Political scientist and former candidate for the German presidency Gesine Schwan will deliver this year’s Oberlin speech on November 13. The Oberlin House announced this on Tuesday. Oberlin speech has been a tradition since 2012. Around Reformation Day on October 31st, personalities from politics or society take a position on current issues in front of invited guests in the Oberlin Church in Babelsberg.
The Oberlinhaus announced that Gesine Schwan will address the central importance of fundamental values for the functioning of a stable democracy in her speech entitled “Without strong values, there can be no strong democracy”. The diaconal social service provider refers to the “super election year 2024”: “Especially in times when social tensions are increasing and populist tendencies are gaining strength, it is becoming increasingly important to reflect on and defend the fundamental values of our democratic society.”
Gesine Schwan was president of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) from 1999 to 2008. She became widely known through her two candidacies for the office of Federal President in 2004 and 2009. She is chairwoman of the SPD’s Basic Values Commission.
