| ID | 129963 |
| Title Proper | Direct democracy and scapegoats |
| Other Title Information | the five star movement and Europe |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Corbetta, Piergiorgio ; Vignati, Rinaldo |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) |
Italy is one the most europhile countries in the European Union. Nevertheless, as surveys show, over the last few years anti-European sentiments have increasingly surfaced among Italian citizens. Furthermore, there is now an important novelty regarding the relation between Italy and Europe: the Movimento 5 Stelle (The Five Star Movement), a new party that expresses a peculiar and contradictory position towards Europe. Its leader, Beppe Grillo, sometimes advocates more, not less, unification, but he also proposes a referendum on Italian membership of the euro. Moreover, Grillo's blog frequently lends its voice to the choir of openly anti-European sentiment. Indeed, Grillo's call for direct democracy is plebiscitarian and his positions contribute to the weakening of a European project that is already facing grave difficulties of its own. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Spectator Vol.49, No.1; Mar.2014: p.53-64 |
| Journal Source | International Spectator Vol.49, No.1; Mar.2014: p.53-64 |
| Key Words | Populism ; Euroscepticism ; Movimento 5 Stelle ; Five Star Movement ; Beppe Grillo ; Italy ; Italy-Europe Relation ; Democracy ; Referendum ; European Union |