Democracy, the rule of law and the multiparty system are under pressure worldwide and are being challenged by both internal and external forces. Nonetheless, the basic right to political participation remains unchanged, as does the striving of people all around the world to claim it. In the future, however, it will again be essential to defend the core elements of a free global order, in order to secure democracy, law and political parties as pillars of our freedom.

The interaction between democracy, the rule of law and political parties enables the participation of all citizens in the process of political will formation, on the basis of which universally binding rules for our social coexistence emerge, thus ensuring the freedom and basic rights of each individual. This applies first and foremost at the national level, but it also, of course, has a European and international dimension. Hence, in Germany, the European Union and beyond, we need to make sure that democratic principles and the rule of law are respected in the long run and to defend the free global order.

Examining these current developments and offering responses and possible solutions by way of analysis and consulting figure among the most important missions of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

The Democracy, Law and Political Parties department works on numerous domestic and foreign policy issues related to this background. Key topics include representation and participation, developments in and the future of multiparty democracy, inter-party cooperation and the European Union, dealing with populism, the role of classical and social media, the interaction between law and politics, and aspects of multilateralism and the global order.

Party monitors, the International Adenauer Network, the annual “Media Meets Politics” events, the Berlin Annual Review of the Jurisprudence of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, and the Legal Policy Conference are integral parts of the department’s work.