The Democracy & Culture Foundation, in association with The New York Times, is organizing the 2025 Athens Democracy Forum, set to take place from October 1–3. Under the theme “New Visions for Hard Realities,” this year’s forum will respond to the mixed democratic outcomes of 2024 — a year marked by global elections that revealed both renewed liberal momentum and rising authoritarianism. Across these political shifts, one message from citizens stood out: disaffection with the status quo and a desire for meaningful change.
The forum will bring together global thinkers, leaders, and changemakers to take stock of today’s pressing challenges — from economic uncertainty and war to technological disruption and the climate crisis — and explore how democracies can respond with clarity, courage, and imagination. While recognizing the dangers of opportunism and polarization, the event will also spotlight hopeful examples of democratic renewal: citizen engagement in policy making, responsive governance through new technologies, and youth-driven innovation in parliaments.
A new thematic pillar will join the forum’s structure this year, inviting participants to envision entirely new ways of organizing society and governance.
To learn more, visit the official website.
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