Gianfranco Baldini
Biographic Data
| ID | 4152070 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gianfranco Baldini |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gianfranco |
| FAMILY NAME | Baldini |
| SIGNATURE | BALDINI G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bologna |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8052-6779 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 223 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Exploring the political culture of Fratelli d’Italia with a novel middle-level elite survey
We introduce a novel dataset derived from a comprehensive survey targeting both elite and middle-level elites of Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia, FdI), the most-voted party in the Italian 2022 general elections and whose leader, Giorgia Meloni, is currently holding the office of Prime Minister. The dataset encompasses various aspects, including socio-demographic characteristics, prior political experience, motivations for joining the party, …
The European Union in Turbulent Times: Geopolitical Context, Internal Fragilities and Different Visions of Europe
Turning the Page’? The 2024 UK General Elections and First Implications of Labour's Landslide Victory
The many political legacies of Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi’s enduring influence on Italian politics is profound, marking a transformative era that reshaped the nation’s political, institutional, and communicative landscapes. As Italy’s longest serving prime minister since World War 2, Berlusconi’s tenure and actions have left indelible marks on the country’s governance and political culture. His leadership of Forza Italia, a party he founded in 1994, epitomizes his central role in foste…
Different shades of leadership: A comparative assessment of leaders’ traits in explaining the vote for populist radical right parties
Populist Radical Right parties (PRR) have gained prominence in many European countries, with leadership often considered a key factor in their electoral success. Despite this, limited research has explored how voters’ perceptions of leaders’ traits influence support for PRR parties. This study delves into the impact of perceived leaders’ traits on the vote for PRR parties, using original survey data collected during recent general elections in si…
From ‘Anomaly’ to ‘Laboratory’? Fratelli d’Italia , Illiberalism and the Study of Right-Wing Parties in Western Europe
Once considered an anomaly for its polarized pluralism, then marked, over the last three decades, by frequent alternations between populist and technocratic governments, Italy is now the only country in Western Europe whose coalition government is led by a party usually classified in the populist radical right family, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia). While this means that the country has finally its first female Prime Minis…
Navigating Complexity: Continuity and Change in European Governance, 2023/2024
Analisi del rapporto fra rottura e continuità del nuovo ciclo politico europeo
Caught between sovereignty and solidarity? A multidimensional revisitation of EU mass–elite congruence
This article undertakes a critical revisitation of mass–elite congruence on EU matters, taking stock of 30 years of research and addressing durable ambiguities flagged by recent scholarship. Its specific contribution leverages EUEngage elite and mass survey data gathered in 2016 in 10 European countries. Examining congruence at both the country and the party level, we carry out an uncommon multidimensional analysis that encompasses general Europe…
The Brexit effect: Political implications of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Brexit has brought tensions in European and (especially) British politics. This article illustrates the rationale, scope and research questions of the special issue, which investigates the first Brexit effects in the five years following the 2016 referendum. Taking the distribution of political power as our primary focus and analysing mainly – though not exclusively – British politics, we trace the first developments in the three domains of polit…
Brexit Effect: What Leaving the EU Means for British Politics
Yet Another Populist Party? Understanding the Rise of Brothers of Italy
From its 2012 beginnings as a marginal radical right splinter group, in the 2022 general election 'Fratelli d'Italia' (Brothers of Italy, FdI) was the most voted party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni, became the first Italian female Prime minister. While both leader and party can be classified as belonging to the populist radical right family, we argue that FdI must be understood also as a 'rooted newcomer', i.e. a party that can count on pre-exis…
Back to the Westminster model? The Brexit process and the UK political system
This article investigates the impact of Brexit on the British political system. By critically engaging with the conceptualisation of the Westminster model proposed by Arend Lijphart, it analyses the strains of Brexit on three dimensions developed from from Lijphart’s framework: elections and the party system, executive– legislative dynamics and the relationship between central and devolved administrations. Supplementing quantitative indicators wi…
