Whether Russian disinformation campaigns, Chinese infiltration at universities, Iranian networks putting exile communities under pressure, or the influence of the Turkish government on mosque congregations in Germany – all these phenomena show how foreign actors are working in a targeted way towards the destabilisation of German democracy. In doing so, they can count on domestic support: parties, media, religious groups and other organisations that take part actively or indirectly in such exertions of influence. The eleventh edition of our discussion series “360° – Safeguarding Jewish life and democracy” is devoted to the highly charged subject of foreign influence on German society and its institutional structures. Under the title “The long arm” we focus in particular on the connections between foreign actors and domestic groupings with anti-democratic interests.
- What strategies do foreign actors pursue, and which internal weak points favour their exertion of influence?
- How can we as a society be made aware of the risks?
- What synergies are possible between security authorities, political measures and civil society engagement?
- Which technical, political and social measures must be taken in order to protect democracy?
We discussed this on 8 April 2025 with our panel guests:
- Claudia Plattner, President of the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik
- Michael Fischer, Head of the Berliner Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz
- Rebecca Schönenbach, specialist in foreign-related extremism and terrorism financing
Moderation: Alina Stiegler (journalist, ARD/rbb among others)
