Domenico Petrolo, in his new book La stagione dell’identità (FrancoAngeli), offers a candid and innovative analysis of how political consensus is shifting in the West, describing both its distortions and the keys to interpreting it. We will discuss it on GO together with Paola Concia and Erika Pontini.

The book

We are living in the age of identity. Identity—a theme so intangible yet at the same time so concrete. Who are we? What is our place in the world? What will become of the community where we were born and raised?
The rapid changes of recent decades have improved our lives, bringing progress and prosperity. At the same time, however, they have upended the contexts in which we live. Globalization, immigration, radical Islam, woke ideology, demographic transformations, the digital revolution: phenomena that have left large segments of the population disoriented and deprived of certainties.

Above all, the working classes—once the electoral base of the left—are now firmly aligned with the right. Millions of voters no longer see the fight against economic inequality as a priority, but instead proudly claim the defense of their values and their identity, both as individuals and as communities. And they are ready to vote for those who recognize and embrace these demands.

Populists have understood this very well; traditional conservatives struggle, precisely because on the right there is always someone better at building walls. For progressives, meanwhile, the issue of identity is like kryptonite for Superman: they regard traditional identity as a relic of the past, while celebrating multicultural and cosmopolitan identities. This is true in Trump’s America, but also in Europe—from Germany to Great Britain, and, of course, Italy.

The age of identity does not necessarily have to be the one envisioned by the far right. But those who think they can avoid the issue or resolve it with a few extra euros in wages or some tax deductions are destined to sit on the Opposition benches for a long time.

The volume is enriched by the author’s dialogues with Romano Prodi, Philipp Blom, Catherine Fieschi, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Guido Tabellini, Nicola Gennaioli, Emanuele Caroppo, and Colin Crouch.

The author

Domenico Petrolo holds a degree in Political Communication. He began his career in the cultural sector and later moved into political communication and electoral strategy, taking part in numerous national and local campaigns alongside various political leaders. From 2015 to 2018, he coordinated the national Democratic Party’s 2×1000 campaign and the fundraising activities of several nonprofit organizations. In 2024, together with Lorenzo Incantalupo, he published Chi mi ama mi voti (Guerini e Associati). He is the founder and director of Cuntura, a company specializing in strategy, communication, public relations, networking, and diplomacy. Raised in Pernocari, he lives between Rome and Florence.