Bread or Circuses? Repoliticization in the Italian Populist Government Experience
The majority view within political science is that populism is best understood as a (thin) ideology. We problematize the ideational approach by broadening the scope of analysis, linking populism to the rise of long-term generalized anti-political sentiments, against interpretations that tend to tie the populist wave to conjunctural factors related to recent crises. We argue that the essence of populism lies at the intersection of the ‘material co…
Kings, jesters, or kingmakers? European populist parties as a microcosm for celebrity politics
The article explores a key aspect in the development of contemporary European populist parties: the celebrity dynamics of their leadership. It presents a systematic comparison of leaders from the main populist parties, exploring the correlation between leadership visibility, fame, and the ideological and organisational characteristics of parties. Furthermore, it investigates the subset of leaders whose public notoriety predates their political in…
Italy 2018: The Perfect Populist Storm
The March 2018 Italian general elections caused a sea change in the political system. The article seeks to analyse the elements of novelty present in the vote and the subsequent political developments by focusing on the victorious parties, the Lega and the Five-Star Movement. Their ideological appeal is placed within the context of the Europe-wide surge of populist parties, but also traced back to the long-term determinants of political dissatisf…
Taking back control? Brexit, sovereignism and populism in Westminster (2015–17)
This article analyses the claims for national sovereignty made in the British Conservative and Labour parties. In Britain, national sovereignism has been embedded within an entrenched tradition of Euroscepticism, whereas populist claims have periodically punctuated the discourse of both main parties, before emerging with more vocal tones during the discussion on Brexit. While most sovereigntist claims share some degree of populism, we reserve the…
The multiple tensions of British democracy
Brexit Two Years On: Where are We Now? Introduction
The piece introduces the contents and rational of the special section, which analyses the main dyanimcs of the Brexit process, following the referendum held on 23rd June 2016
Who is in Control? Brexit and the Westminster Model
This article provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of the Brexit process—from the June 2016 referendum to June 2018—on the British political system. Drawing on the classic work of Arend Lijphart and the ensuing scholarship applying the Westminster model to Britain, it seeks to understand whether and to what extent Brexit has impacted on the majoritarian features of the system. Adapting Lijphart's criteria, it focuses on the electoral‐pa…
Populism in Europe: Everywhere and nowhere
The article analyzes some of the most important books on the dynamics of populism, with specific regard to Europe. It argues that - despite the very rich stream of literature in the field - political scientists still face a definitional and methodological conundrum on how to best define populism. However, the comparative analysis of the four books examined allows to point out the many insights that scholars of this phenomenon can find in them
Christian Democracy
Is Britain Facing a Crisis of Democracy
This article contributes to the debate in this journal about the state of British democracy. I criticise the tendency to use a ‘demand–supply’ dichotomy in interpreting the strong distrust experienced by institutions and politicians, and especially the idea that all the blame for current problems is to be attributed to the inadequateness of the British political tradition (BPT). By referring to international data on democracy and to recent Britis…
Decentralization in Italy and the Troubles of Federalization
Since the mid-1990s, Italy has made significant steps towards federalism, decentralizing political, fiscal and administrative powers, also by means of a major constitutional reform. Yet, 20 years after the beginning of this process, the country is experiencing problems in finalizing these reforms towards a stable federal architecture. This article examines Italy as a case of failed federalization. Adopting a long-term focus inspired by the ‘gradu…
Don't Count Your Chickens before They're Hatched: The 2013 Italian Parliamentary and Presidential Elections
The 2013 parliamentary and presidential contests were both outstanding elections, even by Italian standards. In the former case, this was because of very high volatility and the breakthrough of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), which resulted in a hung parliament and a stalemate in the formation of a new government. In the latter, for the first time in Italian history, the incumbent President of the Republic was re-elected for a second seven-year term o…
Devolution and Scottish Politics Ten Years on
