Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz speaks at the workshop "Business and co-determination for democracy" in Frankfurt am Main

On March 27, 2026, Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz took part in the workshop "Business and co-determination for democracy" in Frankfurt am Main at the invitation of the Hans Böckler Foundation. The event was dedicated to the question of what responsibility companies and employee representatives bear for strengthening liberal democracy and what role co-determination actors can play in this context.

In his keynote speech, Markus Scholz addressed the responsibility of companies in the face of the rise of right-wing populist and far-right movements. He used the economic "free rider" problem as an illustration: just as the permanent use of public services without any contribution from the company would undermine their basis, the silence of companies in the face of developments that threaten democracy cannot remain without consequences. His lecture focused on the political positioning of companies, CEO activism and the connection between liberal democracy and value-oriented corporate management.

The program was supplemented by a contribution from Dr. Sebastian Sick, who examined the handling of changed DEI requirements in the USA and their implications for companies and supervisory boards in Europe. In particular, he highlighted the danger of "anticipatory obedience" in an environment characterized by uncertainty and emphasized the importance of critical monitoring in the supervisory board.

The workshop thus provided important impetus for the current debate on corporate responsibility, co-determination and democratic resilience. At the same time, the event underlined the fact that responsible management today goes far beyond traditional issues of good corporate governance and increasingly includes active engagement with social and political challenges.