To the point
- Launch: The Max Planck Center for Democracy, Security and Human Rights was inaugurated on 11 November 2025 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Partners: A joint initiative of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI-CSL) in Freiburg and the Minerva Center for Human Rights (MCHR) at the Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ)
- Aim: To explore how democracy, human rights, and security can be reconciled and mutually strengthened in times of global democratic decline and growing security threats.
- Duration: The Center will operate for five years, from October 2025 to September 2030.
Around the world, democracy is under pressure. The V-Dem Report 2024 documents a steady global decline in the number of liberal democracies, raising urgent questions about how democratic institutions can remain resilient while responding to complex security challenges.
The Max Planck Center for Democracy, Security and Human Rights will tackle one of the defining dilemmas of our time: How can societies defend themselves without destroying the democratic and rule of law values they seek to protect? The Center brings together experts in constitutional, human-rights, and security law to study the dynamic relationship between democratic governance and public security — and to develop innovative approaches that transcend the traditional “security versus liberty” divide.
‘Democracy and security must not be viewed as opposing forces,’ says Ralf Poscher, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law. ‘Our Center will explore ways to reconcile the protection of civil liberties with the need to safeguard societies against violence, misinformation, and other threats. Strengthening democracy is not a limitation on security — it is its very foundation and purpose.’ Barak Medina, Academic Director of the Minerva Center for Human Rights and Professor at the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, adds: ‘The establishment of this Center comes at a crucial moment. Both democracy and human rights are being challenged globally — including here in Israel. Our collaboration with the Max Planck Society sends a powerful signal: that academic cooperation across borders and perspectives is indispensable for defending the principles of liberal democracy.’
A forum for global and diverse exchange
The Center serves as an international hub for scholarship and debate. It engages a diverse community of researchers, anchored by leading experts and an active fellowship program for doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. Research groups at both sites work closely together, supported by structured exchanges, monthly seminars, joint workshops, and three international conferences. A distinctive feature of the Center is its inclusive academic network. It will foster collaboration between students and scholars of diverse disciplines, and between Jewish and Arab-Palestinian students and scholars in Israel.
On the German side, the Center collaborates with the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. Under the guidance of Professor Anne Peters, experts in public international law will contribute additional perspectives, including opportunities for research stays in Heidelberg.
Research topics: Rethinking democracy and security
The Center’s research addresses some of the most pressing issues of our time:
- New approaches to security and the rule of law: exploring how preventive security measures can be reconciled with due process and democratic oversight
- Human rights and judicial review: studying the balance between public interest and fundamental rights, and the role of courts in safeguarding democracy
- Democracy in the 21st century: investigating how security concerns contribute to democratic backsliding and how institutions can adapt
- Security forces in a democracy: analysing the evolving roles of police and military under different legal systems
- Technological change and AI: examining how generative AI, surveillance, and digital platforms affect democracy, the rule of law, and human rights
- Measuring surveillance: developing conceptual tools, such as the Surveillance Barometer designed at MPI-CSL, to assess the impact of security laws on democratic values
Organisational structure and leadership
The Center is jointly directed by two leading experts in constitutional law – Prof. Dr. Ralf Poscher (MPI-CSL) and Prof. Dr. Barak Medina (HUJ). Prof. Yuval Shany (HUJ), the former Chair of the UN Human Rights Committee, as well as Prof. Dr. Tatjana Hörnle, an expert in criminal law and theory, will serve as co-directors. Prof. Badi Hasisi of the Hebrew University, an expert on homeland security from the perspective of Arab-Palestinian communities, will contribute from his knowledge in the field. A managing director and staff at the Minerva Center coordinate the Center’s operations in Jerusalem, while administrative support at MPI-CSL assists in Freiburg. The Center’s activities promote regular exchange between the two sites and the wider academic community.
Source and further details: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft