Blog Posts
Posts are published on the Entanglements blog.
Blog for (Interdisciplinary) Polish and Ukrainian Studies
Academic platform of the Viadrina Centre of Polish and Ukrainian Studies (VCPU), Europa-Universität Viadrina.
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Student Policy Papers
Policy briefs written by students of the master’s seminar accompanying DOING DEMOCRACY (Europa-Universität Viadrina, summer semester 2026, led by Dr. Anja Hennig). The full papers are in German; each one has a summary below.
- #1forthcoming
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#2 Partizipation, die (nicht) ins Leere läuft. Warum sich der Wandel zu einer verbindlichen Bürgerbeteiligung auszahlen wird Participation That (Doesn’t) Fall on Deaf Ears. Why the Shift Toward Commitment to Civic Participation Will Pay Off Marie Vanvlasselaer, Matthias Vollmer, Laura WurbsPDF (German)
Summary
Democratic participatory processes are intended to strengthen commitment to democratic structures by involving people in political decision-making processes and enabling them to experience political self-efficacy. They are a core element of democracy. In practice, however, these goals are often not achieved because, once the participatory process is over, participants are left with the impression that their engagement had no political impact. Participants feel that their contributions are not being acted upon in the spirit of political co-determination. This leads to a decline in trust in the functioning of fundamental democratic principles. Democracy loses its credibility. There is a risk of withdrawal from democratic processes and a susceptibility to populist narratives. It is important that participation succeeds, particularly against this backdrop.
This policy brief therefore calls on policymakers in Frankfurt (Oder) to understand and allow participation as genuine political co-determination—so that democratic participation can truly strengthen democracy.
Policy alternative: Enable Effective Participation - Ensure the Implementation of Participation Outcomes.
Recommendations:
- Anchor the necessity of effective citizen participation in municipal decision-making
- Align resource planning with implementation at an early stage
- Sign a binding participation agreement
- Communicate decisions in a transparent and accessible manner
- Plan timelines early on and according to the needs of the target audience
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#3 Zivilgesellschaft schützen – Delegitimierung stoppen! Kommunalverwaltungen als Schutz und Partner der demokratischen Zivilgesellschaft Protecting Civil Society—Stop Delegitimization! Municipal administrations as protectors and partners of democratic civil society Anna Clicqué, Sandra Gliszczynski, Stilpon StergiouPDF (German)
Summary
- Democratic civil society in Germany, including the state of Brandenburg, is facing increasing pressure. Civil society actors are not only subjected to growing levels of intimidation and aggression but are also systematically challenged in terms of their legitimacy and political neutrality, contributing to a gradual erosion of public trust and acceptance.
- While such strategies have long been associated with the far right, these narratives are increasingly gaining traction within the political mainstream. Prominent cases like the extensive parliamentary questions by the conservative CDU/CSU group in the German parliament in 2025 and the currently planned reform of the federal funding scheme ‘Demokratie leben!’ reveal a pattern of spreading distrust and institutional setbacks for civil society.
- The declining level of trust increasingly disrupts the work of civil society organizations that perform essential public functions at the municipal level and complement the work of local authorities. At the same time, democratic “third spaces”—places for civic participation and democratic exchange—are alarmingly shrinking, like in many provinces across East Germany.
- Municipal administrations rarely express public support for local civil society organizations, largely due to legal uncertainty surrounding the principle of political neutrality. However, previous cases have shown that public statements condemning far-right attacks generated public solidarity and increased media attention. That demonstrates the positive impact of clear and visible institutional responses.
Policy alternative: Supporting civil society by improving public relations work of local administration.
Recommendations:
- Implement the steps of a communication protocol that provides municipal administrations with clear guidance on covering incident reporting, internal communication and public communication. Such a protocol would strengthen institutional support for democratic engagement.
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#4 Demokratie gemeinsam stärken: Viadrina und Zivilgesellschaft verbinden Strengthening Democracy Together: Connecting Viadrina and Civil SocietyAutomatic translation Linda Petereit, Franca PlötzPDF (German)
Summary
The European University Viadrina attaches great importance to engagement with civil society, but does not yet have the necessary structures in place for systematic implementation. Collaborations fail less due to a lack of interest than to a lack of reliable channels of access. At the same time, both sides are under pressure: Viadrina is facing declining student enrollment and is striving for a more practice-oriented approach to teaching, while civil society organizations—despite the proven added value of such collaborations—are under growing pressure to demonstrate impact and legitimacy.
The policy brief identifies three key levers: establishing a digital contact point, testing a student-centered pilot program, and adjusting incentive structures. A phased approach is recommended: First, two resource-efficient measures will be implemented and evaluated, followed by a structural reform of incentive mechanisms. In this way, Viadrina can strengthen its democratic profile and further develop its teaching, while civil society organizations benefit from methodological support and robust findings.
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#5 Haltung zeigen, Strukturen stärken: Brandenburg im Kampf gegen Antifeminismus Taking a Stand, Strengthening Structures: Brandenburg in the Fight Against Anti-Feminism Lilja Stirpe, Leandra von StadePDF (German)
Summary
Anti-feminism is increasingly being used as a strategic tool to delegitimize gender equality efforts. In 2025, 640 incidents were recorded nationwide, including attacks on government agencies and civil society; 32% of these took place in the digital sphere. In Brandenburg, such attacks lead to intimidation, withdrawal, and the dismantling of gender equality structures. Existing support services are predominantly project-based and do not offer sustainable protection.
This policy brief calls on political decision-makers responsible for women’s rights, gender equality, violence prevention and protection, as well as the protection of LGBTQ+ community, to develop effective protection measures and structurally embed designated responsible offices at all levels of public administration.
Policy alternative: Embed structural protection: establish long-term, preventive, and non-project-based measures.
Recommendations:
- Strengthen institutional backing and support for gender equality work within the administration
- Expand prevention programs against digital violence
- Develop internal guidelines for the protection of gender equality officers
- Make public support visible and binding
- Provide mobile counseling services against far-right extremism to gender equality policy actors
- Strengthen institutional backing and support for gender equality work within the administration