Italy as a Hub of the (Transnational) Far-Right and Populist Politics
Manuela Caiani, Scuola Normale Superiore
Batuhan Eren, Scuola Normale Superiore
Executive Summary
Understanding the recent rise of far-right and populist politics, which have significantly challenged liberal democracy across Europe and beyond, is impossible without close attention to Italy. The country has an active far-right and populist community comprising various actors and subsectors, ranging from political parties to activist networks. Fueled by the legacy of fascist and conservative movements dating back to the reign of Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party in the 1920s, as well as by the social, economic, and political crises of 21st century, far-right and populist actors engage in various activities to increase their legitimacy, influence, and visibility. Italy is also a noteworthy laboratory for understanding the recent transnationalization of far-right and populist politics due to its role in hosting events that bring together far-right and illiberal actors to learn from each other, exchange strategies, and form alliances beyond national borders. Italy today can be considered a transnational “hub” for the far-right and populism. These activities and events create favorable conditions for illiberalism to flourish, not only in Italy, but also throughout Europe.
The aim of this paper is to unravel the dynamics of the recent rise of far-right and populist politics in Italy, considering both national and transnational dimensions. One of the noteworthy characteristics of the Italian far-right is the heterogeneity of actors in the far-right and populist community, consisting of different subsectors: 1) political parties (e.g. Brothers of Italy and Lega), 2) radical right grassroots movements (e.g., Generazione Identitaria Italia and CasaPound), 3) “movement parties” (e.g., Forza Nuova), and 4) a broader and more fluid set of anti-gender and pandemic-related movements (e.g., anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination groups). These actors use various framing strategies to address social and political issues, networking activities to increase public influence, and actions both in domestic and international political arenas ranging from fielding policy proposals to mobilizing for street demonstrations. Recent reports also show that the rise of far-right, illiberal, and populist actors in Italy has weakened the quality of democracy in the country. In particular, persistent challenges to civil liberties, judicial independence, and media freedom under recent governments have contributed to this decline. Furthermore, survey findings demonstrate that far-right and populist parties overall continue to enjoy growing popular support in Italy. Even if some have lost influence, populist and far-right parties remain appealing to voters, among whom there is a growing tendency towards authoritarianism.
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Suggested citation: Caiani, Manuela, Batuhan Eren. 2026. “Italy as a Hub of the (Transnational) Far-Right and Populist Politics.” AUTHLIB Country Papers 4.
