Disappointment and expectation in democracy: An interdisciplinary talk

The Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz cordially invites you to an interdisciplinary discussion titled 'Disappointment and Expectation in Democracy' on January 15, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Pascale Cancik, Frank Schorkopf, and Andreas Wirsching will discuss this topic, with Kiran Klaus Patel moderating. The event is part of the 'Aldous Huxley Future Forum' series.

Three and a half decades after the end of the Cold War, many certainties have begun to slip away. Democracy, the apparent winner of the conflict between systems, is undergoing a deep crisis. Hostility from within and without is increasing; some predict the demise of the liberal order. This interdisciplinary panel discussion will examine the reasons for this crisis and ways of making democracy at the national and European level more resilient in the storm of the present. The debate will pay particular attention to the significance of exaggerated expectations and disappointed hopes. Has the state promised too much? (How) Is the much-vaunted reduction of bureaucracy possible? And does Western democracy still have the capacity for self-correction that is considered one of its essential characteristics and is urgently expected by many people today?


Participants

Pascale Cancik is Professor of Public Law, History of European Public Law, and Administrative Sciences at the University of Osnabrück.

Kiran Klaus Patel is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, where he also heads the Project House Europe.

Frank Schorkopf is Professor of Public Law and European Law at Georg August University in Göttingen.

Andreas Wirsching was Director of the Institute for Contemporary History Munich/Berlin and Professor at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich until October 2025.

All participants in the panel discussion are members of the Working Group for Legal Studies and Contemporary History at the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz.

The event will be accompanied by music from Nadiia Zhurba.

Aldous Huxley Future Forum

Aldous Huxley is one of the best-known members of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz and is considered one of the most important writers of the modern era.

The Aldous Huxley Future Forum brings together scientists, cultural figures, thought leaders, and decision-makers to discuss the pressing issues of our time. Inspired by Aldous Huxley's analytical acuity and his ability to think far ahead about complex developments, the forum addresses the challenges of a rapidly changing world: artificial intelligence, bioethics, social transformations, geopolitical challenges, migration, educational development, freedom and control, cultural identity, and the future of humanity. None of these questions can be answered from the perspective of a single discipline.

The interdisciplinary series of events creates spaces for critical reflection, creative scenarios, and new ideas. The aim is to go beyond short-lived trends and connect fundamental questions about the future from literary, humanities, scientific, and technological perspectives—in the spirit of the thinker Huxley, who, like no other, showed how closely the present and the future are linked.

Entry is free. Registration required here.

Invitation flyer