Party organisations and alliances in Italy in the 1990s : a revolution of sorts

This study analyses the changes which have taken place in Italian political parties and the alliances they have formulated in the 1990s, changes which are visible at three levels: the disappearance of old parties and their replacement with new organisations; organisational innovation in many of the new parties, and a new pattern of alliances ‐ which is increasingly shaped by bipolarity. The changes are analysed in three periods, each of which culminates in a landmark national election: 1987–92, 1992–94 and 1994–96. The conclusion assesses the significance and likely permanence of the new constellation of parties and alliances