ABSTRACT
The contemporary Italian radical left inherited only a fraction of the pre-1989 strength of the Italian Communist Party, but its subsequent development made it a far from marginal force within Italian and European politics. On the one hand, its electoral strength fluctuated around mid-range levels, but was big enough to make it a vital element for the formation of centre-left majorities and entrusted it with a disproportionate amount of governmental strength at both regional and national levels. On the other hand, its major party, the Party of Communist Refoundation, played an important role in the transnational coordination of the contemporary radical left, both within the Party of the European Left (2004-present) and within the alter-globalist movement (1999-2004).1 Despite its promising beginnings, however, the Italian radical left failed to consolidate its positions and progressively fell prey to fragmentation, strategic helplessness, and political marginality.
