Italian politics dossier

Silvio Berlusconi’s victory in April’s elections, the disastrous results of the Rainbow Left - ’a new party born old’ - and the increased number of no-voters present new yet anticipated challenges for the radical left in Italy. Hilary Wainwright talked to a range of activists just before the elections about what lessons they draw from the experience of the left’s participation in the Prodi government, about the weakness of the movements after the inspiring highs of Genoa and the Florence European Social Forum and, above all, about new strategies necessary to reach out to the mass of democratically minded but disillusioned Italians - strategies now more relevant than ever.

This is an ongoing dossier intended to be a resource for mutual learning across the searching and experimental left.

A red guide to Italian politics
Italians have often led the way in creating a European left but now they face a crisis in the return of Silvio Berlusconi. Hilary Wainwright talked to a range of left activists as they prepared for the elections

Balance sheet of the Prodi Government
The Prodi government failed in its promises, the result is disillusionment with the left, writes Vittorio Longhi

Walter Veltroni: projecting Italy as the ’hub’ of neoliberal Europe
Enzo Mangini on the main centre-left challenger to Berlusconi

The crisis of Italy’s political institutions: a view from inside government
Paolo Ferrero describes the difficulties of achieving radical reform

We must avoid being absorbed by the State
Paolo Cacciari, a former Rifondazione MP, argues that the left should avoid being ‘absorbed’ by state institutions

Crossing the boundaries between social movements and political institutions
The formation of a new radical left coalition, La Sinstra – L’Arcobaleno, is a political necessity for the forthcoming election

Movements and left parties should keep a respectful distance
Alessandra Mecozzi, International Secretary of the Italian metalworkers union, on the weakened state of the movements

The Italian left should appeal to the urban middle class
Italy is a right-wing country, where the Vatican retains a strong influence and a majority of the population belong to the urban middle class. The left needs a new appeal to these sectors if it is to challenge Berlusconi

Against Veltrusconi: challenges facing Italy’s ’territorial’ social movements
Italy has seen a recent wave of ‘territorial’ social movements, brought together by a crisis of political representation

Many thanks to Indhira Elsevyf Garcia, Micaeli Mazzei , Ilaria Perlini, Mario Pianta, Mimmo Porcaro, Transform! Italia