Public Administration and the Future of Democracy

The rise of authoritarian populism poses a significant threat to liberal democracy, challenging its core principles of openness, deliberation, and pluralism, as well as the integrity of its key institutions. As populist illiberal forces seize executive power, they erode the fundamental values of the liberal democratic model. This trend presents an unprecedented challenge to democratic public administration. In response, the panel will explore the future of public administration as an academic discipline and public management as a practical endeavor in an era where liberal-democratic orders are undergoing profound transformation.

The plenary session II will be chaired by Prof Dr Michael Bauer and the following academics, scholars and experts will provide us with their point of views:  Dr Paraskevi Ant. Dramalioti (Secretary General of Coordination at the Presidency of the Government, Greece) , Prof Dr Eva Sørensen (Professor of Public Administration and Democracy, Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Denmark), and Prof Dr Benoît Rihoux (Full professor in political science at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium)