Democracy Before the Vote - Panel Discussion for the 2026/2027 Season Opening

Three days before the state parliament elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Urania Berlin opens its new 2026/2027 season with a political panel discussion. The central question is what happens to democratic cohesion when parties at the fringes of the political spectrum gain growing support - where that support comes from and how mainstream parties respond. Can they address real deficits and develop a positive democratic vision, or will the discourse on key issues like migration, security and energy keep shifting further to the extremes?

On the panel: communication and political scientist Andrea Römmele, journalist and author Valerie Schönian, political scientist and electoral researcher Thorsten Faas, and political scientist and author Marcel Lewandowsky. The discussion will be moderated by Johanna Sprondel, director of Urania Berlin, and constitutional law scholar Alexander Thiele.