After the Bundestag’s decision to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine, a contro­versial debate has flared up about Germany’s attitude towards the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.  The signa­tories call on Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German government to ...

Just a day after the first videos of the Bucha massacre were posted to social media, on 3 April 2022, Hungary’s FIDESZ-Christian Democ­ratic alliance won its fourth consec­utive landslide victory with 54,10%,...

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a turning point for Europe and the whole world. What are its policy impli­ca­tions? Are the sanctions imposed so far suffi­cient to contain the...

So far, the people of Ukraine have borne the burden of the war all alone. For the German precept of “never again”, this is a reality shock, comments Marieluise Beck.

More than 80 scholars, politi­cians, business­people and civil society repre­sen­ta­tives have signed an appeal to the German government to stop oil and gas imports from Russia. Remarkably, the coalition of...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is reaching a perilous stage. The West needs to step up efforts to make Putin’s war unwinnable. Conces­sions will only prolong his regime and increase Moscow’s appetite...

Moldova, a country in the heart of Europe, its current leadership and first and foremost its people, opened not only its borders but also their homes for the suffering neigh­bours. The...

Military expert Gustav C. Gressel on the war in Ukraine: The outcome will depend in part on whether the West supplies Ukraine with the weapons it needs. It is also...

On 22 March, at 2 pm, the Center for Liberal Modernity in cooper­ation with Naftogaz Ukraine and the Ukrainian Feder­ation of Employers of the Oil and Gas Industry invites you to...

Based on six criteria of the United Nations Convention against Genocide, Russia is committing genocide in Mariupol, says Inter­na­tional law expert Otto Luchterhandt.

By waging a war against Ukraine, Putin has badly miscal­cu­lated. The Russian leader has become victim of his own propa­gan­distic visions and failed to antic­ipate the Western respo­nse, writes Vladislav Inozemtsev.

How should we deal with a repressive and confronta­tional Russia? Join our annual discussion “Russia and the West” on 24 March, which will be held jointly with the Munich Security Conference...

We must stop funding Putin’s war with our energy imports

French election campaigns are usually desper­ately navel-gazing. Foreign policy issues are all but absent from the debate. And even in ‘ordinary’ times, all mainstream evening news programmes consider inter­na­tional news...

Political scientist Oleksandra Keudel warns of European and global conse­quences in the case of Russian attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Two prominent members of the Ukrainian parliament appeal to their colleagues in the German Bundestag to stand by Ukraine in the face of Russian threats of war.

After failing to agree on exclusive spheres of influence in Europe with the Trump admin­is­tration, the Kremlin is challenging Washing­ton’s ability to keep unity among Euro-Atlantic allies and protect European...

Finally: Here are the Insights and Highlights of our Inter­na­tional Conference “Rethinking Liber­alism, Renewing Democracy”!

How should the West counter Russian threats of war? We document Ralf Fücks’ OP ED at DIE WELT, 21.12.2021.

This Wednesday, the Eastern Partnership Summit will take place for the first time in four years. On this occasion, Iryna Solonenko, Senior Fellow at the Center for Liberal Modernity, sheds...

As 2021 draws to a close, we look back on this year’s important events. Among them is the Crimea Platform, which was launched in August at Ukraine’s initiative to shore up...

The political crisis in Georgia continues after the municipal runoff elections. The close election result exacer­bates the polar­ization between the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition...

On 22 October, the foundation stone for a new memorial to the 1941 massacre was laid in Odesa. The future memorial is the result of an initiative of the Centre for...

The consid­erable break­throughs in the EU-Ukraine economic agenda have been harmed by sluggish political devel­opment, partic­u­larly concerning the rule of law. The judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, independent and efficient law-enforcement...

  On October 5, 2021, the Center Liberal Modernity held the public discussion on prior­ities for cooper­ation with Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova under the Eastern Partnership Plus project. The discussion...

Europe is suffering from high gas prices. At some gas hubs, they increased more than 250% since January, and already have impact on the retail prices for house­holds in many...

In the LibMod Policy Paper: Assessment of progress in the fight against corruption in the EU-associated states of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, our author Dr. Khatia Kikalishvili argues that insufficient...

When Angela Merkel took office as German Chancellor in 2005, she was better prepared for the challenges on the EU’s eastern border than any other West European head of government....

In the LibMod-Policy-Paper: Towards a European Climate Diplomacy, Dr. Georg Zachmann analyses the extension of the European Green Deal to the three associated states of the EU (Ukraine, Georgia and the...

The reactions in Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recent visit to the United States vary widely and are often politi­cized. They range from state­ments that the visit lifted relations to...

A year ago protests began against electoral fraud in Belarus. Dictator Lukashenko responded with a wave of harsh state violence, which led to the country being further isolated and sanctioned internationally....

The impact of the Biden-Merkel-Agreement on Nord Stream 2 in Ukraine is simply disas­trous. Especially among western oriented, reform-minded people trust in Germany and the US fell at a record low. China...

A commentary by Ralf Fücks on Putin’s latest historical policy manifesto, published by the Kremlin.

