Blog: Digital Democracy Days at I2SC


Digitalization and its effects on democracy are now firmly anchored in the public debate. It has the potential to profoundly change democracy – both positively and negatively. Phenomena such as the election success of Donald Trump, often referred to as the “Twitter President,” and the emergence of social movements formed around hashtags provide a striking illustration of how digital technologies influence the way political processes take place. The central question is: Which elements of digitalization change which aspects of democracy? What positive effects can be identified and what negative challenges arise? But above all, how can these negative effects be successfully addressed?

We therefore organized a two-day conference on "Digital Democracy" aimed at exploring the risks and opportunities posed by emerging technologies in the context of democratic systems. The event brought together a diverse group of 20-30 experts from fields such as political science, law, and computer science.

Given the current polycrisis era, the topic of digital democracy is more pressing than ever. Political parties, NGOs, and civic educators must adapt to a rapidly digitalizing communication landscape, blending traditional and digital channels to engage the public effectively.

The interdisciplinary discussions aimed to identify key research areas and potential collaboration opportunities. Participants explored both the risks and the positive impacts of digitalization on democracy and considered strategies for mitigating the challenges. There was a general consensus on the need for further research into safeguarding democratic processes in the digital age.

The conference highlighted the growing importance of addressing these concerns collectively across different fields.





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