10 December 2025, MPIL Heidelberg

The XX International Seminar “Democracy in Transformation: Tools for Resilience” opened at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law with a first day dedicated to examining contemporary democratic challenges from the perspectives of comparative constitutional law and international human rights law. Discussions were organized around four dialogue spaces that combined regional and global viewpoints.

An opening from the Inter-American Human Rights System

The day began with a high-level conversation between Nancy Hernández, Roberto Vidal, and Rodrigo Uprimny. Their interventions offered a joint reflection on the role of the Inter-American Human Rights System and courts in contexts of institutional change and democratic backsliding. The dialogue underscored the importance of articulating constitutional law and Inter-American law as complementary tools.

The impact of the Inter-American System in national contexts

The morning panels then examined the impact of the Inter-American System on domestic legal orders. Contributions by Lucía Aguirre, Viviana Krsticevic, Rogelio Flores, and Camilo Saavedra addressed experiences, tensions, and opportunities from complementary perspectives. Particular attention was given to the role of Inter-American standards in complex political scenarios.

Transformative constitutionalism in Europe

Later in the day, the discussion shifted to the European context. Armin von Bogdandy and Vera Wriedt explored the potential of transformative constitutionalism and its relevance for thinking about democratic resilience from a comparative perspective.

Dialogues with Europe and the United Nations

In the afternoon, the conversation expanded to a global dimension. Armin von Bogdandy and Vera Wriedt further examined the potential of transformative constitutionalism in the European context. At the same time, Elisa Morgera, Leticia Bonifaz, Juana María Ibáñez Rivas, and Karla Quintana-Osuna situated Latin American debates within the framework of the United Nations.

The first day concluded with an informal exchange that allowed participants to continue the conversations initiated during the sessions and to lay the groundwork for the discussions of the second day.