"The Concept of the Political" was written in 1927 and first published in German in 1932, during the rise of Nazism. It was a challenge, if not a scandal, as it establishes the Political on the basis of class struggle, recognizing the existence of conflicting social classes. It is a radical critique of liberalism, which - according to Schmitt - ideologically conceals the existence of class struggle, weakening and endangering bourgeois dominance.
The provocative positions formulated by the author, such as "sovereign is he who decides on the state of emergency," "the criterion of the Political is the distinction between Friend and Enemy," or "all important concepts of modern state theory are secularized theological concepts," continue to be points of reference in political theory to this day.
At the core of the work are Schmitt's views on the relationship between the Political and the State, concepts which, according to the author, are not synonymous. The state cannot have a monopoly on the Political, as democratically organized societies are formed. Therefore, it becomes necessary to redefine the Political independently of the State.
Schmitt's definition of the Political is well-known: "The political distinction par excellence is that between Friend and Enemy." The Enemy is always the other, the "foreigner." The distinction is not always based on nationality: anyone can be considered an enemy; it is enough for them to represent something foreign, something unfamiliar, so that conflict with them is possible under certain circumstances.
Although "The Concept of the Political" has received various, often conflicting interpretations, it remains relevant to this day, with ideas that continue to occupy contemporary thought.

The best introduction to Schmitt's political theory.
Mark Lilla, New York Review of Books

The book includes Schmitt's fundamental ideas about the political nature of man and the state, such as the definition of the Political as the distinction between Friend and Enemy, which has sparked so many controversies... Its scientific value is invaluable.
Joseph W. Bendersky, Canadian Journal of Political and Social Theory