Democracy, an incredibly malleable idea, has shaped the course of European history, from the English Revolution to the Cold War, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the invasion of Iraq.

Delivering a torrent of criticism, Luciano Canfora explores the history of the old continent, the centuries-long efforts to establish the so-called "power of the people," while simultaneously focusing on the antidotes with which the elites confronted this demand, which gradually legitimized their power through the electoral process.

Today, as the wealthy West rhetorically proclaims freedom, a dynamic caste pulls the levers of power and abuses the word "democracy," continuing to accumulate victims.

The book follows the appearances and disappearances of the concept of democracy over the years, from antiquity to the present day, as well as the stereotypes associated with this concept. It demystifies the "Western democratic model," while also turning its fire on the "experiment" of existing socialism.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]