Venue: Usha Kasera Lecture Theatre, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh
For decades, Germany’s federal system has been viewed internationally as a model of stability, subsidiarity, and institutional balance. But recent years have seen a more critical discourse emerge, reflecting concerns about the governance, coordination, and resilience of the ‘German model’. Why the Germans Do It Better has given way to Broken Republik.
This event explores whether German federalism still offers useful lessons for Scotland and the UK. With opening reflections from Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and a conversation with him to follow, the discussion will consider how Germany's system of territorial governance has evolved, what challenges it now faces, and how this experience might inform ongoing debates about devolution, democracy, and reform in Scotland and the wider UK.
Speaker: Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Panel Chair: Dr Davide Vampa, Co-Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change
Discussants: Dr Elke Heins and Dr Benjamin Martill (Centre on Constitutional Change and Europa Institute)
Jointly organised by the British-German Association and the Centre on Constitutional Change.
