2008/09/05 by Maurizio Carbone, James L. Newell
Social Sciences · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Italian Fascism and Post-war Society #Populism, Right-Wing Movements
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9256.2008.00322.x
This article analyses the significance of the 2008 general election for the prospects of an early conclusion to Italy's transition from a First to a Second Republic. The election saw not only the return of Berlusconi to power, but also a radical simplification of Italian politics, with a considerable reduction in the number of parliamentary groups and the emergence of much more straightforward and clear-cut governing and opposition roles. The likelihood of a successful conclusion to the transition was increased by the agreement of governing and opposition forces in the immediate aftermath of the campaign to search actively for mutually acceptable institutional reforms.