The Economic Crisis and its Effects on the Attitudes of Italian Political Elites Towards the EU

The Italian case is an interesting one for the study of the effects of the economic crisis on the attitudes of political elites. The crisis has been an important intervening factor in the process of domestic party system change. The responses to the challenges of EU-led austerity measures have been at the core of the discussion preceding the 2013 elections, whose results marked a turning point for the Italian political system, with protest votes peaking and new populist parties emerging. This article shows that, despite the domestic political turmoil, most of the markers of the traditional support of the Italian political elites for European integration are still unequivocal. These elites appear much more pro-European than the Italian public; even the representatives of the populist parties do not hold radical views that may reverse the past Italian history within the EU. At the same time, however, multivariate analyses of the determinants of elite attitudes show significant party variations. This brings us to speculate on some possible scenarios of gradual departure from the classic elite posture of acquiescence towards the EU

NextGenerationEU and the European Semester: Comparing National Plans and Country‐Specific Recommendations

This article examines the main features of the Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) that member states have presented to access NextGenerationEU (NGEU) funds, and it explores the relationship between NGEU and the European Semester. Relying on a dataset collected for this purpose, which coded all RRPs and all recommendations received by the member states in the years preceding NGEU, we explore quantitatively the variation in the countries’ resource allocation and reform agendas and the congruence between RRPs and the recommendations issued in the European Semester. Our analysis reveals three key findings. First, substantial variation exists across member states, reflecting the diverse economic and political contexts shaped by a decade of crises. Second, by disaggregating RRPs into the six policy pillars indicated by the Commission, we show differences in the member states’ patterns of intervention. Third, we offer insights into the extent to which member states address the Semester recommendations. The data we present is a relevant tool for understanding NGEU and generating research questions aimed at exploring its nature and its implementation in the years to come

Bargaining in Legislatures, Portfolio Allocation, and the Electoral Costs of Governing

What motivates political parties in the legislative arena? Existing legislative bargaining models stress parties’ office and policy motivations. A particularly important question concerns how parties in coalition government agree the distribution of cabinet seats. We add to this portfolio allocation literature by suggesting that future electoral considerations affect bargaining over the allocation of cabinet seats in multi-party cabinets. Some parties are penalized by voters for participating in government, increase the attractiveness of staying in opposition. This “cost of governing” shifts their seat reservation price– the minimum cabinet seats demanded in return for joining the coalition. Results of a randomized survey experiment of Irish legislators support our expectation, demonstrating that political elites are sensitive to future electoral losses when contemplating the distribution of cabinet seats. This research advances our understanding of how parties’ behavior between elections is influenced by anticipation of voters’ reaction

La manovra finanziaria in Italia tra istituzioni, partiti e gruppi

Dottorato di ricerca in scienza della politica. Coordinatore Franco Cazzola. Relatore Maurizion CottaConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Le XVIIIe Congrès de la Société Italienne de Science Politique. Padoue 15-17 septembre 2004.

Verzichelli Luca. Le XVIIIe Congrès de la Société Italienne de Science Politique. Padoue 15-17 septembre 2004.. In: Pôle Sud, n°21, 2004. pp. 137-138