CEO activism and populism: Markus Scholz in Handelsblatt

In Handelsblatt, Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, holder of the Chair of Responsible Management (TU Dresden), expresses his criticism of so-called CEO activism in dealing with populist parties such as the AfD in an interview with Christian Wermke.

The business ethicist argues that although high-profile political statements by corporate leaders are well-intentioned, they are often problematic from a strategic perspective.

He warns against narrowing political responsibility to individual CEOs. When corporate leaders present themselves as moral authorities, there is a risk of polarization and unintentionally strengthening populist narratives. Political engagement by companies must therefore be institutional, consistent, and credible—not the personal activism of individual executives.

Instead of symbolic statements, Prof. Scholz advocates for long-term commitment by companies to democratic institutions and processes. This includes supporting democratic education, protecting the principles of the rule of law, and establishing clear internal guidelines for dealing with extremist positions. Political responsibility is therefore not a PR tool, but part of responsible corporate governance.

The full interview from Handelsblatt can be found here.

The book “Wirtschaft mit Werten” (Economy with Values) by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz can be found under this link.