Humboldt Governance Lab
Better Evidence. Stronger Democracy.
We offer events related to our current research priorities.
Current Events
27 November 2026
A Stress Test for Democracy: What Happens When Right-Wing Populists Govern?
27 November 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Senatssaal, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin
Far-right parties have become firmly established in many parliaments. This raises the question of how democratic institutions are responding to this shift and where their limits lie.
We look forward to exploring current research from political science and law together with you and to discussing it in an open exchange. You are warmly invited!
Please note that the event will take place in German.
Research Insights
- Prof. Dr. Daniel Bischof | Universität Münster & Universität Aarhus – Können Bürger:innen die Demokratie retten?
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin – Entzauberung durch Zusammenarbeit mit rechtsradikalen Parteien
- Friedrich Zillessen | Universität Oxford (ehem. Verfassungsblog) – Institutionelle Hebel des Demokratieabbaus: Die Handlungsspielräume der AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt
- Prof. Dr. Christoph Möllers | HU Berlin – Funktionen und Grenzen der “wehrhaften Demokratie“ in Deutschland
Roundtable
The speakers discuss their perspectives with one another, with room for questions from the audience.
Moderator:
Dr. Markus Kollberg | HU Berlin
Reception and conversation
Past Events
29 May 2026
Volksparteien unter Druck:
Parteistrategien im Superwahljahr 2026
29. Mai 2026 | 14:00 – 16:00
Senatssaal, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin
The Humboldt Governance Lab invites participants to engage with current research and to discuss key political challenges and strategic questions of our time together with guests from politics and society.
At the center is the question of how major political parties can respond to changing political realities and which strategies can help strengthen trust, participation, and democratic stability.
Please note that the event will take place in German.
Research Insights
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin – Populismus wirksam bekämpfen – Antworten demokratischer Parteien
- Prof. Dr. Florian Foos | LSE – Welche Kontaktformate und Botschaften funktionieren in der Wählermobilisierung?
- Annina Hermes | HU Berlin – Entzauberung der Rechten durch Einreißen der Brandmauer?
Roundtable
Dr. Markus Kollberg | HU Berlin
Discussion:
- Anna Aeikens | MdB (CDU)
- Hakan Demir | MdB (SPD)
- Jérémie Gagné | More in Common
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Florian Foos | LSE
Reception and conversation
21 November 2025
Young Voters and the Far Right:
Understanding and Responding to a Growing Challenge
Venue:
The Lovers & Leaders Space
Torstraße 101
10119 Berlin
2:00 – 3:00 PM New Research Insights
Opening Remark:
Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin
Research Spotlights:
- Dr. Đorđe Milosav | HU Berlin – The youth gender gap in support for the far fight
- Prof. Dr. Sara Hobolt | LSE – Climate change and support for the far right
- Prof. Dr. Toni Rodon | UPF Barcelona – Youth, depopulation and political geography
- Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn | Uni Amsterdam – Urban-rural divide, education & far right support
- Prof. Dr. Michał Krawczyk | Uni Warsaw/European Commission – Countering fake news
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin – How digital literacy reduces populist appeals online
3:00 – 4:15 PM Roundtable: Countering Far-Right Appeals Among Young People
Dr. Markus Kollberg
Panelists:
- Dr. Lena Gumnior | MdB, Bündnis90/Grüne
- Prof. Dr. Sara Hobolt | LSE
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn | University of Amsterdam
- Andrei Arnst | Headmaster, Neuenhagen Secondary School
- Max Hilse | Löbau lebt e.V. and Görlitz District Youth Council
A discussion on communication, education, and engagement strategies to build democratic
resilience among young people.
4:15 – 5:00 PM Networking Reception
15 July 2025
Workshop on Deliberative Innovations
Location:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institut für Sozialwissenschaften Universitätsstr. 3b
10117 Berlin
Room 004
Time:
8:45 AM to 2:15 PM
8:45 – 9:00 AM Registration & Coffee
9:00 – 9:15 AM Welcome
9:15 – 10:15 AM Panel 1: Democratic resilience
- Making the case for democracy: A field-experiment on democratic persuasion
- Presenter: Alex Wuttke | LMU Munich
- Discussant: Frederick Gremler | Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung
- The impact of citizens’ assemblies on democratic resilience: Evidence from a field experiment
- Presenter: Tim Wappenhans | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Discussant: Sebastian Ziaja | GESIS
10:15 – 10:30 AM Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Panel 2: Democratic Attitudes
- The Effects of Participatory Democracy on Political Attitudes
- Presenter: Mariana Carmo Duarte | University of Lisbon
- Discussant: Tim Wappenhans | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Debating Germany’s National Security Strategy: How do Citizen Dialogues on Foreign and Security
Policy affect Political Trust? - Presenter: Sarah Brockmeier-Large | PRIF – Leibniz-Institut für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
- Discussant: Thomas Nawrath | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Can local mini-publics invigorate democracy? A field experiment on community-wide effects of a
randomized citizen council - Presenter: Sebastian Ziaja | GESIS
- Discussant: Frederick Thieme | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00 PM Block 3: The future of citizens’ assemblies
- How citizens envision citizen assemblies and other participatory tools
- Presenter: Vanessa Buth | University of Münster
- Institutionalizing citizen assemblies in Germany
- Presenter: Felix Petersen | University of Münster
2:00 – 2:15 PM Closing remarks for the academic workshop
After the academic workshop, you are cordially invited to join the policy dissemination event funded by VolkswagenStiftung (in German).
Afterwards
Public Roundtable: Can citizens’ assemblies strengthen representative democracy?
Location:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Lichthof Ost
Unter den Linden 6
10117 Berlin
Time:
3:30 – 5:30 PM
Recommendations for policy makers from four transdisciplinary research projects
- Hallo Bundestag
- A Next-Generation Randomised Citizen Council for Encouraging Political Participation at the Local Level (NexCiCo)
- The INCITE-DEM Democracy Labs
- lospfade
Can citizens’ assemblies strengthen democracy?
- Ruprecht Polenz CDU | former Member of Parliament
- Katharina Liesenberg | Founder of Es geht LOS!
- Felix Arndt | Head of the Citizens’ Assembly Unit, Administration of the German Bundestag
- Heike Klüver | Professor of Comparative Political Behaviour, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Hannah Göppert | Open Society Initiative (moderator)