Lukas Mandl on the topic of responsibility: “Leadership is nothing but service”!

Subtl.: In his essay in the "Yearbook for Political Consulting," published today, Mandl advocates taking political risks, developing visions, and living with hope.

Vienna/Brussels, December 2, 2024. - Today, Monday, the new "Yearbook for Political Consulting" is being presented in Vienna. Under the title "Time and Spirit in Central Europe," personalities from various fields reflect on the political years 2023 and 2024. Among the approximately four dozen authors are the state governors Christopher Drexler and Peter Kaiser, as well as the media professionals Gudrun Sailer and Rudolf Mitlöhner.

In the current edition of the anthology, once again edited by Thomas Walter Köhler and Christian Mertens and published by edition mezzogiorno, Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl addresses the topic of responsibility. "Leadership is nothing but service," Mandl states in his essay.

Referring to a well-known quote by Rosa Luxemburg (1871 – 1919) – “Freedom is always that of others” – Mandl titles his article: “Responsibility is always that for others.”

Using historical examples, Lukas Mandl uses seven terms to draw a line from “humility” and “risk” (“It is seen as a risk to propose and push forward something politically when the polls show little support.”) to “reflection,” “resonance,” and “vision” (“The quote that anyone with visions needs a doctor (…) is a joke that fits in with the cynicism that bears considerable responsibility for political disenchantment and the threat to democracy.”) to “patience” and “hope.”

Mandl quotes the South Korean author Byung-Chul Han, who writes in his recent book "The Spirit of Hope – Against the Society of Fear": "Fear and democracy are incompatible. Democracy thrives only in an atmosphere of reconciliation and dialogue."