The Italian welfare reform trajectory in turbulent times: Income support, family and pension policy during the XVIII parliamentary term

Abstract

Absolutely exceptional under many respects, the XVIII parliamentary term has represented a peculiar terrain for welfare reform. On the one side, over the past five years, three highly heterogeneous governments have alternated in power, supported by different coalitions, each resulting from demanding negotiations and alliances between parties, within a moving political landscape. On the other side, the legislature has been heavily affected by the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 health emergency and its harsh social and economic consequences. Despite the complexity of the overall scenario and the internal frictions experienced by the three short-lived cabinets, since 2018, important reforms were enacted in key welfare sectors, marking in some cases a break with the previous institutional legacy. The paper aims at critically examining the trajectory of welfare reforms during the last parliamentary term, shedding light on how they have been shaped through time by a combination of external turbulences and political constraints. Adopting an historical institutionalist approach, the analysis focuses on the transformations occurred in key social policy areas - anti-poverty policy and income support, family policy and pensions - in order to examine the major innovations and shifts occurred under the three cabinets, featuring such diverse electoral bases and ideological stances.