ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 presents the results of the empirical analysis, searching for the cultural elements in the Italian response to terrorism between 2001 and 2015. In particular, it presents findings on the country’s different ways of conceptualising and “doing” counterterrorism, compared to their French counterpart. The chapter shows, for instance, that the terrorist enemy appeared to be significantly less characterised in the Italian setting, and the debate concerning the domestic legitimation of the use of force and coercion was far less vehement. On the whole, policymakers seemed more interested in the political struggle that terrorism symbolises and showed more concern for the victims of this specific form of violence. In addition, the chapter empirically addresses the process of policy formulation, characterised in this case by a pragmatic approach to the prevention of both terrorism and state repressive actions.
