Leipzig Book Fair: Democracy Under Stress

Tuesday, 24 February 2026 11:26
Written by Portal Editor

Leipzig Book Fair - Wars, geopolitical upheavals, authoritarian forces, disinformation: Our democracy is under pressure. For the fourth time, the Leipzig Book Fair is offering a central platform for discussing the pressing issues of our time with its Open Society Forum – this year with a sharpened focus.

The forum will place even greater emphasis than before on the numerous controversial topics of our era. It will bring together opposing viewpoints with the aim of arriving at constructive solutions and new perspectives. Open discussion rounds invite the public to participate.

Leipzig Book Fair - The Open Society Forum in Times of Upheaval

Authors and representatives from politics, culture, science, activism, and media will meet in Hall 5, Stand K500 – including politicians such as Roderich Kiesewetter, Marcel Hopp, and Stefanie Franzl; experts Klaus Brinkbäumer, Miriam Davoudvandi, and Prof. Dr. Olaf Müller; and authors Esther Dischereit, Hasnain Kazim, and Viktor Yerofeyev. The diverse program includes participation from the Alliance of Publishers Against the Right, the Federal Agency for Civic Education, PEN Germany, PEN Berlin, the investigative journalism center CORRECTIV, the Institut français Germany, the WIR Festival Halle, and the Freedom of Expression Working Group of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. Seven live podcasts and DOK Leipzig, the Leipzig International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, are also supporting the event as partners.

USA, Middle East, Russia: What answers does the world demand in crisis mode?

How should we deal with the USA under Trump? Journalists Klaus Brinkbäumer, author of the book "The American Nightmare," and Rieke Havertz, co-host of the ZEIT podcast "OK, America?", take contrasting stances on this issue: While Brinkbäumer's analysis is bleak, Havertz advocates for hope and belief in the continued existence of the "real" America. The live episode of the podcast at the book fair will reveal which side has the strongest arguments.

The situation in the Middle East is extremely fragile and tense. The debate podcast "Der zweite Gedanken" (radio 3/rbb) addresses, among other things, the question of whether Israel and Palestine are doomed to a perpetual cycle of violence. Middle East correspondent Steffi Hentschke and Islamic scholar Rainer Herrmann present differing perspectives on this issue, which they will discuss at the Leipzig Book Fair.

The discussion series "Zeit zu reden" (Time to Talk) also aims to break down entrenched patterns of argumentation, question certainties, and acknowledge differing viewpoints. This is often difficult in the German public sphere, especially when it comes to the Middle East. In the Leipzig Book Fair edition of "Zeit zu reden," authors Esther Dischereit and Nora Haddada also discuss how to constructively address sometimes entrenched positions on this question. Activists Jouanna Hassoun and Daniela Sepehri examine civil society engagement in times of shrinking political space for action, using Gaza and Iran as examples.

What remains of the truth when nothing stands in the way of power is the topic of a conversation with Russian writer Viktor Yerofeyev, one of his country's most renowned critical intellectuals. He will present his powerful novel "The New Barbarism" (Matthes & Seitz Berlin) and discuss contemporary Russia, power, morality, and national self-deception with literary agent Elisabeth Ruge.

Leipzig Book Fair - Different Perspectives on How Democracy Can Be Defended

The Open Society Forum will also focus on Germany's role in the global shift in power and the impact of the rightward shift and global crises on our daily lives. To present a wide range of viewpoints, representatives from the CDU and SPD, for example, will discuss these issues: Roderich Kiesewetter, CDU Member of Parliament and retired Colonel of the German Armed Forces, will exchange views with Marcel Hopp, a Berlin SPD state politician and the child of so-called guest workers. In the live podcast "From Politics and Contemporary History" by the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the philosopher of science Prof. Dr. Olaf Müller explores the question of whether there is still room for pacifism in today's global political situation.

Carla Hinrichs, co-founder of the Last Generation, argues that politics has openly broken with young people in the country, leaving only radical protest as an option. She meets with Stefanie Franzl, a politician from the Young Union (JU), who wants to defend democracy from within. Together with podcaster Sally Lisa Starken, they debate protest, populism, and political responsibility—from very different perspectives.

Between Identity and Homeland – Debates about Germany

Who are we—and who do we want to be? Writers Lukas Rietzschel and Alexander Prinz, along with actress Mai Duong Kieu, discuss this question using the topic of East Germany. All three share the post-reunification experience in East Germany, but with completely different conclusions. In his epic novel "Sanditz" (dtv), Rietzschel explores ruptures and ambivalences. In his provocative book "Oststolz" (Knaur), Prinz develops a militant pride and a political call to action from the same experience. And Kieu, with "Im Herzen bist du unbesiegbar" (Kösel), poses the question: What does East German identity mean when one has also grown up in East Germany with a migration history?

How flight and arrival in Germany's not always open society can be processed in literature is discussed by author Tete Loeper, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, and actor and photographer Delschad Numan Khorschid, who fled Iraq. A controversial debate about Judaism, Islam, and the longing for freedom in Germany takes place between former Green Party politician and MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit and author Hasnain Kazim, known for his sharp-tongued debates, also on the radio podcast "Der zweite Gedanken" (radio 3/rbb).

Truth and freedom of expression in the digital age: What kind of journalism is needed to stand up against disinformation and populism? CORRECTIV founder David Schraven joins forces with Elisa Hoven, a judge at the Saxon Constitutional Court, to discuss this issue. They talk about media trust, deepfakes, and the responsibility of independent journalism. Ronen Steinke, senior editor at the Süddeutsche Zeitung, discusses the limits of freedom of expression with Helga Frese-Resch, co-spokesperson for the Freedom of Expression Interest Group (IG Meinungsfreiheit), exploring the balance between the necessary protection of vulnerable groups and the danger of overregulation. The live podcast "Handelsblatt Crime" demonstrates that the pursuit of truth extends beyond politics: The Handelsblatt investigative team reports on the most spectacular cases of white-collar crime in Germany.