The Italian Model of Political Leadership - "il caso Berlusconi" Cover Image

Włoski model przywództwa politycznego - "il caso Berlusconi"
The Italian Model of Political Leadership - "il caso Berlusconi"

Author(s): Beata Nuzzo
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Uniwersytet Ignatianum w Krakowie
Keywords: political leadership; authority; pathologies of democracy; populism; Italy; Berlusconi

Summary/Abstract: Silvio Berlusconi, the owner of a powerful media empire and one of the wealthiest and most influential people in Italy, was for a long time viewed by Italians as being more credible than his opponents, the leaders of the left-wing coalition. In spite of being linked to numerous political scandals in a country which had experienced Benito Mussolini’s authoritarian rule, Berlusconi was probably the most popular politician of the post-war period. When analysing the sources of his success, it is necessary to mention the inability of the Italian political system to recover after the corruption crisis „Tangentopoli” in the early 1990s, which discredited the ruling Chris-tian democrats; and the serious identity crisis suffered by the Italian left in recent years, which led to the changing of names and coalitions, but failed to present a sound programme of reforms that the country needed. However, Berlusconi’s success was also built upon the fact that his personality and behaviour is well-suited to Italians’ mentality, who perceived him as ‘the boy next door’, and who was therefore a person who can be forgiven a lot. Additionally, he was helped by a specific atmosphere of acceptance towards illegal actions which is present in Italian politics and society, ranging from tax evasion to the mafia’s winning of public works contracts, and to the fixing of football matches.

  • Issue Year: 3/2012
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 223-241
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Polish