The Future of Democratic Capitalism
The theme of the discussions at the fifth Lennart Meri Conference, entitled “The Future of Democratic Capitalism”, was the viability and sustainability of the democratic market economy as the basis of contemporary Western society.
As the recession in Europe and the United States, the competition from authoritarian capitalism, the dissatisfaction of societies with their elites, and the decreasing relevance of the West in the global economy and world politics all challenged democratic capitalism, they formed the backdrop to our conference.
More concretely, we addressed issues such as the economy of the Eurozone, the relationships between key EU member states, recent changes in Russian society and politics, the crisis in Syria and the wider Middle East, the US presidential elections, developments in the cyber landscape, the agenda for NATO’s Chicago Summit, and many other topical problems. Alongside the conference programme, our guests were able to enjoy cultural and social activities, and had the opportunity to tour Tallinn’s Old Town or the Kumu art museum, to visit the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, and to hear a set of presentations from Estonian start-up companies.