Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T15:19:07.968Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Berlusconi's impact and legacy: political parties and the party system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2016

Mark Donovan
Mark Donovan*
Affiliation:
Department of Politics and International Relations, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
*
∗Email: donovan@cardiff.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Silvio Berlusconi impacted massively on Italy's party politics. He restructured the right via Forza Italia and the People of Freedom co-creating a bipolar party system whilst championing a radical personalisation of politics. The new party system appeared to rotate around him, creating an unusual version of ‘moderate pluralism’. Thus, whilst there was government alternation, there was also gladiatorial confrontation more typical of ‘polarised pluralism’. More effective as an electoral mobiliser than a government leader, Berlusconi's fourth government collapsed in the face of the 2011 economic crisis. His party, whose institutionalisation had been prevented by the extreme personalisation of his leadership, began to fall apart, whilst voter disillusion boosted support for a new party, the Five Star Movement. By 2014, it appeared that Berlusconi's major legacies were the rise of Matteo Renzi, the new Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party; his failure to construct an enduring, moderate conservative party; and the exceptional success of the Five Star Movement.

Keywords

Berlusconipolitical partiesparty systemForza ItaliaPeople of Freedompolarisationpersonalisation of politics
Type
Articles
Information
Modern Italy , Volume 20 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Berlusconi's impact and legacy , February 2015 , pp. 11 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Association for the study of Modern Italy 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baldini, Gianfranco. 2011.“ The Different Trajectories of Italian Electoral Reforms.” West European Politics 34: 644-663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barisione, Maurizio. 2012.“ La transizione della leadership partitica: tra moltiplicazione e declino.”In Politica in Italia Edizione 2012,edited by Bosco, Anna and McDonnell, Duncan, 101–121. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Bellucci, Paolo. 2012.“ Government Accountability and Voting Choice in Italy, 1990-2008.” Electoral Studies 31: 491-497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellucci, Paolo, Costa Lobo, Marina,and Lewis-Beck, M. S.. 2012.“ Economic Crisis and Elections: The European Periphery.” Electoral Studies 31: 469-471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellucci, Paolo,and Segatti, Paolo. 2013.“ Conclusione.”In Voto amaro. Disincanto e crisi economica nelle elezioni del 2013,edited by ITANES. Bologna: Il Mulino, 2015-14.Google Scholar
Bordignon, Fabio,and Ceccarini, Luigi. 2013.“ Ritratto politico dell’Italia di oggi.”In Un salto nel voto,edited by Diamanti, Ilvo, 4–22. Rome: Laterza.Google Scholar
Cavazza, Nicoletta, Corbetta, Piergiorgio,and Roccato, Michele. 2013.“ L’impatto della crisi economica sul voto.”In Voto amaro. Disincanto e crisi economica nelle elezioni del 2013,edited by ITANES, 159–169. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Ceccarini, Luigi, Diamanti, Ilvo,and Lazar, Marc. 2012.“ Fine di un ciclo: la destrutturaszione del sistema partitico italiano.”In Politica in Italia Edizione 2012,edited by Bosco, Anna and McDonnell, Duncan, 63–82. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Cerrutto, Maurizio,and Raniolo, Francesco. 2013.“ Competizione politica.”In La qualità della democrazia in Italia,edited by Morlino, Leonardo, Piana, Daniela, and Raniolo, Francesco, 57–75. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Chiaromonte, Alessandro. 2010.“ Dal bipolarismo frammentato al bipolarismo limitato? Evoluzione del sistema partitico italiano.”In Proporzionale se vi pare. Le elezioni del 2008,edited by D’Alimonte, Roberto and Chiaromonte, Alessandro, 203–228. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Chiaromonte, Alessandro, D’Alimonte, Roberto,and Del Sio, Luca. 2006.“ A Razor-thin Victory.”In For a Fistful of Votes. The 2006 Italian Elections,edited by Orlando Frosini, Justin and Pasquino, Gianfranco, 23–44. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Crouch, Colin. 2011. The Strange Non-death of Neoliberalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Dalton, Russell J., Farrell, David M.,and Ian, McAllister. 2011. Political Parties and Democratic Linkage. How Parties Organize Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Del Sio, Luca. 2006.“ Elettori ‘convertit’ e elettori ‘traghettati’.”In Dov’è la vittoria? Il voto del 2006 raccontato dagli italiani, 61–76. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Di Mascio, Fabrizio. 2012.“ Changing Political Parties, Persistent Patronage: The Italian Case in Comparative Perspective.” Comparative European Politics 10: 377-398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Di Virgilio, Aldo. 2007.“ Nuovo sistema elettorale e strategie di competizione: quanto è cambiata l’offertà politica?” In Proprzionale ma non solo. Le elezioni politiche del 2006,edited by D’Alimonte, Roberto and Chiaromonte, Alessandro, 191–241. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Donovan, Mark. 2004.“ The Governance of the Center-right Coalition.”In Italian Politics: Italy Between Europeanization and Domestic Politics,edited by Fabbrini, Sergio and Della Sala, Vincent, 80–91. Oxford: Berghahn.Google Scholar
