Responsible Management Talks 2026: Dr. Jörg Heidig presented the latest findings from the Lausitz Monitor 2026 at the IHI Zittau

This year’s Responsible Management Talks took place on June 10, 2026, in the main lecture hall of the International Institute (IHI) Zittau at TU Dresden. Under the title “Political Attitudes of East Saxon Citizens – Selected Findings from the Lausitz Monitor 2026,” Dr. Jörg Heidig presented current findings on acceptance of democracy,trust in institutions, and social cohesion in the Lausitz region to an audience of more than 40 participants. The event was moderated by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, holder of the Chair of Business Administration, with a focus on Responsible Management.

The presentation focused on new analyses from the Lausitz Monitor 2026. Dr. Heidig showed that while democracy in Lusatia continues to be recognized by a majority as a good form of government, approval has noticeably declined compared to earlier surveys. This decline is particularly evident among segments of the population with lower levels of formal education, but is now also apparent in more highly educated groups. Furthermore, significant differences can be observed based on occupational status and industry.

A second focus of the presentation was on trust in institutions. While institutions closely tied to everyday life and directly experienced, such as the fire department and police, continue to enjoy comparatively high levels of trust, political parties and institutions of national politics fare significantly worse. The findings thus point to a tension between locally and functionally anchored trust on the one hand and a noticeable distance from political institutions on the other.

The discussion made it clear that political attitudes in Lusatia cannot be viewed in isolation from regional structural conditions. Issues such as structural change, demographic trends, economic uncertainty, and political polarization provide important contextual frameworks for interpreting the findings presented. At the same time, it became clear that higher education institutions, in particular, can play an important role in opening up spaces for dialogue and promoting democratic understanding in the region by offering public dialogue formats.

This year’s Responsible Management Talks impressively demonstrated how closely issues of democratic culture, regional development, and responsible management are intertwined.