The 2013 Italian Parliamentary Election: Changing Things So Everything Stays the Same

The Italian election of February 2013 was held in the context of a generalised erosion of consensus for established parties across the continent (Dinas and Rori 2013; Quinn 2011). Its peculiarity, however, lies in the fact that such erosion was so vast in magnitude as to even challenge the established pattern of bipolar competition which the country had been used to since 1994. The composition of the new parliament highlights a system of three equally powerful extremes, the respective size of which prevents the formation of any political majority without the consent of at least two of the three main political players.

ESO: Background information: Italian general election, 2013 http://www.europeansources.info/record/italian-general-election-2013/

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