What is Right in Italy?

The label ‘right’ has mostly been eschewed in Italian politics. Even Fascism presented itself more as a national movement than as an interpreter of right-wing politics. This article explores what can be defined as ‘right’ in today's Italy. First, the definition is left to the opinions and evaluations of the voters. Second, issues are taken into consideration with special reference to the role of the state and the market and the classic neoconservative inclination, not fully shared by the Italian right, to cut taxes. Some attention is given to the non-political right, that is, the National Association of Entrepreneurs, the bureaucracy and the armed forces, and above all the Catholic Church. Finally, the article addresses the important problem of the symbols and the style of the right and of the existence of a right-wing culture. The conclusion is that the profile of the Italian right is not especially distinctive, which creates much confusion in Italian politics as well as within the centre-left.