Dissensus over Liberal Democracy in Italy

Italy is considered a consolidated democracy for reasons including the stability of its 1948 Constitution, its powerful Constitutional Court, and its independent and proactive judiciary. Its institutional system has shown a long tradition of inclusivity, inherent to its political and institutional structure, that has helped to manage the country’s extreme pluralism and to domesticate forms of extremism. However, this inclusive character seems to have been eroded due to the long transition that began in the 1990s and the loss of credibility of political parties. The current Meloni government poses new challenges, with broad attempted constitutional amendments concerning the Prime Minister’s direct election and the organisation of the judiciary, as well as the reluctance of some members of the ruling party to recognise the anti-fascist vocation of the Republican Constitution. The combination of these factors may represent an unprecedented challenge to the rule of law and, ultimately, to the endurance of sound liberal democracy.