Mattia Zulianello
Mattia Zulianello and Petra Guasti explore and rebut three die-hard myths about populism. This, they argue, on the one hand guards against overestimating populism as a phenomenon. On the other, it warns that we must not underestimate the political strength of the so-called populist radical right Read more
Laura Montecchio
'I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother'. So said Giorgia Meloni in a speech that has defined her career. Yet, write Laura Montecchio and Marianna Griffini, Meloni is far from a promoter of gender rights Read more
Alessia Donà
After the Fratelli d’Italia victory in the 2022 Italian general election, a radical-right government formed, headed by party leader Giorgia Meloni. Alessia Donà explores gender issues in FdI ideology, and the party’s alliance with the Italian anti-gender movement. She finds the Meloni government is founded on reactionary Catholic extremism Read more
Valerio Alfonso Bruno
Russia’s war on Ukraine has split the Italian centre-left opposition between pacifists and those arguing in favour of arming Ukraine. Disunity on how to respond to the crisis, write Valerio Alfonso Bruno, James F. Downes and Alessio Scopelliti, will likely weaken these parties and strengthen Meloni's right-wing coalition Read more
Dario Mazzola
By the time Italians went to the polls in September, the victory of Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party was a foregone conclusion. Dario Mazzola articulates the factors that led to the formation of the most right-wing government in the history of the Italian Republic Read more
Arianna Giovannini
A right-wing coalition won the Italian general election in September, but not all the parties within it fared well. After a boom in votes in 2018–19, support for Salvini’s League has collapsed. This, argue Arianna Giovannini and Davide Vampa, is the price for selling the party’s soul Read more
Guido Panzano
The likely installation of a neo-fascist Prime Minister has generated considerable fears for the future of Italian democracy. Guido Panzano argues that we should use the tools available in political science to arrive at a more scientific understanding of the prospects for the quality of Italian democracy under such a government Read more
Luca Manucci
Luca Manucci argues that illiberalism and autocratisation have too readily been labelled as ‘populism’, an all-embracing concept which simply helps to provide cover to the neo-fascist cause. This has led to surprise when a politician like Giorgia Meloni, leading a party with neo-fascist roots, reaches the brink of power Read more
