Not only Berlusconi. The search for personalized leadership on the Italian Centre-left

Following the appearance of Berlusconi and the rapid mediatization of politics in the early ‘90s, the Italian Left has undergone a multifaceted process of transformation, which has also enclosed a growing personalization. The passage from the Ulivo to the Partito Democratico has been also characterized by the search of a new model of leadership – younger and more communication skilled – which culminated in the selection of Walter Veltroni. The paper examines the 2008 Veltroni’s campaign through the analysis of posters, speeches and websites. It highlights the novelties of Veltroni’s image and performance, but also the intrinsic shortcomings of fighting Berlusconi on his own battlefield of personalized communication. Starting from the assessment of Veltroni’s campaign the paper also tries to advance some hypotheses on the future directions of Partito Democratico – currently engaged in the selection process of Veltroni’s successor – with regard to the scope and the communication impact of the party leadership.