The article reviews some of the most significant books on Scottish politics ten years after the implementation of devolution
Yet Another Populist Party? Understanding the Rise of Brothers of Italy
From its 2012 beginnings as a marginal radical right splinter group, in the 2022 general election 'Fratelli d'Italia' (Brothers of Italy, FdI) was the most voted party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni, became the first Italian female Prime minister. While both leader and party can be classified as belonging to the populist radical right family, we argue that FdI must be understood also as a 'rooted newcomer', i.e. a party that can count on pre-exis…
Decentralization in Italy and the Troubles of Federalization
Since the mid-1990s, Italy has made significant steps towards federalism, decentralizing political, fiscal and administrative powers, also by means of a major constitutional reform. Yet, 20 years after the beginning of this process, the country is experiencing problems in finalizing these reforms towards a stable federal architecture. This article examines Italy as a case of failed federalization. Adopting a long-term focus inspired by the ‘gradu…
The Different Trajectories of Italian Electoral Reforms
Italy is the only established democracy where two major electoral reforms took place in the last 20 years (respectively in 1993 and 2005). Adopting Renwick’s approach, which distinguishes between elite majority imposed and elite–mass interaction reforms, the article analyses electoral reforms in Italy in the post-World War II period. By examining the long-term importance of electoral rules in Italian politics, it argues that PR played a uniquely …
Taking back control? Brexit, sovereignism and populism in Westminster (2015–17)
This article analyses the claims for national sovereignty made in the British Conservative and Labour parties. In Britain, national sovereignism has been embedded within an entrenched tradition of Euroscepticism, whereas populist claims have periodically punctuated the discourse of both main parties, before emerging with more vocal tones during the discussion on Brexit. While most sovereigntist claims share some degree of populism, we reserve the…
Back to the Westminster model? The Brexit process and the UK political system
This article investigates the impact of Brexit on the British political system. By critically engaging with the conceptualisation of the Westminster model proposed by Arend Lijphart, it analyses the strains of Brexit on three dimensions developed from from Lijphart’s framework: elections and the party system, executive– legislative dynamics and the relationship between central and devolved administrations. Supplementing quantitative indicators wi…
Don't Count Your Chickens before They're Hatched: The 2013 Italian Parliamentary and Presidential Elections
The 2013 parliamentary and presidential contests were both outstanding elections, even by Italian standards. In the former case, this was because of very high volatility and the breakthrough of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), which resulted in a hung parliament and a stalemate in the formation of a new government. In the latter, for the first time in Italian history, the incumbent President of the Republic was re-elected for a second seven-year term o…
Italy 2018: The Perfect Populist Storm
The March 2018 Italian general elections caused a sea change in the political system. The article seeks to analyse the elements of novelty present in the vote and the subsequent political developments by focusing on the victorious parties, the Lega and the Five-Star Movement. Their ideological appeal is placed within the context of the Europe-wide surge of populist parties, but also traced back to the long-term determinants of political dissatisf…
Who is in Control? Brexit and the Westminster Model
This article provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of the Brexit process—from the June 2016 referendum to June 2018—on the British political system. Drawing on the classic work of Arend Lijphart and the ensuing scholarship applying the Westminster model to Britain, it seeks to understand whether and to what extent Brexit has impacted on the majoritarian features of the system. Adapting Lijphart's criteria, it focuses on the electoral‐pa…
Bread or Circuses? Repoliticization in the Italian Populist Government Experience
The majority view within political science is that populism is best understood as a (thin) ideology. We problematize the ideational approach by broadening the scope of analysis, linking populism to the rise of long-term generalized anti-political sentiments, against interpretations that tend to tie the populist wave to conjunctural factors related to recent crises. We argue that the essence of populism lies at the intersection of the ‘material co…
The direct election of mayors: An assessment of the institutional reform following the Italian municipal elections of 2001
