Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier – in cooperation with the Bertelsmann Foundation – hosted a further event in the series Forum Bellevue on the Future of Democracy
at Schloss Bellevue on 15 November.
The twelfth forum was titled Is the state up to it? Drawing lessons from the pandemic
. Together with his guests, the Federal President enquired, based on the COVID 19 pandemic, what lessons can be drawn for democracy and democratic statehood. He would also ask what structural and institutional changes are needed to prepare our society to meet future crises.
The Federal President discussed these topics with Alena Buyx, medical ethicist and Chair of the German Ethics Council, the legal scholar Laura Münkler, whose research at Greifswald University focuses on administrative and health law, and Aminata Touré, Vice President of the Parliament of Land Schleswig-Holstein.
Together with his guests, the Federal President explored in what areas democracy and the state must take action, and what specifically they should change. Furthermore, the debate focused on what obstacles exactly are preventing state institutions from putting into action knowledge that has been gained from the crisis, and why.
Crises cast a political spotlight on the executive branch of government in many ways. This begs the question as to what extent efficient and effective state action can meet the demands of democratic legitimacy. The Federal President and his three fellow panel members also addressed the question of the relationship between democratic politics and scientific advice. How can or should the state and politics handle scientific expertise in the future, and how can such expertise be included in democratic processes? Last but not least, the pandemic has brought to light the need to press ahead with the digital transformation. The forum looked at what elements of digital infrastructure are essential and how we can guarantee data protection while remaining open to innovation.
The event was streamed live, a video (in German language) can be found at www.forum-bellevue.org.