Donovan, Mark. 2008.“ The Centre-right: Conflict, Unity and Permanent Mobilisation.”In Italian Politics. Frustrated Aspirations for Change,edited by Donovan, Mark and Onofri, Paolo, 68–85. Oxford: Berghahn.Google Scholar
Esser, F.,and Str$$mbäck, J.. 2012.“ Comparing Election Campaign Communication.”In The Handbook of Comparative Communication Research,edited by Esser, Frank and Hanitzsch, Thomas, 289–307. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
European Commission. 2011. Standard Eurobarometer 76. Public Opinion in the European Union. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb76/eb76_first_en.pdf Google Scholar
European Commission. 2012. Standard Eurobarometer 78, Autumn 2012. Public Opinion in the European Union, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb78/eb78_publ_en.pdf Google Scholar
European Commission. 2013.“ The Overall Tax-to-GDP Ratio in the EU27 up to 38.8% of GDP in 2011.” Eurostat News Release 68/2013, April 29. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-29042013-CP/EN/2-29042013-CP-EN.PDF Google Scholar
Furlong, Paul. 2015.“ Berlusconi and the Italian Presidency: Accordions, Triangles and Constitutional Change.” Modern Italy 20 ( 1).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galli Della Loggia, Ernesto. 2010.“ Il futuro della destra.” Corriere della Sera,12 December.Google Scholar
Hopkin, John, and Paolucci, Caterina. 1999.“ The Business Firm Model of Party Organization: Cases from Spain and Italy.” European Journal of Political Research 35: 307-339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ieraci, Giuseppe. 2008. Governments and Parties in Italy: Parliamentary Debates, Investiture Votes and Policy Positions (1994–2006). Leicester: Troubador.Google Scholar
Ignazi, Piero. 1996.“ From Neo-fascists to Post-fascists? The Transformation of the MSI into the AN.” West European Politics 19: 693-714.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ignazi, Piero. 2008. Partiti politici in Italia. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Katz, Richard S.,and Mair, Peter. 1992. Party Organizations: A Data Handbook on Party Organizations in Western Democracies, 1960- 90. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Lewis-Beck, M. S.,and Nadeau, Richard. 2012.“ PIGS or not? Economic Voting in Southern Europe.” Electoral Studies 31: 472-477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mair, Peter, Wolfgang, C. Müller, and Fritz Plasser. 2004.“ Introduction: Electoral Challenges and Party Responses.”In Political Parties and Electoral Change,edited by Mair, Müller and Plasser, , 1–19. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Mair, P.,and van Biezen, I.. 2001.“ Party Membership in Twenty European Democracies, 1980-2000.” Party Politics 7: 5-21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonnell, Duncan. 2013.“ Silvio Berlusconi’s Personal Parties: From Forza Italia to the Popolo Della Libertà.” Political Studies 61 ( S1): 217-233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moriino, Leonardo,and Tarchi, Marco. 2006.“ La società insoddisfatta e i suoi nemici. I partiti nella crisi italiana.” In Partiti e caso italiano,edited by Morlino, and Tarchi, , 207–243. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Orsina, Giovanni. 2013. Il berlusconismo nella storia d'Italia. Venice: Marsilio.Google Scholar
Panebianco, Angelo. 2014.“ Il velocista e il pachiderma.” Corriere della Sera,24 February.Google Scholar
Paolucci, Caterina. 2006.“ The Nature of Forza Italia and the Italian Transition.” Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans 8: 163-178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paolucci, Caterina. 2007.“ Forza Italia.”In I partiti italiani. Iscritti, dirigenti, eletti,edited by Bardi, Luciano, Ignazi, Piero, and Massari, Oreste, 97–148. Milan: Egea & Università Bocconi.Google Scholar
Ruzza, Carlo, and Fella, Stefano. 2009. Re-inventing the Italian Right: Territorial Politics, Populism and ‘Post-fascism’. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Sartori, Giovanni. 1976. Parties and Party Systems. A Framework for Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sartori, Giovanni. 1982.“ Obiezioni e repliche.” In Teoria dei partiti e caso italiano,edited by Sartori, G., 291–327. Milan: SugarCo.Google Scholar
Sartori, Giovanni. 2005.“ Party Types, Organisation and Functions.” West European Politics 28: 5-32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sartori, Giovanni. 2007.“ Il bipolarismo non si uccide.” Corriere della Sera,21 November.Google Scholar
Sartori, Giovanni. 2010.“ Giovanni Sartori intervistato da Oreste Massari.” Il Mulino 448: 317-325.Google Scholar
Schadee, Hans M.A., Segatti, Paolo,and Bellucci, Paolo. 2010.“ Le considerazioni degli italiani e il voto: l'impatto della campagna elettorale.”In Votare in Italia: 1968-2008. Dall’appartenenza alla scelta,edited by Bellucci, Paolo and Segatti, Paolo, 329–358. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar