Polish philosopher and political scientist Jacek Kołtan will speak at the mini festival “Democracy Now and Then”, organised by the House of European History in Brussels on May 4, 2019. He will join the participatory debate “Elections – a cornerstone or Achilles’ heel of democracy?” where he will talk about the role and relevance today of the 1989 Polish elections. Kołtan will share thoughts with Karel Janecek (Democracy 21) who will speak about voting systems and methods today, with regard to past experiences.

About “Democracy Now and Then”
On the occasion of the Open Day of the European Institutions, the House of European History invites you to take part in the mini-festival “Democracy Now & Then”, which takes place inside and outside the House of European History. This mini-festival will bring to life the contents and messages of the museum for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Thematic guided tours, sharing of testimonies and creative workshops on democracy, as well as artistic guided visits for families and ‘hands-on’ and ‘hearts-on’ activities for kids will animate the museum and its surroundings throughout the day.

About Jacek Kołtan
Jacek Kołtan, PhD, philosopher and political scientist, Deputy Director for Research at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk, Poland. He studied at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland), Humboldt-Universität and Freie Universität in Berlin (Germany). He has been a fellow of the KAAD scholarship fund in Berlin (2001–2007) and a visiting scholar of the CUA in Washington DC (2012). His research interests cover social and political theory, history of solidarity idea, new social movements, hermeneutics as well as social design and anthropology. He is author of Solidarity and the Crisis of Trust (ed., 2016), Anthology. European Solidarity Centre Permanent Exhibition (ed., 2015), Obywatele ACTA (ed., 2014), Solidarność. A Peaceful Revolution (ed., 2009), Der Mitmensch. Zur Identitätsproblematik des sozialen Selbst ausgehend von der Frühphilosophie Martin Heideggers und Karl Löwiths (2012). He teaches social design theory at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
>>> Where: House of European History, Rue Belliard 135, 1000 Bruxelles – map
>>> When: Saturday May 4, 2019 at 16:00
>>> Registration here
>>> Check out the full programme here

In collaboration with the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) and Archa Theatre

Image courtesy Jacek Kołtan