Greens seek to reclaim disillusioned voters through systemic economic justice campaigns amid rising far-right populism
Original framing: “Max Chandler-Mather says Greens can use ‘progressive populism’ to win voters deserting major parties for One Nation” — The Guardian - World
The decline of social democracy in Australia mirrors global trends: the Hawke-Keating era’s neoliberal turn in the 1980s-90s eroded union power and public services, paving the way for today’s housing crisis and wage stagnation. Far-right populism often emerges in the vacuum left by abandoned left-wing alternatives, as seen in the US with Reaganism and the UK with Thatcherism. The Greens’ current strategy echoes earlier attempts by minor parties to fill this void, but without confronting the structural roots of disillusionment.
The Greens’ embrace of 'progressive populism' reflects a global crisis of representation, where decades of neoliberal austerity have eroded trust in institutions and left voters vulnerable to far-right scapegoating.
Historically, minor parties like the Greens have filled this void, but without confronting the structural roots of inequality—such as corporate control of housing, financialization of the economy, and the collapse of social democracy—they risk repeating the failures of European left-populism. Cross-culturally, movements that combined economic justice with deep institutional reform (e.g., Bolivia’s MAS) succeeded where those that relied solely on electoralism (e.g., Syriza) faltered. Indigenous perspectives, often sidelined in mainstream economic discourse, offer a framework for systemic alternatives, linking land rights to community-controlled economies. The path forward requires not just electoral strategy but a reimagining of democracy itself—one that centers marginalized voices, institutionalizes economic democracy, and breaks the cycle of elite capture that has fueled today’s populist backlash.