Berlin, 22 November 2024: "In a fair democracy, every voice is heard and every perspective is welcome. It promotes vibrant diversity and ensures that justice is the basis for equal opportunities for all." Under the motto "For a Just Democracy!", Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu gave the fourth Helmut Schmidt Lectureyesterday evening at the invitation of the German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation (BKHS) . Almost 500 guests attended the event at the Museum for Communication in Berlin. Afterwards, İmamoğlu spoke with Dr Nathalie Tocci, Chair of the Foundation's International Advisory Board, and Dr Elisabeth Winter, BKHS Programme Director for Global Markets and Social Justice, about various approaches to establishing resilient democracies. "For a Just Democracy!" is also the title of the fourth issue of the BKHS Magazine, which was published yesterday. The contributions from renowned experts provided additional impetus for discussion with the audience at the end of the event.
Peer Steinbrück opened the Helmut Schmidt Lecture 2024 as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BKHS, welcoming Ekrem İmamoğlu with the words: "He demonstrates an unwavering commitment to fundamental democratic values, to transparency and accountability, to open dialogue and to overcoming ideological boundaries. By putting people and their needs at the centre, regardless of their background, he is in line with Helmut Schmidt's commitment to the common good and the promotion of democratic dialogue across class and milieu boundaries."
Ekrem İmamoğlu has been mayor of Turkey's largest city for five years and was confirmed in office with a clear majority in March 2024. As the candidate of the social democratic CHP, he ran for mayor for the first time in 2019 and surprisingly won by a narrow majority against the AKP. A re-run of the election forced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed İmamoğlu and made him one of the most influential politicians in Turkey in recent years. Since his re-election, he has been the bearer of hope for political change. He is a man of the people who never tires of emphasising the importance of including all sections of the population:
"We have listened to the people's messages. By implementing inclusive policies that directly address discontent, exclusion and marginalisation, we can weaken some of the most effective tactics that authoritarian populists use to undermine the foundations of democracy." For him, focussing on citizens and their needs is essential; he sees people as part of the administrative apparatus, not separate from it. As mayor of Istanbul, for example, he introduced an app that enables everyone to participate in local politics and contribute suggestions and wishes.
He explained his approach of "democratic peopleism versus populism", in which unity, fairness and respect are at the centre of political action. This offers the opportunity to create cities - and ultimately societies - in which democracy not only survives, but thrives: "This commitment to democracy, justice and welfare is what drives me every day as mayor. I am convinced that by embodying these values, we are not only advancing Istanbul, but also setting a global standard for what a just democracy can truly achieve."
Mayor İmamoğlu emphasised the importance of German-Turkish friendship in the fight to preserve democracy by saying "Germany is a strong partner for Turkey" and pointed out that the Turkish community in Germany, with 3.5 million people, also makes a significant contribution to democracy in Germany.
Turkey is a part of Europe and cooperation must be strengthened in order to strengthen democracy. After all, democracy is not only under serious threat in Turkey, but all over the world. His aim was for Turkey, as a member of the EU, to work together with other democratic states to counter the threats to democracy: "Democrats need a clear roadmap to tackle global challenges."
He concluded by emphasising that the time to rethink democracy is now, because peace at home is peace in the world. You can find the full speech in English here.
The subsequent round of talks also focussed on the question of what criteria for success make a functioning democracy and how it can be strengthened. Ekrem İmamoğlu, political scientist Dr Nathalie Tocci and BKHS expert Dr Elisabeth Winter, moderated by journalist Kristie Pladson, discussed the effects of Donald Trump's re-election as well as the future of Germany after the break-up of the "Ampel" coalition. The audience was able to discuss other topics with the BKHS team at meeting points.
The Helmut Schmidt Lecture was also accompanied by the BKHS Magazine "For a Just Democracy!" with essays, photos, statements and prose by well-known policy experts, journalists, activists and artists. The current issue of "For a Just Democracy!" includes contributions by Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Albanian-British political scientist and philosopher Lea Ypi, the communication and political scientist Andrea Römmele, the democracy researcher Maria Skóra and the Indian director Vinay Shukla, among others