Italy 2018: The Perfect Populist Storm?

The March 2018 Italian general elections caused a sea change in the political system. The article seeks to analyse the elements of novelty present in the vote and the subsequent political developments by focusing on the victorious parties, the Lega and the Five-Star Movement. Their ideological appeal is placed within the context of the Europe-wide surge of populist parties, but also traced back to the long-term determinants of political...