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Italy in 2013 seemed to be continually on the cusp of substantive reform and forward motion, but never quite achieved it. The previous two years had seen the fall of the Berlusconi government and the beginning of the end of the Second Republic, followed by the predominance of technocrats in office. In contrast, 2013 proved to be a year of incomplete transitions, marked by a period during which the Italian political and institutional system reached a near complete stalemate. Grand coalitions were incapable of substantive decision-making, bold initiatives languished in the legislature, foreign policy actions faltered and failed, and the government showed a continued inability to effectively tackle the real economic and social issues that faced the country. Thus, in many ways, Italy has been muddling through as it did following the fall of the First Republic. Although some of the political developments that took place in the waning months of the year may prove to be the foundation for future momentous changes, it is very likely that 2014 will prove to be a further continuation of the seemingly endless transitional period in Italy.
List of contents
List of Abbreviations
Chronology of Italian Political Events, 2013
Compiled by Rinaldo Vignati Introduction: Still Waiting for the Transformation
Carlo Fusaro and Amie Kreppel Chapter 1. The Elections of 2013: A Tsunami with No Winners
Alessandro Chiaramonte Chapter 2. Neither First Nor Second Order: The 2013 Regional and Local Elections
Emanuele Massetti and Giulia Sandri Chapter 3. A Fight to the Death: The Challenge of the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party's Reactions
James L. Newell Chapter 4. The Center-Right in 2013: Evolution of the Parties and the Party System
Caterina Paolucci Chapter 5. Not Just Berlusconi: Balances, Counterbalances, and Media in the Relationship between Justice and Politics
Daniela Piana Chapter 6. The Letta Cabinet(s): Government Formation and (In)stability in Times of Crisis-a Spatial Approach
Andrea Ceron and Luigi Curini Chapter 7. The Election of the President of the Republic: The Legacy of the Napolitano Presidency
Francesco Clementi Chapter 8. The President and the "Wisemen": Institutional Reforms and Political Stalemate
Luca Lanzalaco Chapter 9. Who Decides Foreign and Defense Policy in Italy?
Riccardo Bellandi Chapter 10. The Italian Banking System: Banca Monte dei Paschi's Scandal and the Euro Area's Sovereign Debt Crisis
Lucia Quaglia Chapter 11. The Big Chill: Italian Family Budgets after the Great Recession
Andrea Brandolini Chapter 12. Italiani Anche Noi: Minister Kyenge, Children of Immigrants, and the Pathway to Citizenship Reform
Georgia Bianchi Chapter 13. Women's Rights in a Conservative Country: Snail's Pace Progress or a Watershed Year?
Alessia Donà Documentary Appendix Compiled by Valentina Sartori Abstracts
About the author
Amie Kreppel is a Jean Monnet Chair (ad personam) and the founding Director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence (JMCE) at the University of Florida
