Italian Politics: The Center-left In Power

by D'alimonte,Roberto

• ISBN13: 9780813334431
• ISBN10: 0813334438
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1997-10-10
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The year 1996 in Italian politics was a year rich in novelty. After the "stalled transition" of 1995, the political atmosphere had begun to change. Most obvious was the end of Dini's unelected government of technocrats, supported by a heterogeneous group in Parliament, and its replacement with Romano Prodi's government, a coalition of the parties that had won the general election on April 21, 1996. But an even more important change and one more likely to be remembered was a new climate of dialogue amongst the main political forces that emerged from this period of transition between two republics. In 1996, despite the general elections, cooperation again became part of the political game.In this volume, a collection of experts examine the political developments in Italy in 1996. An introduction by the volume editors sets the tone for the year and is followed by comprehensive discussion of such issues as the general elections of April, the new placement of Left, Center-Left, andLega Nord,the Scalfaro presidency, the Andreotti trials, Italian involvement in the European Union, and the politics of intervention in Bosnia. The volume includes two invaluable reference sections: a full chronology of the political events of the year and an appendix containing a wealth of statistical data on Italian election results, political parties, and the economy.

Author Biography

Roberto D’Alimonte is professor of the Italian political system at the University of Florence. David Nelken is professor of sociology at the University of Macerata and distinguished research professor of law at the University of Wales at Cardiff. Roberto D’Alimonte is professor of the Italian political system at the University of Florence. David Nelken is professor of sociology at the University of Macerata and distinguished research professor of law at the University of Wales at Cardiff.

Table of Contents

Chronology of Italian Political Events, 1996	p. 1
Introduction: A Year of Difficult Dialogue	p. 17
The General Elections of 21 April 1996	p. 33
Forza Italia: Old Problems Linger On	p. 51
The Lega Nord: From Federalism to Secession	p. 65
The Italian Left After the 1996 Elections	p. 83
Majoritarian and Proportional Electoral Systems: The Sicilian Case	p. 103
The Government of the Ulivo	p. 125
The Majoritarian System, Act II: Parliament and Parliamentarians in 1996	p. 143
The Scalfaro Presidency in 1996: The Difficult Return to Normality	p. 169
Politics and Consumption: The Four Revolutions of Spectator Football	p. 183
Italian Intervention in Bosnia and the (Slow) Redefinition of Defense Policy	p. 199
Statesman or Godfather? The Andreotti Trials	p. 219
The Italian Presidency of the European Union	p. 233
Documentary Appendix	p. 247
About the Editors and Contributors	p. 275
Index	p. 277
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