Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned of the danger of the spread of authoritarian tendencies worldwide and called for “pressure” on independent institutions.
At the presentation of the Habach Freedom Prize to Poland’s former justice minister, constitutionalist Adam Bodnar, Mr. Steinmeier noted that “democracy, the rule of law and independent institutions are currently under international pressure, while authoritarian governments are trying to discredit and dismantle democratic oversight mechanisms – including independent media, cultural institutions and the judiciary.” In a democracy, the federal president stressed, citizens are not powerless against such developments. “Authoritarian tendencies are not just a fate from which we cannot escape. On the contrary, we all have a choice and we can make our decision through our vote,” he added.
Habach Castle is considered the cradle of democracy in Germany, as around 30 people gathered there in 1832.In 1832, about 30,000 people gathered to protest against censorship and princely arbitrariness and to defend civil liberties and the rights of speech, assembly and the press. The Habah thus remains to this day an important milestone on the road to democracy. The annual Freedom Prize was established in 2023 and comes with a cash prize of €10,000.
Referring to the recipient of this year’s Prize, Mr. Steinmeier spoke of a “staunch supporter of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, who had warned early on of the dangers facing the independence of democratic institutions and had actively opposed interference in the judiciary.”
