Democracy vs. Tech: Conference with Giuliano da Empoli

We are honoured to welcome political essayist and novelist Giuliano da Empoli on 27 October 2026 as part of our “Grandes Conférences” series. 

A bestselling author and leading commentator on democracy, populism and power in the digital age, Guiliano da Empoli’s well-known works include Le mage du Kremlin (The Wizard of the Kremlin), L'Heure des prédateurs (The Hour of the Predator) and Les Ingénieurs du chaos (The Engineers of Chaos). In his writing, he masterfully explores subjects such as the global populist movement and the strategies employed by autocrats and tech billionaires to undermine democracy. 

“Democracies Confronted with the New Tech Predators”

As a former senior advisor to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the founder of the think tank Volta, Giuliano da Empoli brings unique insight into the dynamics of power, influence and politics. During our conference “Democracies Confronted with the New Tech Predators”, hosted in collaboration with the festival Livre sur les Quais, he will explore the challenges that technology and artificial intelligence pose to our democratic societies.

In today’s digital era, a handful of private players are accumulating unprecedented levels of power. Who really holds the power today – states or the tech giants? If you have ever wondered about this question and what it means for our future, you won’t want to miss this conference.

An evening of discussion and discovery

At Collège Champittet, the Great Conferences series forms part of our commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity and public debate. By bringing expert speakers to our community, we invite everyone to broaden their perspectives, engage in critical reflection and explore some of the key issues of our time.

Moderated by Pascal Schouwey, the conference with Giuliano da Empoli will be followed by a public Q&A session. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discover his latest novel, Le Fondateur (The Founder), and meet the author during a book-signing session at the end of the evening.

Book your ticket for our conference with Giuliano da Empoli: 
https://monbillet.ch/events/cycle-conference-champittet-26-giuliano-da-empoli