MASSIMO FRANCO, a political columnist for the Corriere della Sera and an essayist, has worked for Avvenire, Il Giorno and Panorama. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. His books published by Solferino include L’enigma Bergoglio (latest edition 2023), C’era una volta Andreotti (2021), Il monastero (2022), Secretum (2024, with Sergio Pagano) and Il fantasma di Hammamet (2025).