Matthias Horx
Matthias Horx (b. 1955) is regarded as an influential futurist on changes in social values and lifestyles under global capitalism. After a career as a journalist, for Die Zeit, among others, he set up the Zukunftsinstitut, a prognostics consultancy, at the turn of the millennium. The author of bestsellers like Anleitung zum Zukunftsoptimismus ("Guide to Future Optimism"), Horx has been teaching courses in prognostics and “trend detection” at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen since 2007.
Updated: 29 October 2010
Greedy banks, the EU or Angela Merkel: The search for the culprit in Cyprus is running along the usual fault lines of the euro crisis. But do individuals not share in the responsibility for the mistakes of their society? That would mean the Cypriots would have to give up some of their savings deposits. 
Fear, alarm, apocalypse: moods rather than facts steer mankind, writes futurologist Matthias Horx. This holds true for the eurozone crisis as well. 
The world will soon be divided into those seeking a green high-tech future, such as Germany – and those who are trying to make nuclear energy safer. A sign of progress on the evolutionary road to a less risky society. 
Whether it’s against austerity packages, pension reforms or nuclear waste shipments, protests have overrun the streets of Europe. Has democracy reached the end of the line? No, says futurist Matthias Horx, it’s time for the political establishment to come down off their high horse and accept real participatory democracy.