"International Democratic Alliance": A Pre-Enactment
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s historic “Zurich Speech” the University of Zurich, together with the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, invites audiences to an extraordinary experiment in democratic politics. For four evenings in August 2026, the Aula of the University of Zurich—where Winston Churchill delivered his historic 1946 speech calling for a democratic post-war Europe—will be transformed through pre-enactments, a theatrical anticipation of possible future events, into a real-fictional founding assembly of an International Democractic Alliance.
“International Democratic Alliance”
Zurich in the near future: August 2027. Liberal democracies are on the defensive in the face of autocratically governed regimes worldwide. To the surprise of the global public, a new power bloc forms in Zurich. At the University of Zurich, over 40 democracies agree to establish a multilateral organisation for the protection of democracy: the International Democratic Alliance (IDA).
Membership in the Alliance commits states to close cooperation and to robust measures aimed at safeguarding democratic institutions. At the heart of the experiment lies the Democracy Charter, developed in collaboration with an interdisciplinary advisory board of professors from the University of Zurich.
Switzerland, as host, is taken aback by the sudden agreement. Should the neutral small state – perhaps the best democracy in the world – join the alliance? The Federal Council is hesitating – the charter goes too far. But following a parliamentary decision in spring 2027, a Swiss delegation selected by lot now has the final say in international negotiations.
Will it support Switzerland’s accession to the Alliance and embrace the idea of a resilient democracy, or will it reject the negotiated agreement? The Swiss delegation has just 120 minutes to reach a decision.
A project by Proberaum Zukunft in cooperation with the Art × Science Office of the University of Zurich and the Zürcher Theater Spektakel.