The Italian Democratic Party: the explanation for a ‘quasi-failure’

The Italian Democratic Party: the explanation for a ‘quasi-failure’ The Italian Democratic Party (PD) has attracted scholarly attention for its low level of institutionalisation and its lack of a clear political identity since its inception in 2007. Additionally, its electoral support has been in a state of continuous decline since the 2008 general election, and it hit a new low in the September 2022 elections. This article draws on Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan’s analysis for explaining the breakdown of democratic regimes between the two world wars and applies it to the PD’s situation. The framework identifies three macro-factors that have significantly influenced the party’s nature and dynamics: (1) general problems faced by mainstream and socialist parties in Europe since the 1990s and 2000s and the unstable and fragmented Italian party system; (2) the PD’s origins and its organisational nature; (3) party leaders’ defensive choices aimed at maintaining their roles. The article concludes that the PD’s limitations and shortcomings can be attributed to a combination of these factors.