Rhein-Main Universitäten (RMU)

Since its foundation, the RMU alliance has fostered intensive exchange with partners from science, business, politics and society in various formats. With the Parliamentary Breakfast, the RMU brought together scientists from the three universities and members of the German parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) to explore current challenges to democracy and societal resilience from different scientific perspectives and to jointly discuss how to approach these challenges. In her welcome address, RMU spokesperson Professor Tanja Brühl, together with other members of the RMU Board of Directors, Professor Stefan Müller-Stach (JGU Mainz) and Professor Viera Pirker (GU Frankfurt) emphasized: "As RMU, it is part of our own self-understanding that we contribute the strengths of our alliance to help address the changes and challenges ahead and develop solutions based on our complementary expertise. The question of how we set up our democracy for the future is such a pressing issue. This is both about the resilience of democractic institutions and processes and about the infrastructures we need for a functioning community. In order to put scientific findings into action in a sustainable and effective manner, we engage in dialogue and bring together perspectives from various fields. This is precisely what we want to achieve at our Parliamentary Breakfast."

In three short impulse speeches, scientists from the RMU universities gave insights into their current research. Dr. Susanne Garritzmann (GU Frankfurt) and Dr. Nils Steiner (JGU Mainz) presented the results of a current survey on the state elections in Saxonia-Anhalt. The focus was, inter alia, on difference in the endorsement of illiberal interference with democratic processes based on voting intentions as well as gender-specific differences in the voting behaviour, in particular of younger voters. Prof. Dr. Armin Schäfer (JGU Mainz) extended this perspective to a European comparison. He highlighted the discrepancy between the generally high degree of consent to democracy as a form of government and the dissatisfaction of many citizens with the way democracy actually functions. An important aspect, among others, is how people perceive their options to have any influence on political decisions. In a third impulse speech, Professor Florian Müller and Professor Christian Reuter (both TU Darmstadt) addressed the vulnerability of critical, in particular digital infrastructure as well as possibilities of manipulation in digital environments. Using examples such as hybrid threats and deepfakes, they highlighted current challenges and outlined possible actions to strengthen digital sovereignty. 

This was followed by a discussion hosted by Dr. Patrick Honecker (TU Darmstadt) which brought together the scientific analyses and the experiences and perspectives of the members of parliament present. The discussion focused on the question of what approaches for strengthening democratic processes and protecting criticial infrastructures are already being discussed at a political level – and how scientific expertise from the RMU can add to specific political questions and needs. 

Sören Heß, co-founder and CEO of the startup Panocular AI, introduced the perspective of the RMU innovation ecosystem into the discussion, explaining how scientific findings can be developed into innovative application and market-ready solutions. Tome Sandevski then showed how to make an ongoing science-policy exchange possible, based on the example of the Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship Program which he coordinates for the RMU. The program brings together decision-makers and scientists from the three Rhine-Main Universities in one-on-one talks. 

The Parliamentary Breakfast serves to continue this dialogue: The participants agreed to continue the various threads of conversation and to continue the exchange on current societal challenges.