Reconfiguration of the Italian party system, 2013 – 2018 : a two-stage political earthquake?

Abstract

The Italian election of 2018 has been described by many as a ‘political earthquake’ with effects so destructive they have been felt abroad, especially in Brussels. When elections provide outcomes that are particularly shocking, political commentators and academics often deploy the term ‘electoral earthquake’ to capture the nature of the impact. Indeed, observers used this evocative metaphor in Italy after the 2013 election (Chiaramonte and De Sio 2014). What we need, then, is an apt but novel descriptor for the events of 2018. In fact, the last two elections really ought to be considered part of the same seismic shock, the effects of which have been felt in in different arenas at various points in time.