Brazilian Delegation to Expert Talk in the IParl

Digitization is increasingly influencing politics and society. How different the changes can look became clear during the latest expert talk at the IParl. Invited by the Federal Foreign Office, a delegation of Brazilian scientists and journalists, consisting of Debora Albu (Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade Rio de Janeiro), Beatriz Bastide Horbach (Supremo Tribunal Federal), Prof. Dr. Wilson Da Silva Gomes (Universidade Federal de Bahia), Mauricio Moraes e Silva (Lupa News) and Prof. Dr. Marco Aurelio Ruediger (Director of the Department of Public Policy Analysis), meets various experts during a one week visit of Berlin and Munich. A series of dialogue formats and lectures have been planned and organized by the Goethe-Institute under the programme title "Digitalization and Democracy: Challenges to Parliamentarianism by Social Media, Big Data and Disinformation". The visit to the IParl on 18 November marked the start of the programme.

At the beginning, Dr. Benjamin Höhne welcomed the delegation and introduced the parliamentary system of the Federal Republic of Germany. Afterwards Oliver Kannenberg pointed out the various influences of digitisation on German politics through current examples. Among other things, he spoke about the ongoing online election of the SPD party leadership and the culture of debates in social networks. In Brazil, the presidential election campaign last year revealed some of the dark sides of online communication which inspires our guests to ask lively questions about experiences in Germany. The stimulating exchange provided some interesting insights into similarities and differences between the two countries and political systems.