The Possible Consequences of the Electoral Reform in the Italian Political System

The recent Italian electoral reform, named “Italicum”, so as it is conceived, will surely produce relevant structural effects, first of all on the Italian party system, and then, probably during some more time, on the entire political system.

The paper wants to bring into effect, after a short exposition concerning the main details making the reform, an analysis of the possible scenarios which it could set up. To this end, the paper will be structured in the following way: at first, it will be done a short reconstruction about how the previous electoral reforms have progressively transformed the Italian political system till now-a-day, starting from the first electoral reform in 1993 (“Mattarellum”).

Subsequently, the present assets and functioning of the political system will be described: what are the right aspects and ones which should need some improvement?

On the basis of these reflections it will be proposed a sort of simulation about what could happen to the party system, and the political one, when the electoral reform will be completely operative, and we will try to drawing some conclusions about its efficacy or less in achieving the result, its approval by the present Government majority is determined to reach.