The decline of democracy and the rise of the far-right
We have great pleasure in inviting you to a special event on Tuesday 30 June jointly sponsored by Conversation at the Crossroads and Newman College, University of Melbourne. This will be the first follow-up event to the Launch of Reclaiming Democracy Together.
Populism, extremism and xenophobia are in full swing across the Western world. Far-right parties are gaining unprecedented levels of popular support in much of Europe, with the same trend now emerging in Australia.
How do we make sense of all this? What are the contributing factors? How well equipped are our institutions to cope with these developments? How should we respond?
These are just some of the questions we will explore with the help of two leading experts and commentators.
Lenore Taylor
Lenore is a highly respected journalist and media leader. She was Editor of The Guardian Australia for the last 10 years, a two-time Walkley Award winner, a two-time recipient of the Paul Lyneham Award for excellence in press gallery journalism, and was named Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery Journalist of the Year in 2007 and 2014.
A/Prof Mario Peucker
Mario is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities (ISILC) at Victoria University, Melbourne. He has researched the radical right and other political groups since 2003. He is the author of several books, most recently Democracy Strikes Back: Understanding and Countering the Rise of the Far-right.
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, Tuesday 30 June 2026
We begin with tempting finger food and drinks
All who live outside Melbourne are most welcome to join us online
The Oratory, Newman College, University of Melbourne,
887 Swanston St, Parkville Victoria 3052 - a few metres from the tram stop
Newman College, in the grounds of Melbourne University, is one of the best buildings designed by world renowned architect Walter Burley Griffin. The venue offers a stunning backdrop to our conversation, and an ideal setting for small group discussion and audience engagement with our speakers.