This volume examines the origins, ideology, organisation, leadership, political alliances, electoral performance and institutional role of the right-wing party Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia, Fdl). FdI’s meteoric rise is only the latest in a series of shocks that have hit Italy’s unstable political system in recent years. However, it would be a mistake to brand FdI as yet another Italian anomaly. Indeed, the party stands at the crossroads between an established political tradition, that of the post-fascist and conservative right, and the more recent populist waves that have affected many mature democracies. By placing Giorgia Meloni’s party in a comparative analytical framework, the author shows that its success stems from a mix of past legacies and current developments seen in much of Europe (and beyond): the growing role of right-wing female leaders and their reliance on new media; the mainstreaming of the far right mixed with populist repertoires; the de-alignment and (partial) re-alignment of voters; the reconfiguration of electoral geographies; and ultimately the emergence of an illiberal model of democracy. In short, rather than being an exception, FdI can be seen as one of the most recent and advanced manifestations of a broader process of political change sweeping the West.
Author(s): Davide Vampa
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 153
City: Cham
About This Book
Contents
About the Author
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Brothers of Italy, the Radical Right and Populism in Italy
Brothers of Italy: Between Past, Present and Future
Re-Igniting the Flame: From the Post-Fascist Tradition to the Populist Turn
A Multi-Dimensional Framework of Analysis
Structure of the Book
References
2 Ideology and Policy Positions
FdI’s Ideological Diamond: Nativism, Authoritarianism, Populism and Sovereignism
FdI’s Programmatic Positions
FdI’s Programmatic Development (2013–2022)
2013: ‘The Challenges Ahead for Italy’
2014–2019: The years of Radicalisation
2022: ‘Ready to Revive Italy’
Conclusion
Postscript: FdI’s Ideological and Programmatic Profile in Comparative Perspective
References
3 Organisation and Leadership
A ‘Presidential’ Party
Organisational Structure
Party Membership and Resources
Giorgia Meloni’s Leadership
Conclusion
Postscript: FdI’s Organisation and Leadership in Comparative Perspective
References
4 Political Friends and Foes
Exiting the Political Mainstream to Become the New Mainstream
Domestic Allies: League and Forza Italia
Domestic Opponents: Democratic Party and Five Star Movement
International Connections: From the European Conservatives and Reformists to Trump’s Republicans
Conclusion
Postscript: Right-Wing Populist Integration in Other European Countries
References
5 Winning Votes
A Meteoric Rise
Analysing FdI’s Electoral Success: Where? How? Who?
Where?
How?
Who?
Multi-Level Electoral Success: The Local, Regional and European Arenas
Conclusion
Postscript: The Electoral Success of FdI in the Western European Context
References
6 Winning Seats (and Government)
Translating Votes into Political Power
Who Was Elected?
In Government
Local, Regional and European Levels
Conclusion
Postscript: FdI and the Institutional Role of Populist Radical Right Parties in Other Western European Countries
References
7 Conclusion: Ten Lessons from Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy
Radical Legacies and Populist Innovations
The Growing Importance of Sovereignism in a Multi-Dimensional Ideological Framework
Leaders and Followers: Old Organisational Imperatives and New Media Strategies
Female Leaders in Männerparteien
Systemic Integration and the Importance of Establishing Alliances (And Finding the Right Opponents)
An International Network of Nationalists
The Complexities of Electoral Geography
Education: The New Political Divide?
Populists Competing for Votes
Between Inclusion-Moderation and Democratic Backsliding
References
Index
