Opening Event: »The Democratic Response: A New Script for Our Time«

with Jeanette Gusko, Othmar Karas, Jürgen Czernohorsky, Sophie Pornschlegel, Daniel Binswanger und Marie Ringler

Wednesday, 19 November 2025, 18:00
Palais Wertheim, Canovagasse 1A, 1010 Vienna
Register here

Authoritarian forces have long been writing their own script. The opening evening »Mitmacht 2025« is therefore dedicated to the question: How can democracy remain capable of action?

Now is the time to decide whether democracies will set the pace. After opening remarks by Othmar Karas and Jürgen Czernohorszky, Jeanette Gusko calls for a new culture of collaboration—one that works across sectors, upholds shared values, and strengthens collective agency.

In the panel »The Authoritarian Script – and the Democratic Response«, organized in cooperation with the European Forum Alpbach, Daniel Binswanger, Sophie Pornschlegel, and Marie Ringler discuss how we can move from analysis to impactful strategies.

Afterwards, we invite you to connect, exchange ideas, and build stronger networks. Anyone who wants not only to defend democracy but to actively shape it should not miss this evening.

Public Panel: »Courage for Hope«

with Anna Durnová, Daniel Graf, Alexander Sängerlaub

Friday, 21 November 2025, 9:00
Burg Kino, Opernring 19, 1010 Vienna
Register here

The crises of our time generate fear, anger, and helplessness—emotions that anti-democratic forces deliberately use as fuel. While they mobilise with strong emotions, democratic actors often remain reactive and rarely use the potential of (positive) emotions strategically. This panel offers concrete answers: What if we once again created pro-democratic visions of the future and drew new hope from them? What if we recognised that democracy and emotions are inseparably linked—and that hope, in particular, provides orientation, fosters long-term commitment, and strengthens collective agency? How can emotionalisation be consciously used as a democratic force—for a culture of hope instead of fear?

The focus is on analysing political emotions and democratic discourse. We share experiences from civil society mobilisation and explore how hope can be translated into societal transformation—through language, narratives, and campaigns. Behind this lies the idea of a democratic emotional culture, showing that emotions can empower democracy.

Mitmacht Festival 2025

Mitmacht is the democracy festival for collective strategies. From 19 – 22 November, experts from across the German-speaking democratic world will gather in Vienna to coordinate: How can democratic forces pull together more purposefully to become faster, more resilient, and more effective? Because if we succeed in joining forces, a new »Mitmacht« can emerge.

Tickets, programme and further information about Mitmacht Festival 2025 are available online.