Annual Conference of the German Political Science Association

Institutions Under Pressure

To what extent do actors influence institutions and override their operational logic? What does this mean for the judiciary, diplomacy, society, and international relations? The conference “Weak Institutions – Strong Actors?” organized by the Academy for Political Education and the German Political Science Association will take an interdisciplinary look at the pressing challenges of our time on July 3 and 4.

Weak Institutions—Strong Actors?

Institutions such as international organizations, parliaments, and the judiciary shape political processes, are intended to build trust, and distribute power. Yet time and again, they are pressured and altered by actors from the worlds of politics, business, and civil society. Rules are redefined, circumvented, or ignored. These phenomena can be observed not only within states but also in the international order. The conference will explore the causes and consequences of these developments.

Politicization of the Judiciary

Is the politicization of the judiciary the “Highway to Hell”? Roland Lhotta from Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg asks this question. Silvia von Steinsdorff explains the reasons behind the growing political pressure on the independent judiciary and possible counterstrategies to withstand it.

International Relations

Frank Gadinger from the University of Erfurt analyzes how Putin and Zelenskyy embody their claims to legitimacy. Maren Hofius from the University of Potsdam discusses political agency in times of war.

Illiberal Governance Practices and Democratic Challenges

Nils Steiner from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz explains the extent to which illiberal governance practices are accepted by the German public. Anna-Sophie Heinze from Leuphana University Lüneburg will discuss the establishment and professionalization of far-right parties and the associated challenges for representative democracy.

Empires and Sovereignty

Eva Marlene Hausteiner from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg examines how empires operate and which structures, institutions, and actors influence this imperial quest for dominance. Anna Meine from the University of Münster examines the challenges facing the order of the seas and explores the question of sovereignty at sea.

The Academy for Political Education invites you to the conference “Weak Institutions – Strong Actors?” in Tutzing on Lake Starnberg from July 3–4. Registration and the program are available online: https://www.apb-tutzing.de/p /27-1-26

The conference fee, including accommodation and meals, is 105 euros (reduced rate 60 euros).