This episode, part of the series When the Far Right and the Far Left Converge, features Francesco Trupia and Marina Simakova discussing the ideological co-optation of Antonio Gramsci’s ideas by the contemporary (far-)right. They examine when and how right-wing actors adopted his political language, and how political conjunctures in and beyond Europe have shaped this process. The conversation also considers differing interpretations of Gramsci among the traditional left and liberal authors, both within global academia and beyond. Finally, Trupia and Simakova reflect on the roles of Gramsci’s concepts of “hegemony” and “subaltern” in debates around some of today’s most urgent conflicts, including Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Marina Simakova is an intellectual historian and writer whose work explores the interplay of ideas and ideologies. Her research spans Marxist thought, modern history, and political writing. She is a doctoral researcher at the European University Institute in Florence and has contributed to journals and platforms from e-flux to Le Grand Continent. As an educator, she has taught in settings ranging from traditional universities to experimental initiatives such as the Invisible University for Ukraine.
Francesco Trupia is a postdoctoral researcher at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest and Adjunct at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. His work examines democracy, memory politics, and minority groups in Southeast and Eastern Europe. He earned his PhD in Political Philosophy from Sofia University and has held postdoctoral positions in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany. Francesco has also worked as a policy analyst and is a member of the Young Academics Network at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies.
The interview was conducted by Alexandra Kardos. Alina Young edited the audio file.
