ABSTRACT
Italy has always been considered a breeding ground for the study of populism, earning the title “laboratory of populism”. Due to the co-existence of different types and forms of populism, it can be considered a privileged observatory for the study of this phenomenon. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of four cases of populist parties, movements and leaders, cases that represent the most relevant experiences within the Italian political system during the so-called “Second Republic”: Bossi’s and Salvini’s Lega (Nord, or Northern League), Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (Go Italy), the Movimento 5 Stelle (Five Star Movement) and Renzi’s Partito Democratico (Democratic Party). The chapter is structured as follows. After having outlined the origins, history and electoral successes of each actor, I will analyse the cases in relation to four different dimensions and ask whether each one can constitute a sort of “ideal-type” of Italian populism. Taking into account the four different dimensions of analysis (the leader and their style, the definition of the people and its enemies, the organisation, the idea of democracy), the aim is not to reduce the complexity of the populist phenomenon. On the contrary, each case will be looked at in a comprehensive manner, including in relation to the different phases of development of the Italian party and institutional system.