On 13 May 2001, the same day as the general elections, municipal elections were held in more than 1,000 municipalities, including all the major Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin). Incumbents already re-elected once could not stand because of the two-term limit. This in many cases opened the way for a renewal of mayoralties. This article aims to provide a balanced assessment of the process of direct mayoral elections by using data relatin…
From ‘Anomaly’ to ‘Laboratory’? Fratelli d’Italia , Illiberalism and the Study of Right-Wing Parties in Western Europe
Once considered an anomaly for its polarized pluralism, then marked, over the last three decades, by frequent alternations between populist and technocratic governments, Italy is now the only country in Western Europe whose coalition government is led by a party usually classified in the populist radical right family, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia). While this means that the country has finally its first female Prime Minis…
Caught between sovereignty and solidarity? A multidimensional revisitation of EU mass–elite congruence
This article undertakes a critical revisitation of mass–elite congruence on EU matters, taking stock of 30 years of research and addressing durable ambiguities flagged by recent scholarship. Its specific contribution leverages EUEngage elite and mass survey data gathered in 2016 in 10 European countries. Examining congruence at both the country and the party level, we carry out an uncommon multidimensional analysis that encompasses general Europe…
Kings, jesters, or kingmakers? European populist parties as a microcosm for celebrity politics
The article explores a key aspect in the development of contemporary European populist parties: the celebrity dynamics of their leadership. It presents a systematic comparison of leaders from the main populist parties, exploring the correlation between leadership visibility, fame, and the ideological and organisational characteristics of parties. Furthermore, it investigates the subset of leaders whose public notoriety predates their political in…
Is Britain Facing a Crisis of Democracy
This article contributes to the debate in this journal about the state of British democracy. I criticise the tendency to use a ‘demand–supply’ dichotomy in interpreting the strong distrust experienced by institutions and politicians, and especially the idea that all the blame for current problems is to be attributed to the inadequateness of the British political tradition (BPT). By referring to international data on democracy and to recent Britis…
The many political legacies of Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi’s enduring influence on Italian politics is profound, marking a transformative era that reshaped the nation’s political, institutional, and communicative landscapes. As Italy’s longest serving prime minister since World War 2, Berlusconi’s tenure and actions have left indelible marks on the country’s governance and political culture. His leadership of Forza Italia, a party he founded in 1994, epitomizes his central role in foste…
Different shades of leadership: A comparative assessment of leaders’ traits in explaining the vote for populist radical right parties
Populist Radical Right parties (PRR) have gained prominence in many European countries, with leadership often considered a key factor in their electoral success. Despite this, limited research has explored how voters’ perceptions of leaders’ traits influence support for PRR parties. This study delves into the impact of perceived leaders’ traits on the vote for PRR parties, using original survey data collected during recent general elections in si…
Turning the Page’? The 2024 UK General Elections and First Implications of Labour's Landslide Victory
Navigating Complexity: Continuity and Change in European Governance, 2023/2024
Analisi del rapporto fra rottura e continuità del nuovo ciclo politico europeo
The Brexit effect: Political implications of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Brexit has brought tensions in European and (especially) British politics. This article illustrates the rationale, scope and research questions of the special issue, which investigates the first Brexit effects in the five years following the 2016 referendum. Taking the distribution of political power as our primary focus and analysing mainly – though not exclusively – British politics, we trace the first developments in the three domains of polit…
The direct election of mayors: An assessment of the institutional reform following the Italian municipal elections of 2001
On 13 May 2001, the same day as the general elections, municipal elections were held in more than 1,000 municipalities, including all the major Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin). Incumbents already re-elected once could not stand because of the two-term limit. This in many cases opened the way for a renewal of mayoralties. This article aims to provide a balanced assessment of the process of direct mayoral elections by using data relatin…
The Different Trajectories of Italian Electoral Reforms
