The impact of the sovereign debt crisis on the rise of populist parties in Italy

After the economic crisis burst, the Italian political scenario was characterized by a persistent instability. From 2011 to 2018, the country had four different governments, all heavily criticized for the imposed structural economic reforms and austerity measures. The general dissatisfaction of citizens toward the crisis management may have led voters to think the establishment parties were incapable of dealing with the problems of the country, such the high unemployment rate and the inexistent economic growth. This scenario may explain why voters tended to vote for antiestablishment parties, namely the Northern League and the Five Star Movement in the 2018 political election