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Inhalt

Zusammenfassung
Autor:innen

Florian Ranft

Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung und Leiter | Green New Deal

Diego Rivas

Alumnus

Emma Gasster

Alumna