Italy is the only established democracy where two major electoral reforms took place in the last 20 years (respectively in 1993 and 2005). Adopting Renwick’s approach, which distinguishes between elite majority imposed and elite–mass interaction reforms, the article analyses electoral reforms in Italy in the post-World War II period. By examining the long-term importance of electoral rules in Italian politics, it argues that PR played a uniquely …
Decentralization in Italy and the Troubles of Federalization
Since the mid-1990s, Italy has made significant steps towards federalism, decentralizing political, fiscal and administrative powers, also by means of a major constitutional reform. Yet, 20 years after the beginning of this process, the country is experiencing problems in finalizing these reforms towards a stable federal architecture. This article examines Italy as a case of failed federalization. Adopting a long-term focus inspired by the ‘gradu…
Don't Count Your Chickens before They're Hatched: The 2013 Italian Parliamentary and Presidential Elections
The 2013 parliamentary and presidential contests were both outstanding elections, even by Italian standards. In the former case, this was because of very high volatility and the breakthrough of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), which resulted in a hung parliament and a stalemate in the formation of a new government. In the latter, for the first time in Italian history, the incumbent President of the Republic was re-elected for a second seven-year term o…
Devolution and Scottish Politics Ten Years on
The article reviews some of the most significant books on Scottish politics ten years after the implementation of devolution
Christian Democracy
Is Britain Facing a Crisis of Democracy
This article contributes to the debate in this journal about the state of British democracy. I criticise the tendency to use a ‘demand–supply’ dichotomy in interpreting the strong distrust experienced by institutions and politicians, and especially the idea that all the blame for current problems is to be attributed to the inadequateness of the British political tradition (BPT). By referring to international data on democracy and to recent Britis…
Populism in Europe: Everywhere and nowhere
The article analyzes some of the most important books on the dynamics of populism, with specific regard to Europe. It argues that - despite the very rich stream of literature in the field - political scientists still face a definitional and methodological conundrum on how to best define populism. However, the comparative analysis of the four books examined allows to point out the many insights that scholars of this phenomenon can find in them
The multiple tensions of British democracy
Brexit Two Years On: Where are We Now? Introduction
The piece introduces the contents and rational of the special section, which analyses the main dyanimcs of the Brexit process, following the referendum held on 23rd June 2016
Who is in Control? Brexit and the Westminster Model
This article provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of the Brexit process—from the June 2016 referendum to June 2018—on the British political system. Drawing on the classic work of Arend Lijphart and the ensuing scholarship applying the Westminster model to Britain, it seeks to understand whether and to what extent Brexit has impacted on the majoritarian features of the system. Adapting Lijphart's criteria, it focuses on the electoral‐pa…
Kings, jesters, or kingmakers? European populist parties as a microcosm for celebrity politics
The article explores a key aspect in the development of contemporary European populist parties: the celebrity dynamics of their leadership. It presents a systematic comparison of leaders from the main populist parties, exploring the correlation between leadership visibility, fame, and the ideological and organisational characteristics of parties. Furthermore, it investigates the subset of leaders whose public notoriety predates their political in…
Italy 2018: The Perfect Populist Storm
The March 2018 Italian general elections caused a sea change in the political system. The article seeks to analyse the elements of novelty present in the vote and the subsequent political developments by focusing on the victorious parties, the Lega and the Five-Star Movement. Their ideological appeal is placed within the context of the Europe-wide surge of populist parties, but also traced back to the long-term determinants of political dissatisf…
Taking back control? Brexit, sovereignism and populism in Westminster (2015–17)
This article analyses the claims for national sovereignty made in the British Conservative and Labour parties. In Britain, national sovereignism has been embedded within an entrenched tradition of Euroscepticism, whereas populist claims have periodically punctuated the discourse of both main parties, before emerging with more vocal tones during the discussion on Brexit. While most sovereigntist claims share some degree of populism, we reserve the…
Bread or Circuses? Repoliticization in the Italian Populist Government Experience
