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Researchandmethodologicalassumptions
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actorsofthepoliticalpartyscenetochangethe1978constitution.Theanalysis
containedinChapter3alsocoversissuesrelatedtothesurgeindecentralising
tendenciesinCatalonia.
ThesummaryofChapter3containsconclusionsproducedbytheresearch
thatarepresentedasaverificationoftheposeddetailedhypothesesandthe
mainhypothesis.
Chapter4discusseshowtheeconomiccrisisaffectedthefunctioningof
Italy’spoliticalsystemafter2008.Analysisofthisareatookintoaccountour
assumptionthattheeconomiccrisishadamuchweakereffectonItalythan
onothersouthernEuropeancountries.Nevertheless,itsconsequencesexerted
aconsiderableeffectonthecurrentreconstructionofthepoliticalscene,con-
tributedtothesystematicintroductionofsocialandeconomicreformsandthe
draftingofanamendedconstitution,whichwasadoptedin2016.
Accordingtoourassumptions,Italy,incontrasttoGreeceorSpain,didnot
havetoaskforexternalfinancialassistance.However,duetopressurefrom
theEuropeanUnion,publicopinionandfallingratingagencyscores,itwas
forcedtointroduceausteritymeasures(e.g.decreaseitsbudgetdeficit,mitigate
growingnationaldebt,limithighunemploymentlevelsamongyoungpeople),
conductthenecessarystructuralreformsandstimulateeconomicgrowth.In
2012,anamendmentofarticle81ofItaly’sconstitutionwasadopted,whereby
abudgetstabilitylawwasintroduced.Inpolitics,insufficientactionstorectify
theItalianeconomyresultedinthedismissalofthecentre-rightgovernment
ofSilvioBerlusconion12November2011,whichhadbeenappointedasare-
sultofthe2008parliamentaryelections,thedisintegrationofBerlusconi’sThe
PeopleofFreedompartyandtheappointmentofanon-partisangovernmentof
technocratsledbyMarioMonti.Theeffectsoftheeconomiccrisisdeepened
thealreadyexistingdissatisfactionwiththestagnantpoliticalelites,leadingto
theemergenceofagroupcalledtheFiveStarMovementasamanifestationof
publicdisillusionmentwithbipolarpoliticalcompetitionandtheassumptionof
powerbyanewgenerationofpoliticiansundertheleadershipof39-year-old
MatteoRenziinFebruary2014.Forthepurposesoftheanalysisitwastherefore
assumedinChapter4thattheeconomiccrisisinItalyafter2008hadacceler-
atedpoliticalchange,aprocesswhichwasnaturallyaccompaniedbysocialand
economicissues.Verificationofsuchahypothesiswastobeassistedbythe
priorverificationofseveraldetailedhypotheses.Thefirstofthemassumedthat
thedivisionofthecountryintothepoorMezzogiornoandtherichNorthhas
existedsinceItaly’sunificationin1861.Suchastructuredsocialandeconomic
divisioncontinuestobethemainfactordeterminingtheweakdevelopmentof
civilsocietyinthesouthofthecountry,weakerconfidenceinstateinstitutions
andintheactivityofmafia-typeorganisations(e.g.theMafiaCapitaleinRome).
Inthissituation,numerouscorruptionscandals,aninefficientjusticesystem,
aclientelisticstateandacontinuouslyovergrownbureaucraticsystemimpede,