Published in Italy in July 2026 by Armando Curcio Editore, The New Evil Empire: An Alliance Among Extremists (Il nuovo impero del male. Alleanza tra estremisti) is the first book by Alessandro Bertoldi, Executive Director of the Milton Friedman Institute, as well as a consultant, analyst, and commentator inspired by liberal-libertarian thought. It is neither an academic essay nor an ideological pamphlet: rather, it is a documented journey through the major geopolitical crises of recent years, built on analysis, documentary evidence, and, above all, direct conversations with leading figures.
The title deliberately echoes Ronald Reagan’s famous description of the Soviet Union. Bertoldi argues that a new “evil empire” exists today—no longer monolithic, but networked: a de facto alliance among authoritarian regimes, Islamist movements, and various strands of left-wing extremism which, despite starting from very different ideological premises, converge around a shared objective: weakening liberal democracies, individual freedoms, and the international rule of law.
A Journey Through the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe
The book, approximately 250 pages long, alternates between reportage, in-depth analysis, and first-hand accounts. In the Middle East, the author examines the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, post-Assad Syria, the Israel–Hamas war, the role of Iran and terrorism, and wider regional tensions. Among the prominent voices featured are Oded Ailam, former head of counterterrorism at Mossad; Reza Pahlavi, heir to the last Shah of Iran; Ribal al-Assad, cousin of the former dictator; Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Christian Forces; Monsignor Yoannis Gaid, an Egyptian prelate and former secretary to Pope Francis; and other political and religious observers. Iran emerges as a central hub in a network connecting Tehran with armed groups and regimes hostile to the West across the Middle East, Europe, and South America.
Turning to Latin America, Bertoldi examines Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua as examples of socialist authoritarianism whose governments maintain dialogue with and support one another, as well as Islamist organizations and regimes. The book features figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, Argentine President Javier Milei, Venezuela’s President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, and other regional dissidents. The underlying argument is clear: these crises are not isolated, but part of a broader pattern that, almost spontaneously, tends toward the erosion of democracy. The expansion of state power at the expense of individual liberty is consistently presented as the means through which this project is pursued.
A significant chapter is devoted to what the author calls the “red-green” phenomenon: the convergence, in Europe and the wider West, between political Islamism and factions of the radical left. The book includes analyses by prominent experts such as Alexander Del Valle and Souad Sbai, among others, who explain the influence the Muslim Brotherhood now wields within Western societies. Bertoldi goes beyond description, seeking to demonstrate how these alliances also manifest themselves at the heart of liberal societies through ideological networks, propaganda, and cultural pressure. France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium are portrayed as the countries where “the enemy” has gained the greatest strength.
The Book’s Style and Approach
The book moves at a brisk pace. Bertoldi does not write as a detached theorist, but as an observer who has met, listened to, and cross-examined his sources. He has experienced the transformations of recent years first-hand, including by visiting the places where they originated and listening to the sentiments that emerged from them.
The foreword by Daniele Capezzone, editor-in-chief of Il Tempo, highlights precisely this pragmatic approach: an explicit defense of liberal democracies against what the author perceives as a systemic threat. The book also reflects on possible responses, paying particular attention to models for countering extremism—including what it describes as the successful example of the United Arab Emirates—and to the need to distinguish between a religion and a radical political project.
A Partisan Perspective, but a Well-Documented and Vivid One
The New Evil Empire is not—and does not claim to be—a balanced work in the sense of ideological neutrality. It is a book with a clear point of view, written from a liberal and Atlanticist perspective that regards alliances between authoritarian regimes and extremist movements as the principal threat to Western freedoms.
Readers looking for a multipolar analysis or an equally weighted critique of the West’s own mistakes may be disappointed. Those, however, who want a clear map based on first-hand testimony and a forcefully argued thesis—that very different forms of extremism can cooperate when they share a common enemy—will find the book useful, accessible, and up to date.
At a time when international crises are increasingly interconnected and democracies often appear divided or uncertain, Bertoldi offers an unequivocal interpretation: the danger does not come solely from individual regimes or groups, but from a strategic convergence operating simultaneously across multiple fronts. It is an invitation not to underestimate these shadow alliances—and a call to respond. Indeed, the final chapters are devoted to President Milei’s response, the resistance of women, and the possibilities of resilience and renewal that remain within reach.
The book’s dedications and acknowledgements, in addition to the Argentine President and the author’s mother, are addressed in particular to Il Tempo editor-in-chief Daniele Capezzone and the Italian newspaper’s publisher, Giampaolo Angelucci, in recognition of the space the newspaper has devoted over the past year to interviews and major exclusives produced by Bertoldi in his role as a columnist.
The book is currently available only in Italian, on Amazon and in bookstores across Italy, but it is expected to be translated and published soon in English and other languages. Several French and Arab media outlets have already published highly positive reviews. It is therefore a book that we, too, recommend.
