PDR 121 CARLO CALENDA: L'Italia e l'Europa assediate da Cina e Stati Uniti (Short, Adv)

Watch the full episode and get additional benefits with a supporter subscription:    / @pdrilpodcastdidanielerielli  . In this episode, I speak with Carlo Calenda, founder and secretary of Azione, a former Minister of Economic Development and a member of the European Parliament. Calenda is one of the most central and often controversial figures in Italian politics, known for his clear positions on industrial policy, energy, and Italy's international positioning. Starting from his latest book, "Defending Freedom," we address the major geopolitical and economic issues reshaping the world: from Putin's Russian threat—who Calenda is convinced will attack a European country to test NATO's stability—to the crisis of liberal democracies, and the role of the new tech monopolies of Silicon Valley and China. We explore what Calenda calls the West's "self-hatred" and its dangerous fascination with autocracy, explaining how democracy has failed to protect citizens' identities and well-being. Calenda also shares previously unseen behind-the-scenes details of his meetings with world leaders like Putin (described as contemptuous in his office in St. Petersburg), Trudeau, and Macron, offering a critical perspective on Italian industrial policy. He also offers harsh attacks on the management of historic assets like Fiat (and a criticism of John Elkann for industrial "desertification") and a denunciation of the power of energy lobbies that are blocking the country's development. An unfiltered conversation that also touches on the media system, immigration, and the challenges of education in an Italy at risk of "Greekization." #adv – Amazon Affiliate: I earn from qualifying purchases. "Defending Freedom. Europe's Time" by Carlo Calenda is here: https://amzn.to/4gHA227 My new website is here: www.danielerielli.it The new edition of my novel ODIO is here: https://amzn.to/44VUzdh My free newsletter: https://danielerielli.substack.com/ The extra virgin olive oil "Il Fuoco invisibile" from xylella-resistant olive trees and inspired by my book of the same name is here: https://tinyurl.com/4b7tb9vaI The books of all PDR guests and some reading recommendations are here: https://www.amazon.it/shop/danielerielli #politics #current affairs #italy #calenda Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and European nuclear deterrence 01:03 Self-hatred and the fascination with Dictatorships 4:00 AM The Failure of Democracy in Redistribution 6:40 AM The Silicon Valley Model: Personal vs. Public Freedom 8:40 AM Totalitarian Thought and the Chaos of Peter Thiel 11:00 AM Monopolies and the New Imperialist Phase of Big Tech 1:30 PM Historical Cycles: Have We Returned to the Age of Empires? 3:15 PM Europe as a Technological Colony of the US and China 6:15 PM China's Economic Fragility and American Debt 9:40 PM Why the European Union is "Enemy Number One" 10:30 PM Does a European Public Opinion Exist? 29:00 Putin's Threat and NATO's Article 5 33:30 The Role of France and Common Defense 36:40 Behind the Scenes: The Meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg 42:40 The "Greekization" of Italy and Industrial Decline 45:00 Talk Shows, Social Anger and the Vannacci Case 48:30 Immigration, Repatriations, and Wage Dumping 51:50 The Problem of Training and Manual Labor 57:10 Criticism of John Elkann and the Desertification of Fiat 1:01:30 Golden Power and the Power of Energy Lobbies 1:07:20 The Relationship Between Politics, Money, and Integrity 1:09:50 Political Fragmentation: Renzi, Boldrin, and the Liberal Area 1:17:00 The Sick Relationship with Social Media 1:21:00 Housing Policies and Urban Redevelopment