MAURIZIO COTTA - LUCA VERZICHELLI IL SISTEMA POLITICO ITALIANO CHAPTER 2 The Italian political system

Topics of this chapter 1. The state- and nation-building 2. The process of democratization 3. The Italian domestic politics and the international system

The state building: Italian regional states in 1815

General characteristics of the state building Boundaries have been defined only after WWII Both domestic and international dimensions have been relevant during XIX and XX centuries The new state was tightly centralized, and regionalization has been definitively implemented only in 1970 Today Italy is a nearly-federal system

General characteristics of the nation building Catholics opposed the new state until 1913 (Patto Gentiloni) The political community persistently feature deep divisions (f.i. North-South) In the last twenty years new parties and movements harshly contested the territorial arrangement

The first (failed) democratization Italy during the XIX century was a constitutional monarchy Parties lacked a well entrenched organization Notable and mass parties were divided in front of the Fascist movement

The second democratization 25 July 1943: Fascism collapsed 2 June 1946: referendum on monarchy and election of the Constituent Assembly May 1947: Communists expelled from the government 18 April 1948: first parliamentary election

The First Republic ( ) Center coalitions led by Christian Democrats Communist predominance in the Left opposition Lack of alternation in government Government instability Extended corruption

The end of the First Republic … Clean hands and the challengers to the old order  Northern League  Movement for the state reform  Judiciary

… and the birth of the Second Republic A new mixed electoral system (Mattarellum) A new party system featuring  bipolarism  alternation

Italy and the world politics As a late comer, Italy pursued an aggressive foreign policy until WWII Since then, two different pillars:  NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)  EEC (European Economic Community), now EU (European Union) External influences have been relevant all along the Italian history