Gerbaudo argues that the twin shocks of populism and the COVID 19 pandemic have triggered a retreat from neoliberal globalisation, ushering in a new era of neo-statism defined by sovereignty, protection and control. He contends that this shift – what he calls ‘the great recoil’ offers both the right and the left a chance to redefine the role of the state: either through authoritarian protectionism or a progressive politics of care and security. Gerbaudo urges the left to reclaim the language of state power and national purpose, not to mimic the right, but to build a democratic project rooted in solidarity and popular sovereignty.