The Meloni Government in Comparative Perspective

• In Event: Italian Politics in a Comparative Context

Abstract

The formation of the Meloni government in Italy, following the victory of the center-right coalition in the 2022 elections and the electoral success of Giorgia Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, has garnered significant attention from scholars, pundits, and political observers. While political science has already devoted attention to the scientific examination of the Meloni government, this paper aims to offer the first comparative assessment of such governmental experience. To contribute to a comprehensive analysis of the Meloni government, the paper adopts a comparative perspective, comparing it with other center-right and far-right cabinets currently in office in Europe. Specifically, the paper examines the cabinet’s structural characteristics (e.g. technocratic presence), coalition governance (e.g. conflict management), and governmental decision-making (e.g. legislative instruments). To do so, this paper leverages an original multilevel dataset comprising information on governments in several European democracies. The paper’s findings reveal the existence of both unique features of the Italian case and similarities with other European governments.

Authors

• Marco Improta, University of Siena

• Francesco Marangoni, University of Bologna