Italy has once again become the epicentre of a culture clash — this time over the attempted exclusion of a right-wing publisher with clear ties to the ruling party, Fratelli d’Italia, from a major book fair in Rome.
A group of left-wing intellectuals and activists sought to bar the publisher, sparking a confrontation with all the hallmarks of a Kulturkampf: on one side, those emphasising the party’s proximity to a publisher they regard as fascist and therefore unworthy of a public platform; on the other, defenders warning that such a campaign amounts to censorship and reflects authoritarian tactics. The controversy quickly spilled beyond literature, evolving into national politics.
At the centre of the storm is Passaggio al Bosco (Way to the Woods), a right-wing publishing house founded in 2017.
It describes itself as a “militant and liberated” project challenging political correctness and mainstream narratives. Its name references Ernst Jünger, a theorist of the Conservative Revolution, and his work Der Waldgänger, a touchstone for many European conservatives.
The catalogue spans hundreds of titles, from ideological essays to biographies of highly contentious figures, including Léon Degrelle, the Belgian fascist leader and Nazi collaborator, and Martin Sellner, an Austrian far-right activist and advocate of “remigration.”
Passaggio al Bosco has roots in Casaggì, a Florence-based right-wing youth centre serving as both a political hub and cultural incubator.
Casaggì maintains strong ties to Fratelli d’Italia through overlapping membership, shared events, and coordinated activism.
Within this ecosystem, the publisher is widely regarded as ideologically aligned with the party and as a vehicle for exercising cultural hegemony, particularly among its youth, and, through them, within state institutions.
The controversy erupted after organisers confirmed the publisher’s participation at Più Libri Più Liberi, an annual Rome fair promoting small and medium-sized publishers, independent authors, and cultural debate.
More than 80 writers, historians, and illustrators signed an open letter calling for its removal, arguing that public cultural platforms should not normalise fascist or antisemitic ideologies. Several authors subsequently withdrew.
Left-wing critics framed their stance as part of a broader “fight against fascism,” warning that the publisher amplifies extremist voices and revisionist histories, and that allowing it to exhibit would legitimise far-right ideology in Italy’s cultural spaces.
The backlash prompted an equally forceful counter-reaction. Academics, journalists, and free-speech advocates warned that excluding the publisher would constitute political censorship, setting a dangerous precedent.
Philosopher and former mayor of Venice Massimo Cacciari insisted: “The cultural battle is not fought by censoring,” adding that extremist ideas should be confronted openly, “in schools, studying; at university, debating and dialoguing,” rather than suppressed.
The clash reflects a recurring pattern in Italian political life. Many left-wing politicians and media argue that, under the current right-wing government, radical neo-fascist movements are gaining strength, and the right is attempting to extend its influence over cultural spaces historically dominated by the left — from cinema and art to literature.
Yet Passaggio al Bosco ultimately participated in the fair.
Italy’s debate mirrors a broader, epochal struggle across Europe and the West — a conflict over censorship, free speech, the rise of the Right, and the use of censorship in the name of fighting fascism — where the fight over cultural conscience remains far from settled.
