Book launch as part of an academic dialogue

Administrative reform rather than a crisis? In her new book *Bürokratopia: How Public Administration Can Save Democracy* (Wagenbach 2025), labour law expert and public administration consultant Dr Julia Borggräfe sets out an alternative to the prevailing narrative of ‘bureaucracy reduction’. Rather than treating bureaucracy as a problem, Borggräfe argues for a self-assured, agile and citizen-centred administration as a central pillar of democracy, and puts forward concrete proposals for a future-proof administration.

Following the book launch by the author, Julia Borggräfe will discuss the political and legal prerequisites for this vision with constitutional law Professor Dr Anika Klafki (Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, judge at the Thuringian Constitutional Court). What constitutional limits and possibilities does Borggräfe’s proposal entail? Where does the idea of a ‘depoliticised’ administration with strategic capacity to act come up against institutional limits, and where does it open up new avenues for a future-proof democracy?

Please register by emailing christel.fliedner@uni-erfurt.de.