ABSTRACT
Although it is one of the founding members of the EU, for a long time Italy was characterised by the polarisation of the Italian party system, a phenomenon that also involved the issue of European integration. The country was characterised by fervent Europhilia on the side of government parties as opposed to hard Euroscepticism on the side of the Italian communist party, the second largest party and main opposition force in the country (it was never in government). However, since the 1980s, Italy has become one of the most pro- European member states, with broad support coming from all main parties. Consensus on the European issue developed after a long process of realignment lasting several decades, when fierce opposition to the Common Market from the left gradually evolved into more supportive and pragmatic attitudes (Conti and Verzichelli 2005). Such development was the result of a reduced polarisation of the system which occurred over several decades as left- wing parties shifted from the extreme to the core of the party system. Alberta Sbragia (2001, 93) described the phenomenon as follows: ‘once the PCI [Italian communist party] changed its position and supported Italian participation in the European Community, it became difficult to find anyone who questioned the appropriateness of Italian participation in the process’.
