Under Pressure

15 December 2025 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | FES Berlin

Artistic freedom is a central component of democratic societies. It guarantees critical engagement with power, identity, and social change. In many European countries, however, it is coming under increasing pressure: right-wing populist and authoritarian actors are attempting to ideologically align cultural policy, reinterpret public funding structures, and delegitimize cultural forms of expression.

Against this backdrop, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is hosting an international conference in Berlin on December 15, 2025. Under the title “Under Pressure! Defending Creative Freedom in Times of Right-Wing Populism in Europe” experts from the fields of culture, politics, and academia will discuss how artistic freedom can be protected, strengthened, and reestablished.

Specifically, we want to talk about the following questions:

• Practical experiences: How do cultural professionals, institutions, and politicians in affected countries deal with repression, censorship, or public pressure?
• Artistic freedom under pressure: How do right-wing populist narratives, political influence, and cultural polarization interact?
• Art as a counterforce: What strategies and forms of expression can strengthen democratic culture under pressure?
• Strategies and perspectives: What approaches and cultural policy measures are needed?

The conference will be held in English with simultaneous German translation.

Please register by 11 December 2025.