The Different Trajectories of Italian Electoral Reforms

Italy is the only established democracy where two major electoral reforms took place in the last 20 years (respectively in 1993 and 2005). Adopting Renwick’s approach, which distinguishes between elite majority imposed and elite–mass interaction reforms, the article analyses electoral reforms in Italy in the post-World War II period. By examining the long-term importance of electoral rules in Italian politics, it argues that PR played a uniquely fundamental role in shaping both the so-called Italian ‘First Republic’ and the still unfulfilled transition towards a reformed political system. By focusing on the main determinants which brought about the two most recent reforms, it becomes apparent that, in the last two decades, the ever-changing party system format contributes to the cyclical salience of electoral reform as a possible means of accomplishing the never-ending transition towards a more stable political settlement.