The Authoritarian Stack – implications for Germany and Europe

Francesca Bria

19.05.2026 14:15–14:45
Stage 1
Englisch
(Kurz-) Vortrag
Politik & Gesellschaft
#Digitalpolitik #Überwachung #Demokratie #Technologie
At the re:publica we aim to discuss the topic of authoritarian stack and its implications for Germany and Europa. In the US, tech billionaires like Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and Elon Musk are building a post-democratic America and taking over crucial government functions, via a fusion of venture capital, technology, and ideology. As this this model is quickly spreading to the EU and Germany, the question now is whether democratic societies can recognise this formation for what it is—and build alternatives before the infrastructure of control becomes too deeply embedded to dislodge.

Prof. Francesca Bria and her colleagues initiated the project Authoritarian Stack, funded by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Future of Work. This project includes a recently published database and online report (see here: https://www.authoritarian-stack.info/) and explains how US tech firms now operate as state-like powers—writing the rules, winning the tenders, and exporting their model to Europe (e.g. Palantir´s contracts with police in Bavaria, Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, Anduril´s partnership with Rheinmetall on drone development), where it poses a direct challenge to democratic governance. In her input, Frances Bria, aims to address the question of what can be done to stop the EU´s digital dependence from turning into political dependence, via a coordinated response that includes support for public-interest technology, open standards, and democratic governance. This is especially urgent now that the US government is openly supporting illiberal forces in Europe, in tandem with US tech actors.

Speaker