The world order is changing and with it the place that liberal democratic and economic systems occupy in that order. Democratic systems that are still very successful are being challenged by states whose values and goals do not necessarily coincide with our own.

We would like to take this juxtaposition of competing value and economic systems as a starting point to reflect together with representatives from politics and society on the successful design of cooperative economic relationships. In the course of in-depth talks and discussions with German and European politicians and the public, our goal is to develop coherent guidelines on competition with systems in autocratic and patriarchal societies.

• How can we cooperate responsibly with competing value and economic systems? What would a responsible compromise look like?
• How can we convincingly stand up for openness and the rule of law without sacrificing our economic interests and our influence on global development opportunities?
• How can industry, politics and society jointly provide attractive economic incentives for transformation and development processes in line with our values and standards?
• Can sanctions be designed and implemented in such a way that their consequences, burdens and side effects are shared between different actors and that the important formative role of industry in the global community is not squandered?

Responsible coexistence

In our view, there is no single right strategy or right form of conduct. There are different values, goals, interests and beliefs that we need to reconcile productively. This is the compromise that will allow us to tackle global challenges in the long run in a confident, value-based, competitive and responsible way.

We call this approach "responsible coexistence". Based on democracy and the rule of law, we want to help shape the international order through economic means, thereby bringing about prosperity, sustainable development and opportunities for advancement at home and abroad. In doing so, we are guided by the conviction that prosperity, inclusive social growth and the protection of our livelihoods are essentially dependent on economic success. In order to achieve our goals, it is therefore essential that our economic model stays one step ahead of countries such as China and Russia.

Hand in hand with politics

The BDI sees enormous scope for the ability of economic policy to shape international relations proactively, courageously and in a way that demonstrates commitment to democratic ideas and convictions. But we also realise that this potential can only be harnessed in close cooperation with politics and civil society. German industry sees itself as a partner and ally in this process. As an influential actor engaged in exchanges with other countries, it can foster the existing degree of political and social commitment in a positive and creative manner. Companies that do business abroad are also close at hand and are highly innovative. They can identify new opportunities and potential for protecting the environment and human rights on the ground at an early stage and provide the impetus for the standards of tomorrow. But we can only win this competition by working together with politicians.

Strengthening and renewing the narrative

The ability to coordinate collective action needs support and trust from society. The democratic market economy can only be as strong and credible externally as it is internally. In order to fulfil the desire for democratic values and ideas to have a transformative effect on the global community, they must be convincing and work in all directions. Therefore, we believe that dialogue with civil society at national and European level is essential. Only by constantly renewing and updating our democratic and economic self-image can responsible cooperation with other states succeed. At the same time, Germany, the EU and their partners must reliably propagate this narrative throughout the world. With their openness and prosperity, through adherence to rules and treaties, and through effective and robust solutions to crises and problems, they must demonstratively plead in favour of the superiority and sustainability of this narrative.