Os presidentes de Câmara italianos: Uma revolução de compromisso

• Main Author: Silvia Bolgherini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra 2007-06-01
• Series: Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais
• Subjects: political parties; local government; political change; Italy; municipal elections; local administration
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/rccs/786
• ISSN: 0254-1106; 2182-7435

During the ‘90s in Italy several radical reforms took place: an unprecedented conjunction of political, electoral, administrative, institutional and constitutional transformations, which changed the shape of the Italian politics. The direct election of the mayor introduced in 1993 with the 81/93 law is considered the most successful of these reforms and it definitely triggered a real transition toward a Second republic. Several were the targets this reform had. The most important were an increased government stability at the local level, and a greater autonomy of the local executives from the parties. Considering the aims and the results of the municipal reform, it can be affirmed that its main goals have overall been attained. A more in-depth analysis shows, however, that things are not so plain and bright. In particular, what has not been really reached is the independence of local politics from the political parties. Party logics have in time re-emerged and parties have regained floor in two key contexts: the candidate selection and the criteria for the executive composition. It can therefore be stated that the municipal reform conducted to a compromise revolution: a real revolution in terms of innovations, but also a compromise with traditional, political culture-dependent aspects, so that a trade-off between charisma and party politics, between personalization and party role dominates the local politics and influence the new mayors’ choices.