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Democracies today confront complex challenges. Populist movements are gaining influence, conspiracy theories are undermining the trust in institutions, and the question of how free societies can protect themselves against their enemies is more urgent than ever. The field of tension between democratic openness and necessary resistance will be illuminated by the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series, entitled “Resistant Democracy – Resilience, Security, Defense”, organized by Heidelberg University in the 2026 summer semester. Starting off the series on 11 May 2026 is Junior Professor Dr Endre Borbáth, who will speak on “The Populist Radical Right – A Threat to Democracy”.
Press Release
Heidelberg, 7 May 2026
Ruperto Carola Lecture Series: Resistant Democracy – Resilience, Security, Defense
Public lecture series at Heidelberg University takes up the complex challenges for free societies
Democracies today confront complex challenges. Populist movements are gaining influence, conspiracy theories are undermining the trust in institutions, and the question of how free societies can protect themselves against their enemies is more urgent than ever. The field of tension between democratic openness and necessary resistance will be illuminated by the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series, entitled “Resistant Democracy – Resilience, Security, Defense”, organized by Heidelberg University in the 2026 summer semester. Starting off the series is Junior Professor Dr Endre Borbáth, who will speak on “The Populist Radical Right – A Threat to Democracy”. The lecture, in English, with the Heidelberg political scientist is taking place on Monday 11 May 2026, in the Great Hall of the Old University, beginning at 6:15 p.m.
Populist radical right parties are shaping political events at European level as well. Illustrated by examples from Hungary and Germany, Prof. Borbáth will explain what profound societal and political conflicts have fueled their rise, focusing, among other things, on how they gain and mobilize supporters through new forms of outreach – for example, in the digital sphere. The speaker will also deal in particular with the conditions under which populist parties on the right and radical right may become a threat to democracy. Endre Borbáth is Junior Professor for Empirical-Analytic Participation Research at Heidelberg University’s Institute for Political Science and heads its Emmy Noether junior research group “The New Climate Divide”. His field of investigation is mass mobilization and the shifting conflict structures in European politics, particularly with regard to climate change, migration, and European integration.
The Ruperto Carola Lecture Series is part of an approach to focal themes. With it, Heidelberg University seeks to take socially relevant research questions to a broad public twice a year in differing formats. In the current series, researchers from different disciplinary perspectives deal with the complex challenges facing democracies today. The lecture series is concerned to enter into dialogue with an interested public and together to reflect on the future of our democratic living together.
The opening event with Prof. Borbáth will be followed in the current summer semester by seven further lectures featuring researchers from Heidelberg and also from Tübingen. They will speak on the constitutional foundations of resistant democracy, historical parallels with the present crisis mood, or the impacts of conspiracy theories. The events take place Mondays in the Great Hall of the Old University, starting each time at 6:15 p.m. Recordings will subsequently be available on heiONLINE, Heidelberg University’s central portal with lectures, panels and events in digital formats.
Contact:
Heidelberg University
Communications and Marketing
Press Office, phone +49 6221 54-2311
presse@rektorat.uni-heidelberg.de
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/de/transfer/kommunikation/ruperto-carola-ringvorle... – Ruperto Carola Lecture Series
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/de/heionline – heiONLINE
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