News

Arne Semsrott | Takeover. What happens when right-wing extremists rule

Thu
05
Jun 2025

Thu
05
Jun 2025

© Joerg Brueggemann / OSTKREUZ

Place: Fritz Bauer Forum (Feldmark 107, 44803 Bochum)
Duration: 90 min.
Start: 18:00
End: 19:30
Language: German
Admission fee: Free
barrier-free

Democracy in danger - and what we can do about it

Lecture and discussion

„In this unfortunately terribly necessary book, Arne Semsrott shows what could come at us from the right and what can be done about it. Highly recommended reading.“ Marc-Uwe Kling

These are worrying times: Just a few years ago, right-wing extremists were still largely isolated in the party spectrum. Today, anti-democratic positions are steadily gaining support across society, while the AfD is achieving top results in elections. It is high time to address the real danger of an authoritarian takeover.

The well-known political activist Arne Semsrott has written the book of the hour and shows what happens when right-wing extremists come to power. And he provides concrete strategies for how we can defend our democratic society .

Right-wing extremism poses a direct threat to democracy in Germany. Arne Semsrott shows impressively: our institutions are vulnerable, bureaucracy and administration seem more fragile than ever. Schools, tax offices, ministries, public broadcasting and the police form the democratic foundation of our society – but what happens when they fall? And how can the constitution and separation of powers be defended when right-wingers begin to restructure the state in order to consolidate their power in the long term?

In his cutting-edge non-fiction book, Semsrott shows in concrete terms what means trade unions, civil servants, the judiciary, the media, companies and civil society can use to counter a right-wing takeover. Right-wing extremists are on the verge of assuming responsibility in government – we should prepare ourselves to resist with all democratic means. Arne Semsrott exposes the breaking points of constitutional institutions and recognises that the time to act is now.

„Essential reading for anyone interested in a resilient democracy.“ Samira El Ouassil

Arne Semsrott, born in Hamburg in 1988, is a political scientist and activist. He runs the research and transparency portal FragDenStaat, which he used to publicise the „NSU files“, among other things. He was also a co-initiator of Hochschulwatch and OpenSCHUFA and founded the Freiheitsfonds. Semsrott writes for fluter, netzpolitik.org and Le Monde diplomatique , among others, and is a two-time winner of the Otto Brenner Prize for critical journalism. His bestseller Machtübernahme was published by Droemer in 2024.

An event organised by the Fritz Bauer Forum in cooperation with Stadtbücherei Bochum

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