The democracy needs the unyielding

Stötzer, who was imprisoned in East Germany for political reasons at the time, says about her encounters with other inmates: “It encouraged me to see what women were capable of. It got under my skin, what I experienced there – the courage of the women, the passion of the women, the meanness of the women.”

Why do so many people vote for the AfD today?
Nickels: “The world has become so confusing for many, and it has always been the case that people who are afraid tend to follow someone who soothes them with their melody, so that they no longer have to deal with how they can contribute themselves, which is something you can do in a democracy.”

Dictatorship as an alternative?
Stötzer: “Dictatorship doesn’t mean someone better than you is leading and that you can trust them. (…) No, dictatorship means: You are being watched. You are being controlled. You are being judged. And something is constantly being done to isolate you. Just like the Stasi tried to unsettle, isolate, and drive people to suicide. (…) Dictatorship is the destruction of your individuality.”

But those responsible were never held accountable. That still needs to happen: “The injustice must be named and atoned for.” Otherwise, it will resurface. And threaten democracy.

“Quo vadis Europa – worauf es jetzt ankommt, wenn wir unsere freiheitliche Demokratie nicht den Populisten überlassen wollen”: Moderated by Annette Gräfin von Wedel (female.vision), with Sophie Pornschlegel, Yasemin Efiloğlu, Fabienne Sand and Sabine Klisch

“Wirtschaft gegen Rechts – Welche Verantwortung tragen Unternehmen für unsere Demokratie?” Moderated by Inga Karten (de’ge’pol W), with Lisa Neubert, Sabine Gillessen and Charlotte van Randenborgh