The Italian Politics Specialist Group is promoting two Call for Papers for the next PSA annual conference, which will be held in Manchester (14-16 April 2014).
Details of the CfPs can be found below:
1)
‘The Day After Tomorrow’ –
Italian politics and the long transition
Convenors&Chair: Arianna
Giovannini, Leeds Metropolitan University (a.giovannini@leedsmet.ac.uk); Antonella Seddone, University of Turin, Italy (asedd@tiscali.it)
Discussant: Daniele
Albertazzi, University of Birmingham
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Italian general election of February 2013 can be described as a
watershed event. Its results have been not only unexpected and indecisive –
they have also put into question the very key values (and meaning) of the
Italian political system.
As many commentators have argued, the startling outcome of these
elections has provided ‘a shock to the system’ of Italian politics, especially
for what concerns the ‘majoritarian bi-polarism’ which was achieved through a
long and thorny process during the so-called Second Republic. And
yet, whilst the precepts of the Second Republic may have started to crumble
after February 2013, so far there has been no sign either of a clear break with
the past, or of an emerging Third Republic. Instead, Italy seems to
be muddling through a ‘long phase of transition’ – without a clear path and/or
objective.
The aim of this panel is to develop a timely reflection on the Italian
political system at this critical conjuncture, focussing on the idea that the
current phase of transition is characterised on the one hand by new
developments and on the other by strong signs of ‘resistance’ towards the
radical change that much of the Italian electorate seems to be asking for.
Against this background, we welcome papers that will help to throw light
on this momentous point in Italian politics, by exploring such issues as:
- New tendencies—looking in particular at: i)
how traditional parties have tried to respond to the current climate,
especially by redefining their organisational structures (e.g. primary
elections within the PD; or the extent to which the PDL is trying/will
have to develop strategies to overcome its over-personalisation,
especially in light of Berlusconi’s recent trials); ii) the emergence of new
movements/forms of parties (e.g. M5S) which have more fluid organisational
dynamics, and use new-media as means and channels of
participation/discussion
- The electoral law and its reform—focussing on
the proposals put forward by the main political actors within the current
government and the long-term effects these may have
- Political communication and its changing
forms/dynamics—looking in particular at the relationship and/or the
tension between new social media (such as twitter and facebook—which, many
argue, are gaining more and more prominence) and TV and newspapers (which
played a crucial role during the Second Republic and still provide a key
source of political information for the electorate)
- Institutional change—looking at the effect
that the recent reform of meso-level bodies (i.e. the disbandment of
Provinces and re-allocation of their powers to Regions) will have on the
decentralised structures/measures previously put in place and on the power
geometry inherent to these
- The role of Europe and the changing attitudes
towards the EU—focussing on how, whilst the Second Republic started with a
strong emphasis on Europe (in spite of the austerity measures imposed by
the parameters of the Maastricht Treaty), twenty years later the EU seems
to have lost its appeal (and to some extent its legitimacy) amongst the
Italian electorate, giving rise to more controversial feelings and
perceptions of the European dimension.
Paper abstracts (250 words) should be submitted via email by 17
October to Antonella Seddone and AriannaGiovannini, from either of whom further details about the panel can be
obtained.
2)
2)
The Italian Politics Specialist Group (IPSG) and the
Greek Politics Specialist Group (GPSG) intend to co-organise a panel at the
2014 PSA Annual Conference (Manchester 14-16 April 2014) under the theme “Economic and Political crisis in Greece
and Italy in the context of Europe”.
In the last few years, Europe has faced its deepest
crisis in decades. The crisis is predominantly economic in nature, but it has wider
political and social implications. The countries of the South of Europe have
been particularly hit by it and they have consequently been asked to implement
tough austerity measures under mounting political and social pressure. The
crisis has been discussed at length both within academia and the media.
However, much less attention has been paid to the possible ways out of it and
the extent to which the crisis itself might constitute a chance to ameliorate the
long-standing politico-economic issues of the countries concerned. This panel
aims at filling this gap.
Italy is the biggest country in both economic and
population terms in the South of Europe and a key state in the European Union.
Greece has been the country hit the hardest by the crisis and has faced the
deepest austerity measures and reactions to them. Hence, comparing the
experience of these two countries could yield some interesting insights on the
‘way forward’.
We thus welcome papers on the economic and political crisis
in Greece and Italy against the background of Europe. The papers should follow
a comparative approach and may discuss, but are not limited to:
- Policy reforms in Greece and Italy
- New political parties/forces that have emerged as
a response/reaction to the crisis
- The way in which traditional parties have reacted
to or adjusted their strategies in light of the crisis
- The role of media in the two countries in portraying
the crisis and in spreading
specific perceptions of the EU and austerity measures
- The emergence of anti-politics feelings and their
impact on the institution of democracy in Italy and Greece
- The future role and place of Italy and Greece in
the EU
Proposals should include: title and
name, e-mail address and affiliation of each author, and a paper title and
abstract of not more than 250 words. Paper proposals should be sent by Thursday 17 October 2013 to Vasilis
Leontitsis (Vas.Leontitsis@gmail.com) and Arianna Giovannini (a.giovannini@leedsmet.ac.uk) from either of whom further details about the panel can
be obtained.
