1st Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference

The Future of Democracy?

8-10 October 2025 at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center/ Public Event at Akademie der Künste/Pariser Platz

We are delighted to announce the program of the 1st Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference 2025.

Public Dialogue on Wednesday, 8 October 2025 at Akademie der Künste/Pariser Platz

Join us for a public dialogue titled “Democracy at Stake: A Conversation Across the Atlantic” exploring the challenges facing democracy today on both sides of the Atlantic. The event will take place on October 8, 2025, at 7:30 pm at Akademie der Künste, Pariser Platz. This public dialogue will open the 1st Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference.

This event features two influential politicians from Germany and USA: Franziska Brantner, Chairwoman of Germany’s Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, and Beto O’Rourke, a charismatic Democratic leader known for his 2020 presidential campaign.

Franziska Brantner has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2013 and currently serves as the federal chairwoman of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. Born near the French border, she is a committed European with extensive expertise in European and foreign policy. Her career includes service in the European Parliament and her role as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Her studies in the United States have greatly enriched her transatlantic expertise and global perspective. [Please note: Anna Lührmann, Member of the Parliament for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and former Federal Minister for European Affairs, stepped in at short notice for her colleague Franziska Brantner.]

Beto O’Rourke gained recognition as an engaging candidate during the 2020 U.S. presidential elections and is known as a moderately progressive politician who especially connects with and mobilizes young voters. He is currently being considered as a challenger for a Texas seat in the U.S. Senate. He will share his insights on the state of U.S. democracy and his personal experience navigating the spotlight in a deeply polarized political environment.

Anna Sauerbrey, Foreign Editor of Die ZEIT, will moderate the dialogue.

The event will be followed by a reception, offering a splendid view of the Brandenburg Gate.

Find the registration link here.

Scientific conference 9-10 October at WZB

The two-day scientific conference will commence at the WZB (Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin) on Thursday, 9 October at 8:45 AM.

Over the course of the event, we will feature three inspiring keynotes bridging the disciplines Sociology, Economics, Political Science, and Computer Science:

• “Public Service Deprivation and the Rise of Populism in Europe” by Catherine de Vries, Bocconi University

• “Bridging Divides and Strengthening Democracy with Generative AI” by Christopher Andrew Bail, Duke University

• “Political Stability and Economic Performance” by Tim Besley, London School of Economics and Political Science

We will also feature a Plenary Panel on the “State of US Democracy” on Thursday, with distinguished scholars Chloe Thurston (Northwestern University), Paul Pierson (University of California, Berkeley), and Jacob S. Hacker (Yale University). The panel will be moderated by Daniel Benjamin, President of the American Academy in Berlin.

In addition, 20 thematic sessions featuring presentations across disciplines will explore key challenges to democracy, including authoritarianism, polarization, misinformation, but also resilience, participation, and economic factors shaping its future.

We will conclude on Friday, 10 October at 3:00 pm with a Concluding Panel featuring Pratap Mehta from Princeton University, together with the three organizers Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln, Daniel Ziblatt and Michael Zürn.