Beyond Italian Exceptionalism? The ‘Critical’ Eighteenth Legislature

Abstract

Italy’s eighteenth legislative term stands out as particularly idiosyncratic throughout Italian history. Over the course of this term, three governments with varying political orientations came into power, relying on parliamentary votes that shifted between the right, left, and center. In this article, we aim to highlight these peculiarities and explore whether they indicate a further complexification of Italy’s already intricate governmental history, or if they instead reflect issues that are prevalent in most Western democracies. In addition to briefly presenting the articles included in the Special issue, in the last section the article will attempt to take stock of the eighteenth legislature, analyzing its legacy for the Italian political system and trying to identify those factors that are bound to characterize Italian politics in the future as well.