The majority view within political science is that populism is best understood as a (thin) ideology. We problematize the ideational approach by broadening the scope of analysis, linking populism to the rise of long-term generalized anti-political sentiments, against interpretations that tend to tie the populist wave to conjunctural factors related to recent crises. We argue that the essence of populism lies at the intersection of the ‘material co…
The Brexit effect: Political implications of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Brexit has brought tensions in European and (especially) British politics. This article illustrates the rationale, scope and research questions of the special issue, which investigates the first Brexit effects in the five years following the 2016 referendum. Taking the distribution of political power as our primary focus and analysing mainly – though not exclusively – British politics, we trace the first developments in the three domains of polit…
Brexit Effect: What Leaving the EU Means for British Politics
Yet Another Populist Party? Understanding the Rise of Brothers of Italy
From its 2012 beginnings as a marginal radical right splinter group, in the 2022 general election 'Fratelli d'Italia' (Brothers of Italy, FdI) was the most voted party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni, became the first Italian female Prime minister. While both leader and party can be classified as belonging to the populist radical right family, we argue that FdI must be understood also as a 'rooted newcomer', i.e. a party that can count on pre-exis…
Back to the Westminster model? The Brexit process and the UK political system
This article investigates the impact of Brexit on the British political system. By critically engaging with the conceptualisation of the Westminster model proposed by Arend Lijphart, it analyses the strains of Brexit on three dimensions developed from from Lijphart’s framework: elections and the party system, executive– legislative dynamics and the relationship between central and devolved administrations. Supplementing quantitative indicators wi…
Caught between sovereignty and solidarity? A multidimensional revisitation of EU mass–elite congruence
This article undertakes a critical revisitation of mass–elite congruence on EU matters, taking stock of 30 years of research and addressing durable ambiguities flagged by recent scholarship. Its specific contribution leverages EUEngage elite and mass survey data gathered in 2016 in 10 European countries. Examining congruence at both the country and the party level, we carry out an uncommon multidimensional analysis that encompasses general Europe…
The many political legacies of Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi’s enduring influence on Italian politics is profound, marking a transformative era that reshaped the nation’s political, institutional, and communicative landscapes. As Italy’s longest serving prime minister since World War 2, Berlusconi’s tenure and actions have left indelible marks on the country’s governance and political culture. His leadership of Forza Italia, a party he founded in 1994, epitomizes his central role in foste…
Different shades of leadership: A comparative assessment of leaders’ traits in explaining the vote for populist radical right parties
Populist Radical Right parties (PRR) have gained prominence in many European countries, with leadership often considered a key factor in their electoral success. Despite this, limited research has explored how voters’ perceptions of leaders’ traits influence support for PRR parties. This study delves into the impact of perceived leaders’ traits on the vote for PRR parties, using original survey data collected during recent general elections in si…
From ‘Anomaly’ to ‘Laboratory’? Fratelli d’Italia , Illiberalism and the Study of Right-Wing Parties in Western Europe
Once considered an anomaly for its polarized pluralism, then marked, over the last three decades, by frequent alternations between populist and technocratic governments, Italy is now the only country in Western Europe whose coalition government is led by a party usually classified in the populist radical right family, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia). While this means that the country has finally its first female Prime Minis…
Navigating Complexity: Continuity and Change in European Governance, 2023/2024
Analisi del rapporto fra rottura e continuità del nuovo ciclo politico europeo
Exploring the political culture of Fratelli d’Italia with a novel middle-level elite survey
We introduce a novel dataset derived from a comprehensive survey targeting both elite and middle-level elites of Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia, FdI), the most-voted party in the Italian 2022 general elections and whose leader, Giorgia Meloni, is currently holding the office of Prime Minister. The dataset encompasses various aspects, including socio-demographic characteristics, prior political experience, motivations for joining the party, …
Political science (23 works) · Politics (22 works) · Law (21 works) · Law (20 works) · Political economy (16 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Economics (11 works) · Populism, Right-Wing Movements (10 works) · Public Administration (9 works) · Public Administration (9 works)