The Italian Socialist Party and the crisis of party democracy. The transformation of the Italian socialists

Abstract

The Italian Socialist Party (PSI) is central to any history of the crisis of Italy’s post-war system of party democracy. The party seemed to be in its death throes during the mid-1970s, but under the new leadership of Bettino Craxi, elected in 1976, the party made a surprisingly successful political comeback. However, in the early 1990s, the party’s success quickly evaporated. It became the face of the Tangentopoli scandals as many Socialist politicians, including Craxi, were convicted for corruption. The party even disbanded itself in 1994. This article traces the transformation of the Italian Socialists through the 1980s, looking at their ideology, organization and mode of representation. It connects these changes with the party’s electoral fortunes, showing how they ultimately contributed to the party’s demise, which had repercussions for Italy’s party system.