Dear community of the Berlin conference ‘Wehrhafte Demokratie’,

a state capable of taking action and a vibrant democracy go hand in hand. Security begins with reliable intelligence. It requires the ability to assess threats correctly, to make decisions across departments and levels of government, and to implement these effectively even under time pressure.

The Berlin ‘Wehrhafte Demokratie’ Congress therefore brings together decision-makers from politics, security agencies, intelligence services, the Bundeswehr, civil protection, critical infrastructure, business, academia and civil society. It focuses in particular on the interfaces where state security effectiveness is created – or lost.

In 2027, the focus will be, amongst other things, on the role of intelligence services, cross-departmental situational assessments, hybrid attacks, total defence, critical infrastructure (KRITIS), new forms of organised crime and the operational capability of the security sector. New laws, centres and technologies are not assessed solely on the basis of their stated aims, but on their actual impact.

At the same time, security remains dependent on democratic legitimacy and social openness. The ‘Democracy Kick-off’ will therefore address the question of how political competition, genuine co-decision-making and institutional capacity for renewal can be strengthened. Different positions should not merely be presented side by side, but examined in terms of their premises and consequences.

I invite you to discuss these issues with us – with expert insight, open to opposing views and with the necessary focus on concrete responsibility.

Oliver Lorenz
CEO of Wegweiser