DISRUPTIVE TIMES - LIBERAL DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE, PRESENTED BY DR
KLAUS SCHÜLERAll are welcome to attend. Please register by Monday 2
March 2020 to secure your seat.
ABOUT THE LECTURE: Amidst currents of anti-Western ideology in its
various forms the concept of liberal democracy is under attack. In
this way, Germany’s current challenges - as the era of stability is
over - should not be seen as an exception, but symptomatic of broader
global developments and challenges. Widening transatlantic rifts and a
NATO under threat lead to the question of whether one can still speak
of such a thing as ‘the West’ – a concern which also extends to
the future of the EU as a values project, with Brexit constituting a
symbol of wider political paralysis.
Analysing these trends demonstrates that liberal democracy is under
pressure, also since globalisation and technological changes
(digitalisation) have not only brought increased connectivity and
prosperity but also caused geostrategic rifts internationally and
tensions within societies. As a consequence, re-nationalisation and
protectionism are altering domestic and international political
landscapes, causing growing polarisation and resulting in a world
order distinctly different from the 20th century. Against the
backdrop of these systemic challenges to existing values and orders,
anti-Establishment political parties whose agenda it is to ‘bring
down’ the existing system can flourish.
On the global level, this translates into a waning faith in
multilateralism and international institutions. Rather than a
‘rising tide that lifts all boats’, globalisation has come to mean
for many people a rising systematic inequality, where ‘the few’
get it all while ‘the many’ miss out on its benefits. Instead of
the positive aspects of increased connectivity and fewer borders,
citizens are disillusioned by what is perceived as the inefficiency of
political decision-making processes and often inability of political
decision-makers to tackle the most pressing challenges adequately.
Leadership and responsibility and a common approach to global
challenges among like-minded are needed.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Dr Klaus Schüler, former State Secretary, (born
1957 in Cologne) is one of Germany’s most experienced and successful
party managers, political strategists and election campaign experts.
His career spans over more than three decades of service in state and
federal politics, during which he gained experience in government
activities as well as in party management, political communication and
campaign strategy.
For more than 12 years (2007 – 2019), Schüler served as Federal
Managing Director of the CDU in Germany, the country’s biggest and
most successful political party. As Chancellor Angela Merkel's
campaign manager he planned, organized and steered the general
election campaigns of the CDU for the Bundestag in 2009, 2013 and
2017, from each of which the CDU and the Chancellor emerged
victorious.
In her farewell speech as party chair, Angela Merkel thanked him for
20 years of loyal service, trustful and successful cooperation and
called him “an institution”. His role and his merits were also
widely recognized and highlighted by the media. The daily newspaper
‘Die Welt‘ named him the ‘mastermind of the Merkel machine‘.
Germany's biggest daily newspaper ‘Bild‘ called him ‘the
Chancellor’s best campaign strategist‘.
For 10 years Schüler was the Chairman of the Standing Committee on
Elections and Campaigns of the International Democrat Union, the
worldwide organization of centre-right parties, and advised member
parties of the IDU in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia on
political strategy, communication, organization and modern campaign
management. The IDU president, Canada’s former PM Stephen Harper,
called him “one of the most successful campaign managers of our
time”.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements as campaign manager and
strategist, Schüler was appointed to the ‘Global Dream Team‘ and
honored with the ‘Aristotle Excellence Award‘ in the U.S. Since
July 2019 Schüler is the Board of Management’s Representative for
National and International Political Relations of LANXESS AG, a
leading specialty chemicals company. In 2019 he was appointed as a
member of Board of Trustees of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation.
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Tuesday 3 March 2020
TIME: 9.45am for a 10am start. Dr Schüler will present from
10–10.45am, followed by a Q&A session from 10.45–11.15am.
LOCATION: Room 212, Sir Llew Edwards Building (#14), The University
of Queensland, St Lucia Campus. View map and parking information
[https://maps.uq.edu.au/st-lucia/search/Sir%20llew%20edwards%20building/location/2684].
ENQUIRIES: engagement@hass.uq.edu.au
_This event is presented by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and
the German Honorary Consulate in Brisbane, in collaboration with
The University of Queensland's School of Political Science and
International Studies. _
Image credit: © REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
[https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/commentary-europe-on-knife-edge-of-uncer-idUSKBN16L026]
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21/03/2020 Last update