In this analyses Dmytro Shulga argues for the EU and specif­i­cally Germany to consider it’s own strategic gains in offering Ukraine a way to full EU membership over an extended amount...

Digital­ization repre­sents one of the major challenges of our time. Hence, it is crucial to obtain a profound under­standing of the digital trans­for­mation in order to be able to design and steer it.

An answer to Wladimir Putin’s fine tuned op-ed in the German weekly Die Zeit by Ralf Fücks, Center for Liberal Modernity.

Statement by Ralf Fücks und Marieluise Beck: The Russian Prose­cutor General’s decision to brandmark the Center for Liberal Modernity together with the German-Russian Exchange (DRA) and a Russian exile organi­zation as “undesirable...

The recent visit of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv has generated some interest in Ukraine and beyond. This face-to-face meeting was a good oppor­tunity for the United...

Climate change and its conse­quences are viewed differ­ently in Russia than is the case in the West. The issue is under­stood as “part of a political game”. This difference in outlook has ramifi­ca­tions for both political and economic cooper­ation. The interview study “Russian Experts’ Opinions on Global Climate Change”, conducted by Russia’s Levada-Center and commis­sioned by the Center for Liberal Modernity, affords in-depth insight into the Russian elites’ perspective on climate change and its societal and economic consequences.

The protests in Belarus in 2020 did not lead to a change in gov­ern­ment. But Lukashenko’s chosen way of brutal suppres­sion will not gain him any popular support — and is...

In late March 2021 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revoked a decree made by runaway president Viktor Yanukovych appointing Oleksandr Tupytsky and Oleksandr Kasminin to the Consti­tu­tional Court. This raised eyebrows in...

Since January 2021 there has been growing military escalation in conflict-affected areas of Donbas. Russia has built up military equipment deployment along the Russian-Ukrainian border, reposi­tioned its army and strengthened...

Lukas Daubner argues that the liberal forces of all stripes should once again take a positive view of the future.

Slovakia is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic in Europe. After MP Matovic and several ministers resigned, liberal opposition politician Michal Simecka demands a fast solution to the...

The analytical paper “Investment plans of the EU: oppor­tu­nities for Ukraine in the area of the European Green Deal imple­men­tation” identifies the most important spheres of involvement for the Ukrainian...

Anna Donath, MEP, comments on Orban’s FIDESZ Party leaving the European People Party’s (EPP) faction in the European Parliament and a new alliance of the Hungarian opposition gainst the anti-european Prime...

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is facing protests and requests to resign after Armenia lost the war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno Karabakh. Richard Giragosian, Director of the independent Think­tanks Regional...

Only temporarily, says Michael Zürn, Director at the Berlin Social Science Center. 

Only temporarily, says Michael Zürn, Director at the Berlin Social Science Center. 

While violence thrives in silence, it has no chance to persist if brought to public attention. Inter­na­tional attention and support to the people in Belarus are now more crucial than...

The Roadmap „Towards Climate-Neutral Aviation“ by Ralf Fücks (Zentrum Libe­rale Moderne), Mat­thias von Randow (Chief Exe­cu­tive of the BDL) and Volker Thum (Chief Exe­cu­tive of the BDLI) sum­ma­ri­zes the results...

A four-month stand-off between Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko and the pro-democ­ratic protesters posed a serious challenge for the EU. The block that had announced its ambition to become a geopo­litical actor, has...

Liberal democracy has come under pressure from various quarters: from the outside by author­i­tarian regimes, from within by populist movements and parties. In this dossier, we want to combine ideas of a new liberalism.

Online-Panel Discussion on October 6, 2020, with Gunther Krichbaum, Johannes Schraps, Renata Alt, Manuel Sarrazin und others.

Lessons learned from Covid-19: Ralf Fuecks discusses with Anthony Giddens

In Germany, a majority favour closer ties with Russia despite new autho­ri­anism under Putin, military aggression against Ukraine and bombing in Syria. Where does the desire for a special relationship with Russia...

Panel and online dis­cus­sion with Marie­luise Beck, Vla­di­mir Kara-Murza und Michael McFaul on 9 Sep­tem­ber 2020, 7 pm CET

Ahead to the Past – The World in the Mind of Putin Эту статью можно читать и на русском

The paper ‘From status quo to status reform: Accountable Gover­nance in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’ argues that greater priority should be attached to the rule of law and democ­ratic governance...

With its “Eastern Partnership 2.0” project, LibMod is bringing perspec­tives from Georgia, Moldova and the Ukraine to Berlin’s and Brussels’ policy circles.

Tradi­tional opposition parties and movements has long seized to be a polit­i­cally meaningful force in Belarus. It is time for Western decision-makers to finally admit this unpleasant reality and shift its...

In the LibMod policy paper: “The Eastern Partner­ship’s Missing Security Dimension” Gustav C. Gressel analyses the precarious security situation in the three EU associate countries and sheds light on EU...

