Confronting the Far-Right: Lessons from Italy and Spain

The Leo Panitch School is honoured to welcome Clara Serra and Salvatore Prinzi to Toronto to lead us in a discussion of this vital topic. Clara and Salvatore are both activists, authors, and philosophers, experienced in movements confronting the rise of the far-right in Spain and Italy, respectively. How did the rise of the contemporary far-right come about in Southern Europe? How are left and anti-fascist movements responding to this? What lessons can the socialist left in Canada take from the experiences of Italy and Spain? The Spanish and Italian movements against the right have taken a number of expected as well as more experimental forms. Clara and Salvatore lead us in a discussion of what they’ve witnessed and participated in. This ranges from the effects of the decline of the traditional social democratic parties, to the role of mutual aid, to new and creative forms of community activation. They also discuss the role of feminism in fighting the growth of the far-right, and how socialist feminism becoming a hegemonic political ideal may be the key to turning young men away from fascism. Salvatore Prinzi was one of the founders of Ex OPG in 2015 and later Potere al Popolo (Power to the People). He has published works on numerous topics, including social class, Italian politics, and fascism. He is currently conducting new work around the issue of the minimum wage in Italy. Clara Serra is a philosopher and feminist from Madrid. In 2013, she was a representative of Podemos in the Madrid Assembly until 2019. She is a member of the feminist network Alianzas Rebeldes. Clara has written on a number topics, including feminist strategy, politics, and most recently, consent. 0:00 Introduction, land acknowledgement 2:43 Salvatore Prinzi 40:40 Clara Serra 1:14:18 Q+A Recorded in Toronto, 27 April 2026.