Democracy Talk #16 with Cas Mudde: Rethinking the fight against the far-right

The electoral successes of the far-right have been a major topic in Western Europe for a few decades. Yet, no matter what mainstream parties do, they seem unable to stop the rise of the far-right: in Austria, the FPÖ is polling at 40%; in Germany, strong increases in vote share are expected for the AfD in upcoming state elections; in France, Marine Le Pen is leading the polls for the presidential election, and so on. What are mainstream parties and candidates missing? What mistakes are they making? What should they do differently? Are there any new approaches to fighting the far-right that show promise? We will discuss these questions and others with Cas Mudde, one of the world’s leading experts on the far-right, at our next Democracy Talk on 15 October, 2026. Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGA Foundation Professor of International Affairs and a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Georgia.

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