Willy Brandt Lecture 2023 – Defending Democracy and European Values

In this year’s Willy Brandt Lecture, Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission, will address the EU’s efforts to defend democracy and promote European values in today’s complex world – a world shaped by rising populism and disinformation, by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the transition to a more sustainable and digital economy.

In her lecture, Věra Jourová will focus on the EU’s steps to protect free and fair elections to the European Parliamant in 2024, among them . She will highlight the European Democracy Action plan, and the Defence of Democracy package as well as her work with the large online platforms and other relevant actors in the fight against disinformation. Věra Jourová will also talk about her efforts to promote the rule of law in the EU, its neighborhood and on a global scale. After her lecture, Věra Jourová will join Michael Roth, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag for a discussion on the current challenges of the EU and of Europa and Germany can face them.

Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Wolfgang Tierse, former President of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung

Willy Brandt Lecture 2023
Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission

Discussion
Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission
Michael Roth (MdB, SPD), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the German Bundestag

Registration required by December 8. To register, please send an email to or use the online-registration on the German event-entry. The event will also be available as a livestream on our YouTube channel.

Previous speakers included the historian Adam Tooze, the executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Beatrice Fihn, the environmental activist Naomi Klein, the Internet pioneer Jaron Lanier and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.

Lecture in English with simultaneous translation. A small reception will follow.