Amid of a special year characterized by the Covid19 emergency, the managing board decided to postpone the 2020 yearly workshop to hopefully safer and calmer times. To keep up the morale within our community, however, the managing board also decided to organize a special, online retreat for DemocracyNet members only. The event took place via Zoom on September 7th, 2020. The aim of this e-retreat was to give all of our members the chance to present their current projects and works in progress in a cordial, stimulating, and constructive environment. The topic and project format were completely open. The final program of the e-retreat included four presentations about four projects…

As we have witnessed over the past months, the Covid-19 emergency has affected everybody’s lives and keeps having a large impact on society. We as academics are not exempted from this. Among the least harmful and yet unpleasant consequences, many academic events and conferences have been postponed or cancelled altogether. During the last meeting of the managing board of DemocracyNet, we decided to postpone our yearly workshop and public lecture on “Vested Interests.” We are looking to reschedule the event, which will most likely take place, according to tradition, in early September 2021. We will keep you informed about future developments. As a replacement, the members of our association will…