Ukraine is under­going profound trans­for­mation. One click will take you to the website www.ukraineverstehen.de, where you will find infor­mation, analyses and reports on the latest devel­op­ments in the country. With a dedicated...

The Russian Government is trying to get access to the internet – perhaps the most important refuge for freedom of speech. Cyber­space is increas­ingly restricted through state censorship: state pressure...

This aim of LibMod’s “Liberal Democracy and Its Adver­saries” project is to examine the “long lines” of antiliberal thought and discuss its relevance for the debate of today. The project’s...

An interview with Dr. Ulana Suprun, former acting minister of Health of Ukraine (2016–2019) on the government’s response to COVID-19, including an erratic commu­ni­cation strategy, a lack of trans­parency and corruption...

Eco-innova­­tions, economic oppor­tu­nities and social partic­i­pation in times of climate change are the subjects of this book, edited by Ralf Fücks and Thomas Köhler, in which widely acclaimed authors discuss...

An Open Letter to the Parlia­mentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Please don’t deprive yourself of the right to impose sanctions on member states that are violating the statutes...

An intro­duction to our report and a summary of our results.

Fly less! Eat less meat! In the struggle against climate change, there is one thing in particular we should do: moderate our lifestyles. Individual respon­si­bility definitely matters. Will renun­ci­ation and...

On this date 74 years ago, the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau exter­mi­nation camp. The 27th of January became the Day of Remem­brance for the Victims of National Socialism. Much has...

On January 17 the Centre for Liberal Modernity held its second inter­na­tional Russia conference. This year’s topic was if Germany’s policy of detente of the 1970s can offer any guidance...

The book discussed below (Why we need peace and freedom with Russia) explicitly presents itself as an appeal for a change in Germany’s policy towards Russia. It brings together authors from...

For decades, Sinol­o­gists who were largely blind to China’s expansive power politics have dominated Germany’s political advice circles, culti­vating an image of China that our author calls “Late Orien­talism”. Shaped...

Over the last 200 years, Liber­alism has been a stunning success story. It brought forward liberty and prosperity for the many instead of privi­leges for the few. Yet, today liberal thinking and...

A summary of the elections in Bavaria, one of the major German states with more then 9 million voters.

With the annex­ation of Crimea and the undeclared war in Eastern Ukraine, the Russian leadership gravely violates the principles of the European peace order. In response, the Parlia­mentary Assembly of...

Sandra Detzer und Sebastian Schaffer of the German Greens travel to Sweden where the right-wing-populist “Sweden Democrats” could win the election in September. But where danger is, rescue also grows:...

What will be at stake when Moscow and Beijing begin to share their lessons?

Are Russia’s inter­ven­tions in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria merely a reaction against the expansion of NATO? Facts and arguments concerning a propa­ganda myth.

The elections on April 8, 2018 gave Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party another two-thirds majority in parliament. Attila Juhasz explains why this does not imply a broad support for the concept of ‘illib­erale democracy’. The hungarian...

Society is caught up in a whirlwind of change. The power of liberal democ­racies is dwindling and the political balance in the world is shifting. An interview with Ralf Fücks on...

The anti-liberal revolt ist not limited to the US and Europe. Tendencies towards an ‘illiberal democracy’ and ethnic nation­alism can be observed in Israel as well. The Israeli author Dahlia...

On March 13 the Center Liberal Modernity held its first inter­na­tional conference on Russia. The event’s main intention was gaining a deeper under­standing of the Putin System and to find out...

A Russian agent who switched sides is attacked with a military-grade nerve agent in a provincial English town. Prime Minister May holds Moscow respon­sible for the attack. Are we back in the...

During the election campaign, appealing to people’s anger and demonizing the opponents is the most common strategy. Political programs hardly matter. The political landscape is highly fragmented. In election polls,...

Recapit­u­lation of a faltering peace process: the second Minsk Agreement of February 2015, intended to put an end to the war in eastern Ukraine and to set a political process in motion,...

In the coalition agreement, the CDU and the SPD dodge important reforms and take a scattershot approach to the distri­b­ution of a great deal of money. The big challenges, like climate, demographic...

The five AfD Members of the Bundestag from Saxony are among the most radical in the party’s (Alter­native for Germany) parlia­mentary group. At a party event near Pirna, the party base...

Karen Horn reminds us of forgotten, pioneering thinkers on liberty and highlights the necessary contra­diction within which a modern liber­alism exists: the tension between limiting state influence and recog­nizing that influence...

The rapid devel­opment of wind and solar energy alone will not put an end to climate change. Green­house gas emissions continue to rise around the world. Even Germany has not...

The EU as we knew it does not exist anymore. This is Ivan Krastev’s point of departure. The optimistic belief in the idea of progress that was widely held during...

There can be no liberal modernity without social justice, which is why nothing can surpass the social democ­ratic idea, which has been margin­alized in the current SPD. Anyone, who is...

The rapid pace of moderni­sation renders people suscep­tible to populism. In cosmopolitan milieus, this came as a surprise. Yet the warning signs had long been apparent.

About the motives for founding a Center for Liberal Modernity.